The Satanic Temple, an anti-Christian organization advocating for reproductive rights claiming that "one's body is inviolable" and "subject to one's own will alone," has recently setup its "After School Satan Club" in Illinois' Jane Addams Elementary School.
Church Leaders reported that The Satanic Temple clarified it will not provide religious teachings to kids but would only provide lessons on "benevolence, empathy, critical thinking, and creativity." These would be through craft projects and science activities, games, and puzzles.
Parents of the Jane Addams Elementary School, which is located in Moline, have raised their concerns on the program since it was set up in response to the school's Christian Good News Clubs. The parents reacted after students brought home flyers about the After School Satan Club.
Our Quad Cities reported that a protest was held last month in front of Jane Addams Elementary School in line with the scheduled first meeting of the After School Satan Club, which has organized meetings on February 10, March 10, April 14, and May 12.
The protest was organized by a local pastor who wanted to make "sure the Word of God is heard." The pastor explained that the "laws of God" do not allow such a club to exist. He announced that they will continue to hold the protest should the After School Satan Club persist to hold their meetings.
In line with the approval of the club to be setup in the school, Moline-Coal Valley School District and Board of Education released a statement that "administrative procedures" allow it in the Jane Addams Elementary School.
"The Moline-Coal Valley School District and Board of Education have policies and administrative procedures in place which allow for community use of its publicly funded facilities outside the day. The district does not discriminate against any groups who wish to rent our facilities, including religious-affiliated groups," the statement read.
The statement also clarified that "flyers were not distributed to all students" but were placed in the lobby for children to pick. The district stressed that they nor any teacher in the Jane Addams Elementary School were affiliated with The Satanic Temple and its After School Satan Club.
Accordingly, a parent from the school district got in touch with the After School Satan Club and informed them the school has a "child evangelism fellowship club." The parent then "asked that they bring their program to that school as well."
The Satanic Temple Co-Founder Lucien Greaves raised in an interview with KWQC their right to setup a club in public schools and not to make it exclusive to Christians.
"If you're going to open the public forum up to one religion, you open it up to all of them. There have been decades, generations of people trying to encroach religion into public schools and we simply can't allow the government to pick and choose which religions are worthy of expression," Greaves said.
After School Satanic Club Director Julie Everett did admit that they only setup in schools with a religious club offering. Everett stressed that their goal is not to indoctrinate the children. Though their website describes the After School Satan Club as a means to counter the "evangelical materials now creeping into their" schools.
"It's only in schools that have a current religious club being offered. We're not a religious indoctrination program, nor do we teach indoctrination or offer religious opinions," Everett said.
