Satanic clubs, whose members do not worship the devil, usually formed in response to presence of religious groups in schools

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.

  • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
    211·
    9 months ago

    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.

    • clearleaf@lemmy.world
      16·
      9 months ago

      Things you can get away with such as starting a club? That’s never been against the rules.

      • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
        7·
        9 months ago

        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.

        • clearleaf@lemmy.world
          14·
          9 months ago

          Why are christians concerned about a group who’s stated purpose is to be hostile to them? One reason jumps out at me.

          • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
            2·
            9 months ago

            Why are christians concerned about a group who’s stated purpose is to be hostile to them?

            That is not their stated purpose. You invented a purpose, then pretended they stated it.

            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.

            • CileTheSane@lemmy.ca
              1·
              9 months ago

              Of the two groups, a Christian Church/group is far more likely to have long conversations or services about how TST is bad and wrong, than TST is to have the same conversation about Christianity specifically.

              This is Christians believing they are the One True Faith so anyone trying to get religion out of politics and policy must be targeting them specifically.