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
    7·
    1 year 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·
      1 year 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
        2·
        1 year 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
          1·
          1 year 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.

            • clearleaf@lemmy.world
              1·
              1 year ago

              That links to this entire thread but I’m guessing it’s supposed to be one of the comments that says Satanism has nothing to do with Satanism and the name was only picked to troll Christians. The end goal is to be sued so they can countersue and do damage to religious institutions. You’ve seen those comments right? If none of that is true why call themselves Satan worshippers specifically?

              • CileTheSane
                2·
                1 year 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.

                So you’re just completely disingenuous then.

                Satanism has nothing to do with Satanism

                You’re trying to be tautological here:

                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.

                Note that at no point do they call themselves “Satanists”

                The end goal is to be sued so they can countersue and do damage to religious institutions

                They have no interest in damaging religious institutions, near as I can tell they have no problem with religions doing whatever they want in their own places of worship. The end goal is stopping religious overreach and keeping religion from being forced into public spaces. Anywhere you think it’s inappropriate for TST to be it is just as inappropriate for any other religion to be.

                why call themselves Satan worshippers specifically?

                They specifically don’t:

                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.