Community members in a Tennessee school district want to banish Satan from their children’s halls after the formation of a new club was announced.
The After School Satan Club (ASSC) wants to establish a branch in Chimneyrock elementary school in the Memphis-Shelby county schools (MSCS) district.
The ASSC is a federally recognized nonprofit organization and national after-school program with local chapters across the US. The club is associated with the Satanic Temple, though it claims it is secular and “promotes self-directed education by supporting the intellectual and creative interests of students”.
The Satanic Temple makes it clear its members do not actually worship the devil or believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural. Instead Satan is used as a symbol of free will, humanism and anti-authoritarianism.
Satanists: No no no we don’t actually worship Satan. We just picked that name to be antagonistic towards christians.
Christians: That’s creepy either way.
Satanists: SEE? SEE? I told you they would complain.
Satanists: We picked the name to bring attention to all the things you can get away with if you call yourself a religion
Conservative: I’m not listening! THEY WORSHIP THE DEVIL!
Satanists: See? It’s working.
The “After-school Humanist Club” would not be having articles written about it.
Things you can get away with such as starting a club? That’s never been against the rules.
So why are people concerned that The Satanic Temple is starting a club? Are they concerned that they are indoctrinating children and teaching them about Satan? Because that’s the After School Christian Club doing that.
Why are christians concerned about a group who’s stated purpose is to be hostile to them? One reason jumps out at me.