The Satanic Temple is set to bring a religious educational program to an Ohio elementary school. According to the New York Post, the temple’s Hellion Academy of Independent Learning (HAIL) announced that lessons will be offered once a month for students to attend off-campus. The leaders of the Satanic Temple said that parents made the request as an alternative for children who do not wish to participate in the off-campus Bible study program, LifeWise Academy, which takes students out of class for 55 minutes to study the Bible.
According to The Post, “June Everett, an ordained minister with the Satanic Temple, told WCMH Channel 4 that parents were the ones to approach her with the idea to introduce HAIL to their schools.”
“We aren’t trying to shut the LifeWise Academy down, but I do think a lot of school districts don’t realize when they open the door for one religion, they open it for all of them,” Everett said.
While the program is not affiliated with the school district’s official curriculum, The Satanic Temple is basing the program’s legitimacy on Christian Release Time Religious Instruction (RTRI) programs, which, originating in 1952, allow students to learn about religious beliefs for a short period in the middle of the school day, according to USA Today.
“The 1952 U.S. Supreme Court ruling in Zorach v. Clauson found that RTRI programs did not violate the First Amendment’s Establishment Clause, albeit the religion could not be taught in the public school’s facilities or use public resources of any kind, according to The Satanic Temple’s release. This ruling also made it clear that schools could not discriminate against religious groups if they approved RTRI programs for their students, the organization said.”
The Satanic Temple’s website explains that the group, which is recognized as a tax-exempt church by the IRS, promotes secularism and “does not believe in an actual Satan.” USA Today reports, “To accomplish its goal, the organization will have vetted instructors in place who will present students with ‘various educational arts and crafts, games and community service projects through which they can learn about Satanic values, such as empathy, compassion, and justice,’ according to the release.”
The Satanic Temple is merely providing an alternative program in response to Christian groups excluding non-Christians students and promoting Christianity, the press release states.
LifeWise Academy CEO Joel Penton responded to the news that The Satanic Temple will offer its own program saying that “LifeWise isn’t fearful of other organizations offering RTRI […] We believe all families should have the opportunity to choose religious study during school hours and we trust parents to make the best choice for their children.”
In an e-mail to USA Today, Everett said that The Satanic Temple only seeks to implement its HAIL program when a parent reaches out to them expressing interest.
While some parents are seeking to take advantage of either LifeWise Academy or HAIL being offered during school hours as separate instruction, not all parents are on board with the move. Crystal Dille, a parent with three children in Marysville School, told WBNS that she thinks neither program has any business being offered during the school day.
The Mars Religion is teaching children deviant criminal behavior and values for more school shooting and violence. It should never be allowed in as a disruptive element for education. Satanism also known as the Mars Religion will lower test scores and may open doors to more Critical Race Theory and DEE ideology.
Who exactly do they worship if it’s not Satan?
Satanic values? Parents best tread lightly when recommending alternative religious training for their children lest they could get burned in the process.
If they didn’t believe in Satan, it wouldn’t be called the “Satanic” temple. Do they really think people are that stupid. Christ basically said, “you are either with me or against me.” Against Him means to be joined with Satan. And don’t let them them fool you, they absolutely follow and worship Satan. Pastor Billy Crone can testify to that. Just like Wiccans…”oh, we don’t follow Satan.” Yes, yes they do.
We have somehow allowed evil to gain a foothold and claim legitimacy. Doubt me? Look no further than the Democrat party.
LEARNING ABOUT ALL RELIGIONS is an important step to understanding – A ‘COMPARATIVE RELIGION CLASS’ COULD BE USEFUL AND EVEN TOLERABLE UNDER Certain CONDITIONS. Whomever is ‘teaching’ this needs to be well educated, unbiased, and able to TEACH students how to research, compare and evaluate the information they are given and find on their own.
Paganism.
Thank you for publishing this condition, where ignorant apathy is the predominant theme, by design, for inculcating evil of devil worship.
ADULT JUNK FOR CHILDREN SHOULD HAVE THE SICK ADULTS SPEND THE REST OF THEIR LIVES IN SOLITARY CONFINEMENT. THEY’RE SO SICK IN THEIR HEADS & COWARDS TO PICK ON INNOCENT CHILDREN
That’s because people are uneducated and don’t know hostory. The Bible was used as a Primer in ALL public schools until the 60’s.
WHY?
Because it was a book that was already in nearly every home in America since before the Revolutionary War. Which means you didn’t have to pay for other school books.
Secondly, Christianity is an integral part of our nation’s founding, as well as all of Western Society. Our laws were all based on the Abrahamic Laws in the Bible.
It’s just a FACT. How the heck do you teach about Ghandi and the REVEREND Dr. Martin Luther King, without mentioning their non-violence movements LITERALLY were modeled after Jesus of Nazareth?! There aren’t any serious Historians I’m aware of that will deny He was a living, breathing, person.
You want to debate His deity,fine, but His having existed AND influenced the ENTIRE known world is absolutely, undeniable, historical FACT.
I agree.
Too many people believe that it’s best to be “tolerant” of other beliefs and/or religions. It’s necessary to look into these “religions” before allowing them access to kids. Teaching Christianity doesn’t mean that it’s ok to allow anything that’s called a religion to be taught in the name of fairness or tolerance.
Great comment!
It should be up to parents to decide if they want their children to learn about Satanism. I definitely would not allow people I don’t know from a place called “The Satanic Temple” to have access to my children. That is asking for trouble. Especially in today’s climate of Leftist School administrators and teachers who decide to teach homosexuality, and have drag queens reading pornography to elementary school children.