An after school Satan Club. It’s not in “the classroom”. It’s not about religion. It’s only about free speech. So what could go wrong?
Even the headline on msn.com tells us this is no big deal.
Everything we read on the internet is true, right?
That image of Satan is answering the question for you. Saying yes, while trying to hide the obvious reality that he’s the devil. Surely that smile is 100% believable and trustworthy, isn’t it?
What could go wrong by trusting a character like that?
Don’t worry, these kids aren’t going to be worshiping Satan anytime soon.
A Pennsylvania school district must allow an “After School Satan Club” — which does not believe in or praise Satan — to meet on campus, thanks to a federal judge’s Monday ruling centered around the First Amendment.
The American Civil Liberties Union filed a lawsuit in March on behalf of the sponsor of the club, The Satanic Temple, after it was barred from meeting at the Saucon Valley School District. The organization cheered the judge’s decision as “a victory for free speech and religious freedom.”
How’s that for speaking with forked tongue? Pun totally intended.
Excuse me? It’s got nothing to do with religion, but it’s about religious freedom?
What is the Pennsylvania after school club issue about?
- The kids won’t be worshiping Satan in the Satan club.
- The kids don’t believe in or praise Satan.
- It’s a victory for free speech and religious freedom.
Was Jesus politically active? Or did Jesus avoid politics? Would you believe – yes and yes? Yes, Jesus was politically active? But Jesus avoided politics? How can that be?
I get it, some people don’t believe in God.
They want an alternative to the Christian point of view that’s espoused by politically active Christians.
Even I’m tired of hearing about them and the things they’re doing to people in this country. And I’m a Christian!
The difference is that I follow Jesus, as He lived and taught in the Bible.
I do not believe in what these people are turning Jesus into.
Is an after school Satan Club just an alternative to Christianity?
But let’s get real here. Look at something else the article said.
The Satanic Temple launched the After School Satan Club in 2016 to “provide a safe and inclusive alternative to the religious clubs that use threats of eternal damnation to convert school children to their belief system,” as it states on its website.
Oh – there we go. Back to “everything on the internet is trustworthy”.
I include something from time to time warning my own readers not to take things I write for granted as being true. We should check things out for ourselves. Even Jesus told His followers, you know – Christians – to do this.
The Greatest Commandment – Matthew
22:34-40 pp — Mk 12:28-31
Mt 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Mt 22:37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Did you notice – with all your mind? It’s part of “The Greatest Commandment” response given by Jesus.
If we love God, as we claim to do, then it’s incumbent on every Christian to know about the God we believe in. Not the one we heard about from politicians, from people who don’t even believe in God, or people who don’t love God as He described Himself in the Bible.
Therefore, when we read or hear things about God, it’s up to us to verify that they truly line up with what He said about Himself.
Part of that means we need to verify what the Satan club says, especially since they make no bones about providing an alternative to God.
The adjacent image is an example of the after school activities they sell for school children.
As you can see, it’s not just a room to color. Read the text. \heck out the picture above the fireplace. The symbols on the page.
s you can see, it’s not just a room to color.
Here’s what their web site says:
The After School Satan Club does not believe in introducing religion into public schools and will only open a club if other religious groups are operating on campus. ASSC exists to provide a safe and inclusive alternative to the religious clubs that use threats of eternal damnation to convert school children to their belief system. Unlike our counterparts, who publicly measure their success in young children’s “professions of faith,” the After School Satan Club program focuses on science, critical thinking, creative arts, and good works for the community. While engaged in all of these activities, we want clubgoers to have a good time.
AFTER SCHOOL SATAN CLUB MISSION
Proselytization is not our goal, and we’re not interested in converting children to Satanism. After School Satan Clubs will focus on free inquiry and rationalism, the scientific basis for which we know what we know about the world around us.
We prefer to give children an appreciation of the natural wonders surrounding them, not a fear of everlasting other-worldly horrors.
Is the Satan Club’s mission really not about religion?
You may remember that Jesus said something about people who aren’t against us being for us.
Does that mean, since the Satan Club is merely a place for everyone to learn and have a good time, that it’s OK?
No!
Anyone who believes that doesn’t know/understand what Jesus said about that. Here’s the passage.
Whoever Is Not Against Us Is for Us – Mark
9:38-40 pp — Lk 9:49, 50
Mk 9:38 “Teacher,” said John, “we saw a man driving out demons in your name and we told him to stop, because he was not one of us.”
Mk 9:39 “Do not stop him,” Jesus said. “No one who does a miracle in my name can in the next moment say anything bad about me, 40 for whoever is not against us is for us. 41 I tell you the truth, anyone who gives you a cup of water in my name because you belong to Christ will certainly not lose his reward.”
So, this starts off with someone working in Jesus’ name. And apparently he was successful.
Now, don’t get hung up on the demon part. Some day I need to write about that, but I believe there’s a spiritual link between the “demons” of those days and what we look at as illness, sickness, etc.
We think we’re too intelligent to believe in demons. But, who’s to say that what we Christians believe God can do for good, like healing, can’t be replicated by Satan for bad purposes, like making people sick?
It should make sense to a Christian. If not, then we can no longer believe that God can do the things we believe He can. It’s a catch-22, and there’s only one way to go that doesn’t cause issues with what we believe.
So – hang in there. Try not to let the demon issue cause problems with this topic.
Getting back on topic, we have this man working in Jesus’ name, but the disciples said he wasn’t “one of us”. Jesus responds by saying this person must be for them, as evidenced by what he accomplished in Jesus’ name.
Then, for the lesson, Jesus says, “whoever is not against us is for us”.
Now, if you’ve been through a logic class, then you know the only variation of a statement that’s always true is the contrapositive. In other words, if it’s true that whoever is not against us is for us then it’s also true that whoever is not for us is against us.
Therefore, since we know that whoever is not against us is for us is true (because Jesus said it)
then we also know that whoever is not for us is against us is also true.
It’s obvious that the Satan Club is not for Christianity. Everything they say about themselves, let alone the things they do but don’t explicitly say, shows they are not pro-Christian.
Therefore, In Jesus’ eyes, they are against Him.
Conclusion – An after school Satan Club. What could go wrong?
Well, the first thing that could go wrong is that we actually believe what the Satan Club says.
The After School Satan Club does not believe in introducing religion into public schools and will only open a club if other religious groups are operating on campus. ASSC exists to provide a safe and inclusive alternative to the religious clubs that use threats of eternal damnation to convert school children to their belief system. Unlike our counterparts, who publicly measure their success in young children’s “professions of faith,” the After School Satan Club program focuses on science, critical thinking, creative arts, and good works for the community. While engaged in all of these activities, we want clubgoers to have a good time.
AFTER SCHOOL SATAN CLUB MISSION
Proselytization is not our goal, and we’re not interested in converting children to Satanism. After School Satan Clubs will focus on free inquiry and rationalism, the scientific basis for which we know what we know about the world around us.
We prefer to give children an appreciation of the natural wonders surrounding them, not a fear of everlasting other-worldly horrors.
That all sounds nice, if we accept it for what it says.
But think about this. Do you remember what we read in The Greatest Commandment? Yes, we looked at it as showing us we need to use our minds as part of loving God. OK. Let’s now look at the rest of it.
The Greatest Commandment – Matthew
22:34-40 pp — Mk 12:28-31
Mt 22:34 Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. 35 One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Mt 22:37 Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
The school kids in the Satan club aren’t going to do any of those things. They may claim to be doing them. To some extent, they might even appear to be accomplishing them.
However, these are both tied to loving God and each other. The Satan Club is not going to teach that.
In the preface to The Screwtape Letters, C.S. Lewis wrote:
There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe, and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them. They themselves are equally pleased by both errors and hail a materialist or a magician with the same delight. 1Lewis, C. S.. The Screwtape Letters (p. ix). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
It’s hard to not wonder why this afterschool club is called the Satan Club. They didn’t even go for something like agnostic, atheist, humanist, science, or anything like that. They went for Satan Club, then pretend to be the things I just mentioned.
But do you think, for even a moment, that the goal isn’t to lead to either or both of the concepts C.S. Lewis mentioned? When trying to lead someone away from God, it really doesn’t matter which idea gets someone hooked. They both work to remove God from someone’s life.
What could go wrong? What could go right? If we don’t care about anything after this life, that’s one thing.
But even Satan knows there’s something after this life. And for him and his fellow fallen angels, it’s not going to be good. So the goal there is to take as many people as possible away from God – and take those people with them. For eternity. So even there, the lie doesn’t stand.
The Satan Club – what do we do about it?
Should we go to court to stop this? Pass a law against it?
Uh – how about something Jesus told us to do?
Love for Enemies – Matthew
Mt 5:43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I tell you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 that you may be sons of your Father in heaven. He causes his sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. 46 If you love those who love you, what reward will you get? Are not even the tax collectors doing that? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what are you doing more than others? Do not even pagans do that? 48 Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Yeah – how about that? Instead of hating them, attacking them, essentially making the point for them, what about doing what Jesus would have done? Love them. Give them a reason to want to be Christian? These are the kind of people the good news of the Gospel was meant for.
So why do we present it in a way that makes the good news sound so awful to them? Remember, Jesus had harsh words for the Jewish leaders. But not for the people. The sinners loved being with Jesus. But they hate those who claim to be Christian, but live nothing like what we’re taught, told, commanded to be.
Maybe we should look in the mirror. Think about one more passage. And then act accordingly?
Judging Others
7:3-5 pp — Lk 6:41, 42
Mt 7:1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.
Mt 7:3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.
Mt 7:6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”
I think that’s enough.
I hope it’s enough.
Pray it’s enough.
But know it isn’t.
So it’s time to keep praying.
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay
- 1Lewis, C. S.. The Screwtape Letters (p. ix). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.