Baal out: Top diplomat's worry about pagan god elicits eye rolls
The second-most powerful man at the State Department put the brakes on a U.S. international exhibit featuring a bull statue because he worried it might look like Baal, a pagan god some associate with Satanic child sacrifice. Why it matters: The anecdote illustrates the quirky interests of Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau, according to department critics, who say he spends too much time on…
Deputy Secretary of State Chris Landau put the brakes on an upcoming U.S. international exhibit featuring a golden bull statue in Belgrade, Serbia. The concern stemmed from the potential association of the bull with the pagan god Baal, which some equate with Satanic child sacrifice. Landau, known for his quirky interests, emailed his staff about the issue on August 19, expressing his concerns about the imagery becoming a distraction.
The department debated how to make the bull statue both interesting and non-Satanic, but ultimately decided to put the plan on hold. Landau's involvement in the project has been a source of amusement and criticism, with some labeling his actions as an episode of "Veep."
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