A few short years ago, it might have been impossible to imagine Satanism becoming an open and celebrated force in the lives of young children, but a coordinated effort by the Satanic Temple and anti-Christian activists have accomplished just that in elementary schools across the nation.
The trend began in 2020 with the introduction of “After School Satan Clubs,” which were billed as an alternative to other religious clubs held in public schools.
While there was some initial pushback, the efforts have begun paying off as an increasing number of primary schools welcome the club and organizers hope to expand to high schools soon.
Campaign director June Everett celebrated the fact that the club’s popularity is “blowing up,” asserting that she expects “every year moving forward is going to get busier and busier.”
In response to schools that are reluctant to allow a Satanist group to meet on campus, the American Civil Liberties Union is on hand to exert legal pressure. Most recently, the ACLU sued a school district in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, for its opposition to hosting an After School Satan Club.
BREAKING: In a victory for free speech and religious freedom, a federal court has ruled that the Saucon Valley School District must allow the After School Satan Club to meet in district facilities.
— ACLU (@ACLU) May 1, 2023
Despite its blatant reverence for the Prince of Darkness, the Satanic Temple attempts to describe itself — and the controversial after-school program — as a positive societal force. Its website insists the temple’s mission is to “encourage benevolence and empathy” while rejecting “tyrannical authority.”
Although the clubs claim to avoid any proselytization on school property, Everett admitted that as the program becomes more popular, the push to advance Satanism is likely to become more forceful. In the future, she said the temple is “considering teaching some of the seven core tenets of the Satanic Temple in the clubs.”
She noted that the temple is also promoting a children’s book that after-school clubs might start using as part of its program.
Everett described it as “the children’s version” of Satanism, which includes “a very sweet way to interpret the tenets in a very understanding way that children could understand.”
Among the Satanic Temple’s most prominent convictions is support for abortion, as evidenced by various lawsuits filed in states that have enacted laws limiting the procedure and its push to convince women to engage in the “Satanic abortion ritual.”
