RELIGION

Hindu, vegan displays proposed at Arkansas Capitol following Ten Commandments, Satanist plans

Associated Press
Published | Updated

A monument to Confederate women stands on the grounds of the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, July 7, 2015. Statues and memorials could be joined by a monument of a Hindu monkey-faced god turning the Arkansas Capitol into a menagerie following the Legislature's decision to allow a privately funded Ten Commandments display. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston) (The Associated Press)

A memorial to War of 1812 soldiers buried in Arkansas stands on the grounds of the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, July 7, 2015. Statues and memorials could be joined by a monument of a Hindu monkey-faced god turning the Arkansas Capitol into a menagerie following the Legislature's decision to allow a privately funded Ten Commandments display. (AP Photo/Danny Johnston) (The Associated Press)

A memorial to Arkansas Medal of Honor recipients stands on the grounds of the Arkansas state Capitol in Little Rock, Ark., Tuesday, July 7, 2015. Statues and memorials could be joined by a monument of a Hindu monkey-faced god turning the Arkansas Capitol into a menagerie following the Legislature's decision to allow a privately funded Ten Commandments display.(AP Photo/Danny Johnston) (The Associated Press)

Arkansas' decision to put a Ten Commandments display on its Capitol grounds could lead to a monument menagerie that includes a statue of a monkey-faced deity and a banner promoting a vegan lifestyle.

The Satanic Temple has said it may erect a bronze Baphomet in Little Rock, and on Tuesday the Universal Society of Hinduism and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals announced plans for their own displays.

Arkansas lawmakers this year emulated Oklahoma by authorizing a Ten Commandments display on Capitol grounds. The Oklahoma Supreme Court last week rejected religious displays at the Oklahoma City Capitol, so the groups have shifted their attention eastward.

The Satanic Temple, Hindus and animal rights groups say symbols of their deeply held beliefs should be displayed alongside the Ten Commandments.