Parents at a school in Virginia are outraged over the Satanic Temple holding its “After School Satan Club” this month.
QUICK FACTS:
- A school in Virginia has received backlash from parents after the Satanic Temple announced it would be bringing its ‘After School Satan Club’ back to campus.
- One member of the Satanic Temple argued that because the school has other faith-based clubs, it had to allow a Satan club.
- “I would like to add that this club is only happening because of the Evangelical club that is already present at the school,” satanist Rose Bastet said.
- Bastet argued that the Christian club aims at “indoctrinating children” and that her temple “received a request from a concerned parent to make sure there is another club available to kids that don’t wish to be taught that they are sinful and subject to burning in hell for all eternity for slight infractions.”
- “So scary. Makes homeschooling much more attractive,” one parent commented on the Facebook thread where the event was shared.
PARENTS OVER THE SATANIC CLUB BRINGING ‘AFTER SCHOOL SATAN CLUB’ TO CAMPUS:
“Stuff like this is why the wife and I are sacrificing so much to send our son to a private school,” ONE PARENT SAID.
BACKGROUND:
- The Satanic Temple is headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts and has more than 1.5 million followers worldwide.
- In April 2022, Northern Elementary School in York, Pennsylvania was sued by The Satanic Temple after it voted against allowing the group’s after-school club.
- General counsel for the Satanic Temple Mathew Kezhaya said the lawsuit would determine whether or not they were discriminated against in light of the fact that other organizations had been able to meet on school grounds.
- “The First Amendment prohibits a government from considering the popularity of communicative activity when determining whether to facilitate that communicative activity on equal terms with other, similarly situated, groups,” Kezhaya said at the time.
