HELLERTOWN, Pa. — UPDATE: The Saucon Valley School district announced they will be closed Wednesday due to a threat.
Original story:
"Satan's not an evil guy. He wants you to learn and question why. He wants you to have fun and be yourself, and by the way, there is no Hell."
That's what you hear on the Satanic Temple's website.
Catchy, vibrant in color, and to the point.
The After School Satan Club in the Saucon Valley School District is the first in the state of Pennsylvania and just one of ten in the country.
A message sent to parents in the District Monday night grabbed the community's attention, reading in part, "Consistent with the law and criteria set out in SVSD Board policy and regulations, the district has approved an organization known as the 'After School Satan Club' to host gatherings after school hours, in the Saucon Valley Middle School."
According to the 2001 Supreme Court ruling, if you allow one religious group to use your facilities, you legally open the door to all.
"It is beyond any Superintendent; it is beyond any school board for them to say 'yes' or 'no.' It is in the hands of the Supreme Court of the United States of America," said June Everett, The National Campaign Director for the "After School Satan Club" with The Satanic Temple.
Everett says the group only petitions to start a club if someone, in this case, a parent, reaches out first.
"Usually, they found out that there is a 'Good News Club' or an Evangelical bible club operating out of their schools. Usually, they come to their own conclusion that they want an alternative to being able to send their child to if they don't necessarily identify with being an Evangelical Christian or want their child to particularly attend that club," Everett said.
The Temple says it offers fun-based activities, such as art projects, science projects, anything a standard daycare would have, and that includes no religion.
"So, at this time, we do not teach about non-theistic Satanism. So really we're inspired by the Seven Tenets, but we don't teach the kids to sing songs about the Seven Tenets, we don't tell them to go tell all their friends about the 'After School Satan Club,'" says Everett.
The Temple says it is aware of what comes along with the word "Satan."
"So, we are not worshippers. We do not believe in a supernatural Satan. We look to Satan as a symbol of standing up against Tyrannical authority. We do not subscribe to the ideology that the majority Christian faith views Satan as," Everett said. "To call it anything else and to take away the name we feel is not being transparent upfront about who are and what we're representing."
The After School Satan Club at Saucon Valley plans to meet once per month to start.
The first gathering is scheduled for March 8 in the middle school, which is located just outside the borough of Hellertown.
"I understand the community gets upset. They don't know who we are; they don't know what we're about. They don't take the time to research us. So it is stressful on these school districts, and I feel empathy for that. And I apologize for that, but at the same time, it's not our fault we are exercising our First Amendment rights."
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