SALEM, Mass. — It's a hot summer night, and leaders of the
Satanic Temple have gathered in the crimson-walled living room of a
Victorian manse in this city renowned for its witch trials in the 17th
century. They're watching a sepia-toned video, in which children dance
around a maypole, a spider crawls across a clown's face and eerie,
ambient chanting gives way to a backward, demonic voice-over. The group
chuckles with approval.
They're here plotting to bring their
wisdom to the nation's public elementary school children. They point out
that Christian evangelical groups already have infiltrated the lives of
America's children through after-school religious programming in public
schools, and they appear determined to give young students a choice:
Jesus or Satan.
"It's critical that children understand that there are multiple
perspectives on all issues, and that they have a choice in how they
think," said Doug Mesner, the Satanic Temple's co-founder.
On
Monday, the group plans to introduce its After School Satan Club to
public elementary schools, including one in Prince George's County,
petitioning school officials to allow them to open immediately as the
academic year starts. Chapter heads from New York, Boston, Utah and
Arizona were in Salem on July 10 talking strategy, with others from
Minneapolis, Detroit, San Jose, New Orleans, Pittsburgh and Florida
participating online. The promotional video, which feels like a mash-up
of a horror movie trailer and a "Saturday Night Live" sketch, will serve
to promote the new club along with its website - Afterschoolsatan.com.
The
Satanic Temple - which has been offering tongue-in-cheek support for
the fallen angel in public arenas that have embraced prayer and
parochial ceremonies - is bringing its fight over constitutional
separation of church and state to the nation's schools. More...
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