The Satanic Temple is promoting an after school program called the After School Satan Club that they hope to establish in public schools this school year.
According to The Washington Post, members of the Satanic Temple hope that their after school program will compete with the Christian program, the Good News Club, that is allowed in public schools.
Members of the Satanic Temple who are proponents of the program say that the purpose of the club would not actually be to worship the devil, but rather to promote rational thinking.
“It’s critical that children understand that there are multiple perspectives on all issues, and that they have a choice in how they think,” said Doug Mesner, the Satanic Temple’s co-founder.
Mesner added that “Satan” is just a “metaphorical construct” that represents the rejection of tyranny of the human mind.
The after school clubs would emphasize reasoning and social skills. They would also feature healthy snacks for kids, creative learning activities, a science lesson, and art projects.
In 2001, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Christian clubs were allowed in public schools because to exclude them would be to violate the right to free speech.
Proponents of the satanist clubs hope to capitalize on this precedent.
Publication date: August 1, 2016
