Outraged by the placement of a nativity and menorah in front of Florida city hall during the holidays, an atheist erected his own symbol -- an upside down cross, the symbol of satanism and idolatry.
According to a report from the Daily Caller, LGBT advocate and self-proclaimed "militant atheist" Chaz Stevens put the controversial cross in front of Hallandale Beach City Hall that reads, "In Chaz We Trust, All Others Pay Cash."
"Government has no right to be in the business of religion," Stevens told the Sun-Sentinel, explaining he simply wanted to "make a statement" with the cross, which lights up red after dark.
"Keep church out of state," he later told CBS Miami. "It's not like I practice evil. We do not believe in Satan. We are atheists. However, we'll believe in Satan, in Jesus, we'll believe in whatever if it furthers our cause of Satanology which is the promotion of our civic activism to further a discussion of our civil rights, of separation of church and state. And how we're doing that is we're using the hobgoblins of Christianity against themselves."
CBS notes that the upside-down cross has drawn outrage from many in the Christian community. However, instead of defacing Stevens' structure, Hubert Jackson, a deacon at the local Higher Vision Ministries, simply set up a Christian cross next to the Satanic one.
The six-foot-tall cross is reportedly covered with yellow placards with short Bible verses written on them.
"I did not want people to think the city where I live is endorsing Satan," Jackson told the Sun-Sentinel. "I was given permission to put up a cross and I will do it in the morning to counter this satanic thing."
"I do understand his point about keeping church and state separated," the Deacon added. "I also would agree with him to this point that if one religion can have their symbols than another one should also. But what I do disagree with is the satanic worship."
The Florida city also put up a notice next to the Satanic cross that reads, "This display has been privately installed as an expression of religious freedom. The views expressed do not represent the city's administration."
In turn, Stevens -- who regularly posts satanic images and quotes on his personal Facebook page -- plans to put up the crosses in other towns as well, including Doral, Fort Lauderdale and Boca Raton.
In the past, he has protested displaying nativity scenes during Christmas time and in 2013 built his own 'satanic display' which is a Festivus pole made from beer cans.
Raw Story notes that Stevens is also actively "exploiting tax code favoritism for religious organizations," saying he plans to raise money through his "Church of Satanology" to go on vacation and fund future satanic structures.
"The expense is, of course, a tax deduction," notes the report.
