Florida Satanists are volunteering to fill school counselor roles after Gov. Ron DeSantis ® signed a law allowing religious chaplains into public schools amid staffing shortages.

“Nothing in the text of the bill serves to exclude us, and no credible interpretation of the First Amendment could. Should a school district now choose to have chaplains, they should expect Satanists to participate as well,” Lucien Greaves, cofounder and spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, said in a statement to The Hill on Monday.

Back when DeSantis signed the bill in April, he described Satanism as “not a religion” and said its members would not be allowed to participate in the program.

The Florida move allowing chaplains to serve as public school counselors comes as more states are aiming to inject Christianity into public school environments, including by mandating that the Bible or Ten Commandments be taught in classrooms.

The Satanic Temple has increasingly leaned into the fight over freedom of religion in public schools, including through the establishment of After School Satan clubs.

The temple, founded in 2014, says its mission is to “encourage benevolence and empathy, [and] reject tyrannical authority.”

  • Flax
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    5 months ago

    If we aren’t accountable for our sin, then Jesus would have never had to die for us. God could have just had Satan pay the price instead.

    I have thought about the odin argument, but I find all other religions and belief systems less compelling than Christianity, which is why I chose to become a Christian.

    Runic writing is not the ability to intentionally commit evil. So that story falls apart. And if God refuses us to gain knowledge, He would have never given us the choice on whether or not to commit evil.

    We don’t harm people because we have a moral compass. For example, the Nazis had to desensitise people to violence in order to have them commit atrocities. So we all have fundamental morality. I believe that everyone has one because that is our knowledge of good and evil. Because God exists, right and wrong exist, and we know the difference. So it doesn’t matter what religion (or lack of) you follow, that knowledge is there. In the same way, people who deny climate change are still affected by it- because believing in something or not believing doesn’t make it more or less real. So believing in God or not doesn’t make God, and the difference of good and evil any less real. So it makes perfect sense why plenty of Atheists are good, moral people.

    As for heaven and hell, good works doesn’t get you into heaven. There are people who are far better people than me who are in hell, because they trusted in their works. Accepting God’s perfect sacrifice does.

    • HumanPenguin
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      5 months ago

      Your first sentence is a common issue xtians face. You are making an argument to an atheist using your stories as evidence. To my it’s like saying faster than light travel exists because captain Picard did it.

      It in no way suggests to anyone but xtians that you are accountable for your sins. And worse, suggests you think someone else was punished rather than you. And when you add the whole concept of original sin. Very much indicates sin is not actually something you consider to be purely related to your own personal action. So sorta impossible to convince non xtians that your understanding of accountability is well-formed.

      As for your last sentence. It is rather odd you can honestly sprout crap like that after your first comment was having a go at me for calling god authoritarian.

      You believe he makes people suffer for eternity for failing to love him. We consider human insane and criminal for that behaviour.

      • Flax
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        5 months ago

        Didn’t know you were asking for evidence 😂 In this circumstance we are talking about the same story and same character - Satan. The difference that I believe he is real and you don’t here is irrelevant.

        If people don’t want to be with God, God respects their choice.

        • HumanPenguin
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          5 months ago

          If people don’t want to be with God, God respects their choice.

          You may genuinely believe that. But it is in no way what your religion teaches. The whole history of your religions desire to spread. Is based on saving non Christian souls from suffering.

          And even a cursory look at the history of Christianity. Shows a great deal of earthly suffering caused by that unprofitable and frankly rather daft idea.

          I’ll give you a break. Few religions do not have this inbuilt punish,ent for unbelievers. Its sorta the point of religion to grow and form a powerful force. Yeah you may find that idea insulting. But it is simply the truth of history. Religions are lead by humans who have human goals.

          The only religion that is actually openly opposed to it is Wiccan. And honestly that is a religion created in the 1940 by people looking at the mess other created. So hardly less about human goals. Just nicer humans.