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A man who made national headlines for tearing down and beheading a Satanic display in the Iowa State Capitol believes his actions were the “right thing to do.“ “We should not tolerate Satan,“ Michael Cassidy told CBN Digital, explaining why he decided to take action against the display. After learning on social media that The Satanic Temple had installed a display in the capitol building, Cassidy found himself concerned over the presence of the display. “When I saw it, I thought, 'How on earth can Satanic icons be in the capitol?'“ he said. “And I thought, 'You know, it's some kind of oversight. ... some little bureaucracy.“ Cassidy said he assumed the government would take it down once they realized what it was, considering the symbol was an attempt to “honor Satan.“ But once the symbol wasn't taken down, he said he got a plane ticket to Iowa and went to see the symbol for himself. “Whatever emotion you may have felt looking at it online, it's completely different when you are actually in the capitol,“ Cassidy said. “I'm an American. I've been in the Navy for my entire adult life. I've fought to protect the country, and it wasn't to protect Satan. We say, 'So help me God,' not 'So help me Satan.'“ He continued, “It became very clear to me that this could not stand. ... It was intolerable for it to be there and, so I did what I did.“ After destroying the symbol, Cassidy said he cleaned up some of the debris and went over to security to turn himself in. Contrary to some media reports, he said he wasn't arrested over the ordeal, though he was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief. “The maximum penalty is ... I believe up to one year in jail,“ he said, noting there's also a potential $2,560 fine. “It really boils down to: God is good and deserves praise and Satan is evil and does not deserve,“ Cassidy said. “The devil is bad and it's not something that we should promote.“ He also responded to those who charged his actions were merely a public relations stunt. “I certainly saw this ahead of time,“ Cassidy said. “But ... I did not have a full plan of what I was going to do ... there was no set plan. There was certainly an immense dislike that I had from seeing it online.“ In the end, he said the decision to destroy the Satanic display came along with risks — potential perils he know the moment he took action. Watch him tell his story. CBN News. Because Truth Matters™ Download the free CBN News App: SUBSCRIBE to the CBN News Channel for more: SUBSCRIBE to the QuickStart Newsletter by visiting SUBSCRIBE to the Quickstart Podcast. New episodes every morning at 7am: What's coming up next? Have a look at our program guide: CBN features 24-hour TV news from a Christian perspective. The CBN News Channel provides independent news programming to an underserved audience to enlighten, entertain and inspire Christians around the world. Comments below do not necessarily reflect the views of CBN. Share this live feed with your friends and family: Like us on Facebook: Like us on Twitter: Follow us on Instagram: Contact News Editors: Questions about other CBN programs: Visit or call (888) 700-7000. Questions about supporting CBN News? Visit or call (888) 700-7000 for more information. Questions about Helping the Home Front? Call: 800-700-7000 #breakingnews #politicalnews #christiannews #christian #christianity #church #breakingnews #cbnnews
