Radical Right Opens Schools to Satanism, Religious Tyranny

Of all the tyrannies that affect mankind, tyranny in religion is the worst…. Those are the words of Thomas Paine, one of America’s founding fathers. Now, fast forward to the 21st century, and you will find radical right-wing politicians forcing their brand of religious tyranny on impressionable school children in several states. And in doing so, they have unintentionally opened schools to Satanism.

Louisiana, Oklahoma, Texas and Florida schools are prime examples of religious tyranny in America. Louisiana law requires displays of the 10 commandments in all classrooms beginning with 5^th grade. Oklahoma public schools must teach the Bible to all students, while Florida and Texas allow Christian chaplains in their public schools. The Satanic Temple has demanded equal representation — and getting it’s beginning to get it.

Satanism in America’s Schools

“When lawmakers in Florida and Texas won the fight to allow religious chaplains in public schools, they swung open the door to ministers from other faiths – including the Satanic Temple,” NBC News recently reported.

The Satanic Temple “would prefer no chaplains in schools, it says, but would settle for equal representation, intentionally goading conservatives, some of whom are explicit about wanting Christianity, rather than just religion, in public education,” NBC said.

“When Arkansas installed a statue of the Ten Commandments outside the State Capitol, the Temple unveiled its own statue of Baphomet, a goat-headed figure, there, too,” according to Lucien Graves (aka Greaves), a co-founder of the temple. (The name or names are pseudonyms.)

“It offered the Hellions Academy as an alternative to Christian studies during school hours and named a telehealth abortion clinic after Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito’s mom,” NBC said. Satanism might be quite appealing to rebellious teenagers.

Is this what most Americans really want? I doubt it. Yet, the religious right has opened a Pandora’s box filled with disturbing possibilities and consequences.

Opening Schools to All Faiths

I’m a devout – though moderately inclined – Christian who finds the situation appalling. Right-wing politicians are throwing religious freedom out the window, forcing their twisted version of Christianity on school students, and inviting the Satanic Temple into public schools.

CBS News reported last December that the Satanic Temple was preparing to host the After School Satan Club for elementary students in Cordova, TN.

The temple said that “it doesn’t attempt to convert children to any religious ideology, but offers activities that ’emphasize a scientific, rationalistic, non-superstitious worldview.'”

Memphis-Shelby County Schools responded that the district would have to rent space to the organization because it had no other choice. It couldn’t allow one religious group into the district’s schools while denying another group’s request “based solely on its viewpoints or beliefs.”

The presence of Satanic Clubs in public schools also has rocked communities in Moline, IL; Lebanon, OH; York County, PA; Chesapeake, VA; Bakersfield, VA; and Greensboro, NC, according to Mission Network News.

CBS News reported in May that the Satanic Temple “is using this debate and others like it to make a point about the growing encroachment of religion into public life.”

What’s Next?

Let’s put Satanism aside and think about how the religious debate might unfold if extremist Christians continue to attack religious freedom. The question that comes to my mind is this one: Which Bible do they want to teach in public schools?

The obvious answer is the King James Version. Conservatives favor it, but it has never been my favorite. It was written in the archaic English used in 1604, and while the Scripture is beautiful at times, it is hard to understand.

The Bible also depicts ancient civilizations whose cultures were nothing like 21st century American culture. In addition, the Bible is a complex book that’s already open to misinterpretation.

The next question concerns which version or translation of the Bible schools might use. The New King James Version? The New Living Translation? What about the English Standard Version or New International Version? There’s also the American Standard Version and countless other versions and translations to consider.

There also are a number of Catholic or Orthodox Bibles on the market, though I doubt conservative Protestants would consider them.

Which Christian Beliefs?

Then, there’s the question of which version of Christianity teachers might teach. My Methodist brand of Christianity is quite different than hard-core evangelical or Catholic traditions.

In fact, there are 45,000 Christian denominations worldwide, and more than 200 of them are located in the U.S.

Within the Baptist denomination alone, there are Southern Baptists, American Baptist Churches USA, Primitive Baptists, Freewill Baptists, and more than 60 others. Each group has its own take on the faith, which is the reason most groups splintered in the first place.

Chaos in Schools

If public school students study the Bible because of its historic value, then Muslims might want to place the Koran in schools and Latter-day Saints might insist on including the Book of Mormon. Those faith traditions, as well as others, would have a good argument for including their sacred books.

Hindus might even want the Kama Sutra added to young people’s studies, though few if any Christian parents would want their children to study it.

And we cannot forget the Satanists and their Satanic Bible because they won’t let us.

Despite the chaos, students would be expected to learn core subjects such as math and science while squeezing in the material mandated by politicians and religious leaders.

Then & Now

Right-wing extremists no doubt feel nostalgic about the so-called “good old days,” when Christianity played a greater role in Americans’ lives and there was no question about the Christian faith having a place in schools.

I feel nostalgic at times, but then I remember the racism, misogynism and other unpleasant “-isms” that were deeply ingrained in American life. Sadly, they still exist in millions of people.

During my elementary school years in the 1950s, students heard or read Scripture before the school day started. No one objected, as most families in my small town were Baptist, Methodist or Presbyterian.  There was one well-respected Jewish family in my community, but no Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists, and as far as I know, no atheists or Satanists.

Teachers & Others Speak Their Minds

The internet has been filled with comments about the situation, including these statements from Oklahomans:

One person said, As a teacher, I find this horrific. I am Christian, but I know I am not qualified to teach the Bible or the Ten Commandments. What about teachers who are Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist or atheist (and so on)? What about their religious freedoms and rights?

This comment raises another problem that arises when one religion uses public schools to force its beliefs on young children. Do Oklahoma parents really want Jewish teachers teaching the New Testament to their children? Do they want Muslims, Hindus or Buddhists teaching school children about the Bible?

I’m not disparaging any of these religions or their followers. I’m merely saying that teachers who follow non-Christian faiths are not likely to know much about the Bible.

Another person who commented on teaching the Bible in Oklahoma schools said: I went to school to study the Bible for 16 years. I have a degree in Theology. Besides the fact that we should not be forcing one particular religion on people, the Bible is an extremely complex book. It’s not like this will be as simple as reading out of a Greek mythology book from Barnes & Noble.

Another person responded to the Oklahoma situation this way: I’m so stunned that, given the educational struggles already going on in that state, they choose to focus on THIS.

And finally, someone said, I’m a conservative Catholic, and I do not agree with Oklahoma’s decision. Trying to force our religion down the throats of others is precisely why we get a bad rep all the time. Why not focus on improving the core subjects instead?

The Beauties of Religious Freedom

Perhaps we need to forego the chaos and acknowledge the wisdom of our founding fathers such as Thomas Paine. They intended for Americans to enjoy religious freedom rather than suffer religious tyranny by any religion – including Christianity.

“True religious freedom means ensuring that no one religious group is allowed to impose their viewpoint on all Americans,” according to the Interfaith Alliance, which works to protect that freedom.

“The vast majority of people of faith in this country reject these dangerous, intimidating efforts to force a Christian nationalist agenda into our courts and our governments,” the organization said.

If we value religious freedom, we cannot sit idly by while religious tyrants attack our constitutional rights. Let’s leave religious training to parents, churches, religious schools and other religious organizations that are better equipped to teach the Bible.