Recently the Ten Commandments monument in Somersworth, NH was vandalized and while The Satanic Temple does not endorse or condone acts of vandalism, this act may present an opportunity for the members of the Somersworth community as well as New Hampshire to consider what this means in the grand scheme of religious freedom. Last year in Oklahoma the state supreme court found the monument to be unconstitutional as the Ten Commandments “is obviously a religious document”. We live in a pluralistic society where every religious voice is given the freedom to be expressed with no endorsement of any one singular by government. Instead of wasting taxpayer money to repair and reconstruct the monument they should leave it down or donate the monument to a religious organization in town and keep all religious symbolism off of public property unless they are prepared to give a voice to all the religious beliefs of it’s citizens.

Somersworth, as of 2010, had a population of almost 11,800 people. Do the Ten Commandments represent the faith of every citizen of Somersworth? As such does that give it a proper place as front-and-center representation in front of the city hall?

According to a Pew Research Poll (http://pewrsr.ch/2b2T5jV) New Hampshire came in as the least religious state in the United States tied with Massachusetts. Only 33% of people in New Hampshire identify as “Highly Religious”, 22% admit to attending worship services weekly and only 43% of people surveyed said they believe in God absolutely. It is time that the City of Somersworth look towards the changes in their population and instead of erecting or replacing religious symbols on public property, donate the monument to a local church and let them display it on their own private property.

Ragnar Santorum

The Satanic Temple — Portland, ME.