The Ten Commandments monument is pictured at the state Capitol in Oklahoma City. (AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki) 
 
 Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin (R) said that the state’s controversial Ten Commandments statue is staying put despite a state Supreme Court ruling ordering it to be taken off the statehouse grounds. 
 
 The state’s highest court handed down a broad 7-2 decision last week, which found that the monument violated the state’s constitution. 
 
 In statements issued Tuesday, Fallin defended the statue and said that “the court got it wrong.” She added that the statue will remain in place while the state appeals the court’s decision and the legislature considers changes to the constitution. 
 
 “Oklahoma is a state where we respect the rule of law, and we will not ignore the state courts or their decisions,” Fallin said. “However, we are also a state with three co-equal branches of government.” 
 
 “At this time, Attorney General Scott Pruitt, with my support, has filed a petition requesting a rehearing of the Ten Commandments case. Additionally, our Legislature has signaled its support for pursuing changes to our state Constitution that will make it clear the Ten Commandments monument is legally permissible,” she added. “If legislative efforts are successful, the people of Oklahoma will get to vote on the issue.” 
 
 [Oklahoma’s Ten Commandments statue must be removed, state Supreme Court says] 
 
 In the ruling, the court noted that the statue, a six-foot-high stone replica of two tablets engraved with the Ten Commandments, is “obviously” religious in nature. The state constitution specifically prohibits state funds or property from being directed “for the use, benefit, or support of any sect, church, denomination, or system of religion, or for the use, benefit, or support of any priest, preacher, minister, or other religious teacher or dignitary, or sectarian institution as such.” 
 
 Fallin and proponents of the statue note that it was paid for with private donations and say it is no different from a Christmas tree lighting held at the capitol every year or Native American works of art that include symbols of religion, tribal culture and history that are permitted to be displayed on government property. 
 
 [The Satanic Temple’s giant statue of a goat-headed god is looking for a home] 
 
 “Legislators and supporters of the monument intended it as a tribute to the importance of the Ten Commandments in our history and our system of laws,” Fallin noted in a statement. “Celebrating the historical importance of religions and religious values is not a new idea. Our nation is steeped in references to God and the rights He bestows on all men and women. 
 
 “None of these represent state endorsement of or support for any religion. They are celebrations or visual representations of our culture and events of historical importance,” she added. 
 
 The American Civil Liberties Union of Oklahoma, which handled the legal proceedings in the case, called Fallin’s decision “political grandstanding.” 
 
 “We along with no doubt a large number of Oklahomans were astonished at the governor’s reaction and the statement today pretending that she has the authority to enforce the laws of some hypothetical future instead of enforcing the laws as they are today,” Ryan Kiesel, the group’s executive director, told the Washington Post. “Governors do not get a blank check to make up the laws as they see fit.” 
 
 “That’s not the way that our democracy works and the governor’s statement is unprecedented.” 
 
 Kiesel said he believes it is highly unlikely that the state Supreme Court will agree to rehear the case, which has already spanned more than 2-years of litigation. The process of changing the state constitution, which requires putting those changes to a vote could take well over a year, he added. 
 
 If the court’s order remains in place during that time and Fallin refuses to remove the statue while waiting for constitutional changes, she could be in contempt of court. 
 
 “It creates the potential for a showdown between the legislative and judicial branches,” Kiesel said. “If you refuse to comply with a valid and lawful order of the court, there’s a word for that: it’s contempt.” 
 
 In an interview with the Washington Post last week, one of the plaintiffs in the case against the state noted that the monument is so large and unavoidable that it gives the impression of a state-sanctioned religion. 
 
 “I’m not opposed to Ten Commandment monuments; I’m opposed to them on government property,” said Bruce Prescott, who is an ordained Baptist minister. “How do you take a covenant between God and his people and make it a secular monument?” 
 
 [This post has been updated.] ||||| OKLAHOMA CITY Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin said on Tuesday she will keep a Ten Commandments monument on Capitol grounds to allow lawmakers time to find ways to block a state Supreme Court decision ordering its removal. 
 
 "During this process, which will involve both legal appeals and potential legislative and constitutional changes, the Ten Commandments monument will remain on the Capitol grounds," Fallin, a Republican, wrote in a statement. 
 
 The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled last week the monument violates a state constitutional section that bans the use of state property for the benefit of a religion. 
 
 Lawmakers in the socially conservative state responded with threats to seek the impeachment of the justices and calls for legislation to alter the constitution to allow for its display. 
 
 The 6-foot-tall (1.8-meter) stone monument, paid for with private money and supported by lawmakers, was installed in 2012, prompting complaints that it violated the U.S. Constitution's provisions against government establishment of religion, as well as local laws. 
 
 "It is a privately funded tribute to historical events, not a taxpayer funded endorsement of any religion, as some have alleged," Fallin said. 
 
 After the Ten Commandments monument went up, other groups including Satanists and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, applied to erect their own monuments on Capitol grounds to mark what they say are historical events. 
 
 The Satanic Temple criticized Fallin for ignoring the state's top court. 
 
 "Governor Falling's statement is an open, flagrant expression of her intent to bypass and re-write state law at her convenience for the benefit of one ill-contrived petty act," said Douglas Mesner, a top group official. ||||| Story highlights The state attorney general has filed an appeal 
 
 The legislature is considering amendments to the state Constitution 
 
 (CNN) A 6-foot tall granite monument of the Ten Commandments will remain on statehouse grounds while Oklahoma appeals a state Supreme Court decision ordering it taken down. 
 
 "Oklahoma is a state where we respect the rule of law, and we will not ignore the state courts or their decisions. However, we are also a state with three co-equal branches of government," Gov. Marry Fallin said in a statement Tuesday. 
 
 Fallin said the state attorney general has filed an appeal, while the legislature pursues changes to the state Constitution that makes the monument legally permissible. 
 
 "During this process, which will involve both legal appeals and potential legislative and constitutional changes, the Ten Commandments monument will remain on the Capitol grounds," she added. 
 
 Last week, the state Supreme Court ordered the monument removed because it violates the state's constitutional ban against the use of public funds or property to benefit a religion. 
 
 Read More ||||| × Oklahoma Governor says monument will stay at capitol despite high court ruling 
 
 OKLAHOMA CITY – Lawmakers are fighting to keep the Ten Commandments Monument outside the Oklahoma State Capitol. 
 
 The Oklahoma Supreme Court ruled that the Ten Commandments Monument must be removed from the Capitol grounds. 
 
 The Court says that monument violated a part of the Oklahoma Constitution that prohibited the use of public property for religious purposes. 
 
 Now, a group of Oklahoma lawmakers have filed an amendment, which would remove that language from the Oklahoma Constitution. 
 
 “After reviewing the Supreme Court’s Ten Commandments ruling, it is clear that we have a toxic provision in our state Constitution,” said Rep. John Paul Jordan. “It was written with discrimination in mind, and like a malignant tumor, needs to be removed completely. I am under the opinion the court’s strict interpretation of the language of Article 2, Section V could have far reaching implications. It could possibly lead to the Native American artwork in the Capitol and State Supreme Court buildings being removed as much of it is religious in nature. In addition, it could lead to individuals on state funded insurance programs being unable to receive medical care as a large portion of hospitals in Oklahoma are supported by a religious affiliation.” 
 
 After the ruling, some lawmakers even called for the seven justices who voted against the monument to be impeached. 
 
 “We need to restore the balance in our state government and not put up with this kind of judicial tyranny,” Rep. Calvey said. 
 
 “This would be a lengthy and expensive process that likely wouldn’t go anywhere because the justices didn’t do anything wrong. They followed the letter of the law,” Rep. Virgin said. 
 
 Gov. Mary Fallin says the monument will remain at the Capitol while appeals and constitutional changes are considered. 
 
 “Oklahoma is a state where we respect the rule of law, and we will not ignore the state courts or their decisions. However, we are also a state with three co-equal branches of government. At this time, Attorney General Scott Pruitt, with my support, has filed a petition requesting a rehearing of the Ten Commandments case. Additionally, our Legislature has signaled its support for pursuing changes to our state Constitution that will make it clear the Ten Commandments monument is legally permissible. If legislative efforts are successful, the people of Oklahoma will get to vote on the issue.” 
 
 See a mistake? Report a typo here. ||||| DETROIT A Satanic organization unveiled a controversial bronze Baphomet sculpture in Detroit just before midnight on Saturday, after trying in vain to have it installed near a 10 Commandments monument in Oklahoma. 
 
 Due to planned demonstrations, the group, which is opposed to Bible-themed displays on government land, kept the location of the unveiling of its 9-foot-tall monument secret until the last moment, when it emailed the information to ticket holders. 
 
 The Satanic Temple unveiled the one-ton statue at an industrial building near the Detroit River just before 11:30 p.m. local time as supporters cheered, "Hail Satan." Some of the hundreds in attendance rushed to pose for photos. 
 
 The statue of a winged Baphomet with a human body and a goat's head resembled a design the group previously released. Statues of a boy and a girl stood in poses of adoration on either side. 
 
 Jex Blackmore, director of the Satanic Temple Detroit chapter, said temple members planned to transport the sculpture to Arkansas, where earlier this year the governor signed a bill authorizing a 10 Commandments monument on the State Capitol's grounds. 
 
 The Temple had unsuccessfully applied to have the statue placed near a 10 Commandments monument installed in 2012 on the Oklahoma State Capitol grounds. The Oklahoma Supreme Court recently ruled the 10 Commandments monument violates a section of the state constitution that bans the use of state property for the benefit of a religion. 
 
 Lawmakers in the socially conservative state responded with threats to seek the impeachment of the court's justices and pledged to push for changes to the constitution. 
 
 Oklahoma Governor Mary Fallin, a Republican, said she will keep the monument in place as the state appeals the decision. 
 
 On Saturday, the presentation of Baphomet in Detroit drew protest from local Christians. About 50 people prayed for the city and denounced the monument outside a business where the Satanic Temple previously tried to display the statue before fears of a backlash scuttled the plan. 
 
 "The last thing we need in Detroit is having a welcome home party for evil," said Reverend Dave Bullock, a pastor at Greater St. Matthew Baptist Church in Highland Park, Michigan. 
 
 (Editing by Alex Dobuzinskis) ||||| This artist's rendering provided by the Satanic Temple shows a proposed monument that the New York-based Satanic group wants to place at the Oklahoma state Capitol. The statue features a bearded, goat-headed... (Associated Press) 
 
 This artist's rendering provided by the Satanic Temple shows a proposed monument that the New York-based Satanic group wants to place at the Oklahoma state Capitol. The statue features a bearded, goat-headed... (Associated Press) 
 
 OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) — A satanic group unveiled designs Monday for a 7-foot-tall statue of Satan it wants to put at the Oklahoma state Capitol, where a Ten Commandments monument was placed in 2012. 
 
 The New York-based Satanic Temple formally submitted its application to a panel that oversees the Capitol grounds, including an artist's rendering that depicts Satan as Baphomet, a goat-headed figure with horns, wings and a long beard that's often used as a symbol of the occult. In the rendering, Satan is sitting in a pentagram-adorned throne with smiling children next to him. 
 
 "The monument has been designed to reflect the views of Satanists in Oklahoma City and beyond," temple spokesman Lucien Greaves said in a statement. "The statue will also have a functional purpose as a chair where people of all ages may sit on the lap of Satan for inspiration and contemplation." 
 
 The Satanic Temple maintains that the Oklahoma Legislature's decision to authorize a privately funded Ten Commandments monument at the Capitol opened the door for its statue. The Ten Commandments monument was placed on the north steps of the building in 2012, and the Oklahoma chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union has sued to have it removed. 
 
 Similar requests for monuments have been made by a Hindu leader in Nevada, an animal rights group and the satirical Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster. 
 
 In response, the Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Commission recently placed a moratorium on considering any new requests. 
 
 "Anybody can still make their request, but we'll hold off on considering them until the lawsuit is adjudicated," commission Chairman Trait Thompson said. 
 
 The push by the Satanic Temple has rankled elected leaders in this conservative state known as the buckle of the Bible Belt, who say such a proposal would never be approved by the commission. 
 
 "I think you've got to remember where you are. This is Oklahoma, the middle of the heartland," said Rep. Don Armes, R-Faxon. "I think we need to be tolerant of people who think different than us, but this is Oklahoma, and that's not going to fly here." 
 
 While Greaves acknowledges the Satanic Temple's effort is in part to highlight what it says is hypocrisy of state leaders in Oklahoma, he says the group is serious about having a monument placed there. 
 
 The group already has raised nearly half of the $20,000 it says it needs to build the monument. 
 
 "We plan on moving forward one way or another," Greaves said. 
 
 Another Oklahoma legislator, Rep. Earl Sears, called the group's effort "an insult to the good people of the state." 
 
 "I do not see Satanism as a religion, and they have no place at the state Capitol," said Sears, R-Bartlesville. 
 
 On its website, the Satanic Temple explains that it "seeks to separate Religion from Superstition by acknowledging religious belief as a metaphorical framework with which we construct a narrative context for our goals and works. 
 
 "Satan stands as the ultimate icon for the selfless revolt against tyranny, free & rational inquiry, and the responsible pursuit of happiness," the website says. 
 
 ___ 
 
 Sean Murphy can be reached at www.twitter.com/apseanmurphy
– Oklahoma Gov. Mary Fallin has no plans to take down the 6-foot-tall stone Ten Commandments monument from state Capitol grounds—despite a state Supreme Court ruling ordering just that, reports Reuters. Fallin says her attorney general is asking the high court to reconsider its 7-2 ruling, saying, per Tulsa World, "Oklahoma is a state where we respect the rule of law, and we will not ignore the state courts or their decisions. However, we are also a state with three co-equal branches of government," with her spokesman adding she wants those other sectors of government to weigh in. Part of Fallin's argument: Taxpayers aren't paying for it, and it's not much different from annual Christmas tree lightings held there or from Native American art displayed on government property, notes the Washington Post. "It is a privately funded tribute to historical events, not a taxpayer-funded endorsement of any religion, as some have alleged," she says, per CNN. Some lawmakers are even trying to pass a constitutional amendment to get around the ruling, with one rep saying "it is clear that we have a toxic provision in our state Constitution … written with discrimination in mind, [which] … like a malignant tumor, needs to be removed completely," per KFOR. The ACLU of Oklahoma doesn't agree with this stance, or Fallin's, calling her decision "political grandstanding," the Post notes. Meanwhile, at least three other groups are now vying for space on Capitol grounds: The Universal Society of Hinduism wants a Lord Hanuman monkey-god statue, and the Satanic Temple is looking to put up a bronze likeness of the goatlike idol Baphomet, the AP notes, while PETA wants a banner depicting vegetables hung at the Arkansas Capitol. Other groups looking for their own space at the Oklahoma Capitol include the Church of the Latter-Day Dude, created as an homage to The Big Lebowski, and the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.