Satanic Temple objects to governor’s push for more religion in schools and says members could act as student chaplains

Satanic Temple objects to governor’s push for more religion in schools and says members could act as student chaplains

Dark messengers of satanism could soon be walking the hallways of Florida’s public schools, and it’s a consequence of hard-right governor Ron DeSantis’s push for more religion in education.

Members of the Satanic Temple say they are poised to act as volunteer chaplains under a state law that took effect this week opening campuses to “additional counseling and support to students” from outside organizations.

Although HB 931 leaves the implementation of chaplain programs to individual school districts, and only requires schools to list a volunteer’s religion “if any”, DeSantis has made clear its intent is to restore the tenets of Christianity to public education.

Without the bill, DeSantis said at its signing in April: “You’re basically saying that God has no place [on campus]. That’s wrong.”

The satanists see the law, which comes amid a vigorous theocratic drive into education by the religious right nationally, as an equal opportunity: if Christian chaplains are permitted access to students, often at the most vulnerable and impressionable stages of their lives, then so are they.

  • TheLowestStone@lemmy.world
    137·
    4 months ago

    I think that was meant to be tongue in cheek. The article also says:

    There are, however, no plans to introduce studies of the dark arts or satanic rituals to any classroom. The Satanic Temple champions Satan not as a literal, omnipresent demon, but as a symbol of rebellion and resistance to authoritarianism. It says its strategy here is to highlight flagrant violations of the constitutionally protected separation of church and state.

      • CleoTheWizard@lemmy.worldEnglish
        4·
        4 months ago

        Well this just proves that I’m right when I say their name is a double edged sword. On one hand, it’s inflammatory and mocking which creates a unique angle to engage politics with. Stirs up evangelicals while also being entirely harmless, making them look foolish.

        But on the other hand, seen here and elsewhere, it creates confusion that limits the organization to just antagonism at times. I wish there were more non-antagonistic humanist groups for this exact reason.

      • MindTraveller@lemmy.caEnglish
        91·
        4 months ago

        It’s a good thing it’s a common misconception. The misconception is the point.

        • samus12345@lemmy.worldEnglish
          2·
          4 months ago

          It is for fundamentalists, but sane people should know that the Satanic Temple is a secular organization.

          • MindTraveller@lemmy.caEnglish
            13·
            4 months ago

            How dare you? They’re religious, and enjoy every freedom given to religions by conservative politicians.

    • Flying Squid@lemmy.world
      911·
      4 months ago

      If that was the intent, they shouldn’t have intended it that way. Because people won’t take it that way.