'VOTE SATAN' sign stolen from yard

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, Colo., July 3 (UPI) -- A Colorado couple said they believe whoever cut down the "VOTE SATAN" poster from their yard was attacking their Satanist religious beliefs.

Luigi and Angie Bellaviste of Mountain View, who are members of the Church of Satan, said the poster was one of several yard decorations celebrating their beliefs, including a blacked Christmas-like tree, skulls and the number 666, KCNC-TV, Denver, reported Tuesday.

"I feel like we're being treated unfairly because it's not a so-called mainstream religion," Luigi Bellaviste said.

"I know of many people who have the Virgin Mary and tons of Jesus memorabilia 'I Love Jesus' and what is the difference?" Angie Bellaviste said.

The couple said they want to see the case investigated as a hate crime, but a Mountain View police officer said investigators will more likely seek theft charges because there was no obvious attack on the couple's religious beliefs.