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Belief Systems and Ethics
Francesca R. Whitson
Southern New Hampshire University
HUM-100: Perspectives in the Humanities
Valerie Thompson
23 April 2023
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Belief Systems and Ethics
I chose the news story “Why a Smiling Statue of Satan Is Stirring Up Controversy in
Spain.” This article is available at https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-smilingstatue-satan-stirring-controversy-spain-180971321/. José Antonia Abella created the statue to
express his affection for Segovia, Spain. Abella got the idea for the figure from a similar creation
of the devil in Lubeck, Germany. The statue is to honor the local legend of Satan building the
aqueduct.
The city of Segovia has been divided by the controversy the statue has aroused. Some
locals, primarily Catholic locals, have argued that the figure is “repulsive and despicable” and
“offensive to Catholics because its depiction of the devil constitutes the glorification of evil.”
The Catholic San Miguel and San Frutos Association by Marta Jerez and Maria Esther Lázaro
fought the court ruling to allow the statue after those opposed to the figure gained 5,600
signatures in a petition against the creation; those for the statue gained 2,850 signatures. Lázaro
states, “We found it repulsive, we think it’s obscene, and we don’t think that this statue is
suitable to represent the city.” On the other side of the controversy, City Heritage Supervisor
Claudia de Santos fully supports the statue and believes it will attract tourists to the walled site
and clear some crowds in the quarter. The complaint of the local Catholics was reviewed by a
judge who ruled in favor of the statue and ordered petitioners to pay $569 in legal fees. The
splitting of the local community impacted the controversy over this creation. Though more locals
were against the statue than not, the figure was approved. This statue split highly religious people
from those who did not find an issue honoring the folklore.
The primary value of humanities in defining ethics is the humanities’ advantage of
perspective. Using the humanities, we can analyze subjects from multiple perspectives of race,
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culture, and religion, allowing us to make correct decisions and gain more knowledge. We can
learn about cultures around us and their history with the humanities. Knowing the culture/s and
its/their history that are part of ethical issues can help us respectfully correct the problem.
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References
Solly, M. (2019, January 23). Why a Smiling Statue of Satan Is Stirring Up Controversy in
Spain. Smithsonian Magazine; Smithsonian Magazine.
https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/why-smiling-statue-satan-stirringcontroversy-spain-180971321/