ASHWAUBENON, WI (WSAU) – A Wisconsin museum is experiencing backlash after including a Christmas tree from the Satanic Temple in its annual Christmas tree festival.
According to Fox News, the National Railroad Museum in Ashwaubenon displayed 66 trees for the festival and Republican Rep. Mike Gallagher branded the tree from the Satanic Temple of Wisconsin “cultural propaganda” and “offensive.”
“Conservatives are often accused of launching a culture war or focusing on or fixating on cultural issues. But here is a perfect example of how that’s not what’s happening. What’s happening is we’re just trying to defend basic traditions or defend our children in the midst of these basic traditions, from the encroachment of woke ideology or offensive upside-down cultural propaganda,” he said on Fox’s Sunday Morning Futures.
“I think it’s impossible to overstate how offensive it is to Christians. It would be quite, in the literal sense, the same thing as waving the Hamas flag inside of a synagogue. I mean, it’s absolutely crazy that we would allow this to happen.” Gallagher continued.
The Satanic Temple’s tree was decked out with pentagrams, red lights, beads, and other decorations. One of the ornaments said, “Hail Santa,” which seemed to be a play on the phrase “Hail Satan.”
In response to the public outcry, CEO of the Museum Jacqueline Frank defended the variety of the festival and clarified that, according to their policies, the temple’s tree is acceptable because it doesn’t encourage hate, violence, or drug use, according to the Green Bay Press-Gazette.
“We believe that everybody should be included, regardless of their religious group, regardless of any business or organization that they’re a part of. So we don’t discriminate; since we’re not a religious group ourselves, we’re going to allow anyone who wants to take part,” Frank said.
