Actually, to be clear, in this case the school was allowing the Christian group (and only that group) to hand out Bibles; when, in response, the FFRF tried to also hand out literature, the school prohibited them, and they have subsequently filed a lawsuit against the school as a result. The “Satanic Temple” has jumped into the fray supporting the FFRF lawsuit, making the point that if the school is going to allow the distribution of religious literature, they’ll be there as well (so perhaps the school shouldn’t be allowing this at all).
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Interesting. This story hasn’t yet gotten onto my podcast rotation (I listen to quite a few atheist, secular, and skeptic podcasts, so more often than not stories sort of bloom in all of them the same week.)
Anyway, I had heard of and read articles about a number of instances where the church of satan or some other minority religion wanted in on the sweet public space that christian monuments were getting no questions asked. In a fair number of them the FFRF and similar atheist/secular organizations would add in their own support in order to either make the courthouse or police station or city hall a diorama for the innumerable other religions’ iconography.
For some reason, the situation reminds me of a line from the sheriff in Squidbillies where he says Rusty can’t go to the public school in town because “if they keep segregating, the place is going to be nothing but bathrooms soon.” Just get all that religious crap off of the government’s lawn. If we allow religious iconography to continue its encroachment onto government property then there’s gonna be no room in state capitols for anyone to actually do the work of the people. Apply the standard fairly and say everyone’s entitled to worship whatever they want as long as they don’t build their idols on the public’s land.
Edited for spelling and grammar.
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So, into the schools, they’re… bringing light.
( •_•)>⌐■-■
(⌐■_■)
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teach the controversy…right? 
while i personally don’t think any religion has any place in public schools, it sounds like these people don’t either and are simply making a point and calling them out/calling their bluff.
I bet it doesn’t sound like such a great idea to these conservative folks pushing religion into schools when it isn’t their specific brand of belief, and that is what is know as hypocrisy.
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In a stand-up comedy routine, Kathleen Madigan did a bit where she talked about an older guy who made fun of Mormons. She pointed out his own religion, and he said, “Yeah, but we made our $#!+ up a long time ago.”
That’s pretty much the only distinction.
Also, keep in mind The Satanic Temple are not Satanists, not in the way the evangelical Christians think of the term. Raising awareness, promoting secular values and supporting personal freedom are pretty much what they do.
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The FFRF was going to be allowed to hand out some books, but the district was placing arbitrary limitations on what they could distribute–no Bertrand Russell “Why I am not a Christian” for instance. The FFRF sued, the suit was dismissed when the district said it would remove the limitations, and then the Satanic Temple said “We’d like some of that.” This is from memory, but I think it’s pretty accurate.
I never have any difficulty sharing His Noodly Goodness with a straight face. Donning the holy head wear, on the other hand, gives me fits of giggles.
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Ah, but they do so IN THE NAME OF SATAN!
…which exactly what Satan WOULD want, if the fever-dreams of the religious nutbags are anything to go by. Satan WANTS a secular world. Satan LOVES atheism. Satan would very much like it if you were to abandon your nutbag congregation.
[quote=“LDoBe, post:20, topic:41297”]
Since the FFRF refuses to do anything on religious grounds, or to claim any religious privilege, it often doesn’t technically have standing in quite a few lawsuits pertaining to equal treatment of religions. [/quote]
So I guess they’re damned if they do, damned if…oh, wait…
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aka, as @robert_c_baruch pointed out: Following the lead of The Bringer of Light…
The tradition, influenced by Gnosticism, usually reveres Lucifer not as the Devil, but as a liberator or guiding spirit
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I think it’s time for a Subgenious tent devival.
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I’m Pagan. I like to hear opposing views, opposite sides and listen to people I don’t agree with. But, I’m an adult. I wouldn’t be bringing occult information into schools. Let them grow up before they start that kind of research/ thinking.
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But the Evangelical Christians are commanded by their God to raise up children the ways of righteousness.
For many of them, “the ways of righteousness” pretty much preclude critical thinking and skepticism, which is a really good reason, all by itself, to keep them out of the schools.
Also, welcome to the BoingBoing forums.
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It’s the same “Satanic Temple” that’s involved in the Oklahoma courthouse statue, I believe. They’re basically some atheists playing Devil’s Advocate, making that exact point that if you open the public space to religion, all religion must have equal access, and then there’s going to be a whole lot of it, and much of it is going to be seen as objectionable to someone.
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In an ideal country, you wouldn’t have any religious types attempting to foist their wares on public school kids. Sadly, this is the US, and evangelicals think anything that prevents them from shoving their dogma down everyone’s throats is a threat to their religious freedom.
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The irony is that much of the FFRF material was being rejected as inappropriate for “the children” (apparently it’s a high school) for talking about the very stuff that’s in the Bible.
Was the lawsuit dropped? What I could find seemed to indicate it was still in process, but it could have been outdated.
That’s an interesting and meritorious characterization of the Temple of Satan. I don’t think it’s all of what they do, but certainly a good part of it.
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The Satanic Temple doesn’t advocate any kind of occult practices.
Check out Duncan Trussel’s interview with Lucien Greaves; The Satanic Temple are working on leveraging that decision to force an opt out clause for ‘Doctors’ who absolutely must inform women about the always harmful effects of abortion before being allowed to proceed with the process.
If I recall correctly. (religious beliefs mean you don’t have to engage in a federally mandated process…)
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http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/09/16/3568063/hobby-lobby-child-labor/
Yeah, the Hobby Lobby decision is pretty much “No one has to obey laws anymore.”
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