Missouri lawmaker doesn’t want ‘false god’ Ceres statue atop the Capitol. Seriously?
Missouri state Rep. Mike Moon is at it again.
The Ash Grove Republican once grabbed headlines for butchering a chicken on Facebook, ostensibly to protest abortion. He’s also the guy who wanted to repeal the Affordable Care Act with “manly firmness.”
He sought a special legislative session to block Syrian refugees from settling in Missouri because he feared “Islamization” of the state. He said legal marriage between 12-year-olds is “something to ponder.”
Now, Moon wants Gov. Mike Parson to stop the installation of a refurbished statue at the top of the Missouri Capitol. The statue represents Ceres, the Roman goddess of agriculture.
Moon says Ceres is unworthy of her place atop the dome.
“I appeal to your good judgment, as a follower of Jesus Christ, to direct the Capitol Commission to not return the false god Ceres, the Roman goddess, to the top of the Capitol dome,” Moon wrote to Parson.
“Should we not stand firm in our beliefs … by refusing to honor a pagan god?” he wrote.
As of Wednesday, the governor’s office had not responded to a request for comment. But we’re confident the governor will not surrender to Moon’s silliness.
The bronze Ceres statue was installed 95 years ago. In nearly a century, it has not prompted hordes of Missourians to abandon their faith and take up Roman idolatry. That’s because the Ceres statue isn’t aimed at honoring Rome, or ancient Roman beliefs. It symbolizes agriculture and the state’s farmers.
Similar Roman iconography can be found on our currency and in our public buildings. The bronze figure atop the United States Capitol is called the Statue of Freedom, and it carries weapons “commonly associated with Minerva or Bellona, Roman goddesses of war,” according to the Architect of the Capitol.
In fact, Missouri isn’t the only state with a Ceres statue on its capitol building. Vermont recently installed a statue of the figure on its statehouse dome. (Interestingly, Vermont chose to fully clothe its Ceres, unlike Missouri.)
Other state capitols are adorned with statues of Native Americans, farmers, pioneers, just to name a few. None has faced an unconstitutional religious test, which is what Moon seeks.
A year ago, when Missouri removed the Ceres statue for maintenance, Lt. Gov. Mike Kehoe called it a “beautiful treasure.” Dana Miller, a member of the Missouri Capitol Commission, said it was a “true masterpiece.”
They were right. The Ceres statue reflects Missouri’s understanding of agriculture’s role in the state, as well as Missourians’ appreciation for art and beauty. It is nothing more — and nothing less — than that.
State Rep. Mike Moon is running for a seat in the Missouri Senate. Voters in his district should consider the long list of bizarre losing battles he’s spent his time fighting in Jefferson City, and cast their ballots accordingly.