An organization that calls itself the Satanic Temple has been very active in promoting its overlord. It conducted a Black Mass and agitated, but failed, to build a 7-ft tall statue of Satan next to a 10 Commandments monument in Oklahoma City; actually erected the statue in Detroit; and wants prayer in school to the Devil.
Now, in the name of religious parity, the Satanic Temple is bringing After School Satan Clubs to America’s public elementary schools.
Another reason to home school your children.
In an archly-written article for The Washington Post on July 30, 2016, the clearly-biased-against-Christianity reporter Katherine Stewart (she’s the author of the objectively-titled book, writes that since Christian evangelical groups have after-school religious programming in public schools, the Satanic Temple is determined to provide young students with Satan clubs in the name of “choice”.
As Satanic Temple co-founder Doug Mesner, who uses the more exotic-sounding alias Lucien Greaves, puts it, “It’s critical that children understand that there are multiple perspectives on all issues, and that they have a choice in how they think.”
As an example, there is an evangelical Christian after-school program known as the Good News Club, sponsored by an organization founded in 1937 called the Child Evangelism Fellowship (CEF). For most of their history, however, Good News Clubs were largely excluded from public schools out of concern that their presence would violate the Constitution. In 2001, however, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that to exclude an after-school program on account of the religious views of its sponsors amounted to a violation of free-speech rights. Stewart writes: “The CEF then went on a tear, and by 2011, it reported 3,560 Good News Clubs, putting them in more than 5 percent of the nation’s public elementary schools.”
On July 10, 2016, Satan Club chapter heads from New York, Boston, Utah and Arizona met in Salem, Mass. to talk strategy, with others from Minneapolis, Detroit, San Jose, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Florida participating online. The Satanic Temple has prepared a promotional video, as well as a website Afterschoolsatan.com. To cover After School Satan Club costs, including facility use fees and curriculum materials, the Satanic Temple is launching a crowdfunding campaign — which is how it pays for its other activities.
The Satanic Temple said that on Monday, August 1, it would introduce its After School Satan Club to public elementary schools by petitioning school officials with this letter.
The Satanic Temple insists its plan for public schoolchildren isn’t actually about promoting worship of the devil, although its name is the Satanic Temple, its logo is the Baphomet goat’s head on a pentagram, and the after school clubs are called Satan Clubs.
Amy Jensen, a volunteer “professional educator” in Tucson who has a master’s degree in curriculum, instruction and teaching from the University of Denver, says she has decided to lead an After School Satan Club at Roskruge, Arizona. She said, “I definitely have teaching experience and I have tutored inside the Tucson Unified School District. So I probably could speak with the teachers there, go in and see who be willing to help me make it happen. As a teacher, if I were deciding whether to teach that or the fear and hatred of other people’s beliefs, which is what Good News Clubs teach, I would choose what the Satanic Temple has available.”
The Liberty Counsel’s founder and chairman Mat Staver agrees that the Satanic Temple has a right to organize its clubs in public schools and takes the view that they can’t be banned so long as they’re not disruptive or engaging in rituals that put people at risk. He said, “I would definitely oppose after-school Satanic clubs, but they have a First Amendment right to meet. I suspect, in this particular case, I can’t imagine there’s going to be a lot of students participating in this. It’s probably dust they’re kicking up and is likely to fade away in the near future for lack of interest.”
On the page of Katherine Stewart’s Washington Post article is a poll for readers on whether the Satanic Temple should be allowed to open After School Satan Clubs in elementary schools. As of the time of the publication of this post, the votes are:
- 47%: They should be allowed
- 53%: No, they shouldn’t
See also:
- Satanism as a new political movement in America
- Satanist Democrat runs for California state Senate
- Satanists endorse Bernie Sanders for President
- Florida Senate candidate drank goat’s blood in satanic ritual
- ‘Minion of Satan’ asks to give devil invocation at Florida county commission meeting
- Florida city council summons Satan
- Florida State capitol approves Satanic ‘holiday’ display
- Planned Parenthood supporter yells “Hail Satan” at California city council meeting
- Satanic black-metal band throws pig’s blood; audience vomit
- Shoes for teens with satanic Baphomet symbol
- Harvard goes satanic with Black Mass
- Movie promises a prize to those who convert to Satanism
- Super Bowl Satanism
- MTV’s Satanic Video
- Pop Culture Satanists
H/t Big Lug and Will Shanley.
~Eowyn
