A Florida school board paused a plan for a chaplain program after receiving First Amendment concerns — and interest from The Satanic Temple.

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/14405947

Florida Satanists are volunteering to fill school counselor roles after Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed a law allowing religious chaplains into public schools amid staffing shortages.

“Nothing in the text of the bill serves to exclude us, and no credible interpretation of the First Amendment could. Should a school district now choose to have chaplains, they should expect Satanists to participate as well,” Lucien Greaves, cofounder and spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, said in a statement to The Hill on Monday.

Back when DeSantis signed the bill in April, he described Satanism as “not a religion” and said its members would not be allowed to participate in the program.

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The Florida move allowing chaplains to serve as public school counselors comes as more states are aiming to inject Christianity into public school environments, including by mandating that the Bible or Ten Commandments be taught in classrooms.

The Satanic Temple has increasingly leaned into the fight over freedom of religion in public schools, including through the establishment of After School Satan clubs.

The temple, founded in 2014, says its mission is to “encourage benevolence and empathy, [and] reject tyrannical authority.”

cross-posted from: https://feddit.uk/post/13614799

The Satanic Temple is once again announcing plans for the Sooner State after a bill was sent to the governor’s desk which could allow students to receive class credits for religious and moral instruction off school campuses.

House Bill 1425 would force school districts to adopt a policy which allows students to go off-campus to attend a religious or moral instruction course taught by an independent entity. The student would be allowed to miss up to three class periods per week to attend such a course.

Instructors of these courses would not need to be licensed or certified teachers.

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In response to the bill being one step away from becoming the state’s newest law, The Satanic Temple is highlighting their own learning academy that Oklahoma students could use to possibly earn school credit.

In a post on social media, the religious group stated their Hellion Academy of Independent Learning (HAIL) could soon be available for Oklahoma students.

“The Satanic Temple believes that public schools should be free from religious influence,” the post said. “We are, however, prepared to ensure our members’ children receive the same opportunities as those participating in other religion’s programs. By not vetoing HB 1425, Governor Stitt will allow the state to grant elective credit for religious and morality classes taught by The Satanic Temple, making it possible for parents to invite TST’s HAIL program to their local public schools as soon as this fall.”

#TST Latest News: Legal Update with #LucienGreaves, @hemantmehta ,and David Williamson [04.23.2024]
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https://www.thesatanictemple.tv/programs/tst-latest-news-legal-update-livestream-04-23-2024?category_id=195971

Lucien Greaves, Hemant Mehta (Friendly #Atheist), and David Williamson (Central Florida #FreeThought Community) discuss the #publicschool #chaplain bill proposed by #ChristianNationalists in #Florida. The bill would allow for a widely unregulated #religious presence in public #schools. @thesatanictemple is preparing to offer #Ministers, if the bill passes.

"We are going to put Satanic chaplains in Florida schools, nothing in the bill places limits on who can become a chaplain, and Ron DeSantis can not simply amend the Constitution limiting the religious liberty of some by proclamation from the podium. "

excellent, yes. exactly. @thesatanictemple

https://lawandcrime.com/high-profile/desantis-says-satanism-is-not-real-and-not-qualifying-for-new-florida-school-chaplain-program/

Super broad question, but I want to ask if there are other communities similar in one aspect or another to the Satanic Temple?

The organisation known as the Satanic Temple is getting ready to send its chaplains into Florida schools, as a bill edges closer to adoption that allows volunteer chaplains in schools.

The religious group, which does not actually believe in Satan, encourages “effective and artful protest”, according to its website.

In the ten years since its conception, the group has advocated for First Amendment rights, as well as religious freedom, across the United States.

A Michigan man was arrested for planning to bomb The Satanic Temple headquarters in Salem, Massachusetts, police said.

Luke Isaac Terpstra, 30, of Grant, Michigan was arrested on Jan. 2 by Grant police, according to a Jan. 12 news release from the Salem Police Department. Terpstra is charged with possession of bombs with unlawful intent.

Michigan law enforcement were tipped off about Terpstra’s plan by his mother, WZZM reported citing court documents.

Children had a “great time” at the first meeting of an after-school Satan club at a Tennessee elementary school this week, organizers said, despite dozens of protesters who condemned the meeting.

On Wednesday, the After School Satan Club (ASSC), a federally recognized non-profit organization and national after-school program, held its first meeting at Chimneyrock elementary school in Memphis.

A club flyer said that the Satanic Temple was a non-theistic religion that views Satan as “a literary figure who represents a metaphorical construct of rejecting tyranny and championing the human mind and spirit”.

“After School Satan Club does not attempt to convert children to any religious ideology. Instead, the Satanic Temple supports children to think for themselves. All After School Satan Clubs … emphasize a scientific, rationalist, non-superstitious world view,” it added.

Activities promoted by the club include science projects, community service projects, puzzles and games, nature activities, arts and crafts and snacks, the flyer said.

The after school satan club is making inroads in the US thanks to the supreme court and in particular Clarence Thomas. There are now 4 states (CA, OH, CT, and PA with KS as a proposal) with active clubs where kids can learn unfiltered science and other subjects I'm sure.

Hopefully the new year will bring many more thanks to the SC and we can have better educated kids.

Maybe the motto should be join the After School Satan club and play games and learn things the schools are too afraid to teach. Also kudos to whoever dreamed up the name.

Color variants

This 2nd one is 🔥 too, idk which one I like better...

I hope its okay to post this here... ❤🤘❤