by Fred Pry, American Thinker:
Is there a Satan Club in your child’s public school? There very well could be. Here’s a little background and advice on how to be an active parent in protecting both the souls and constitutional rights of your children.
Child Evangelism Fellowship at the Supreme Court
Back in 2001, the United States Supreme Court heard a case by the name of Good News Club v. Milford Central School District. This case was brought because a school district refused to allow Child Evangelism Fellowship to hold their Good News Club® in schools in its district. The school district mistakenly thought that having religious clubs on school property was some sort of violation of the separation of church and state or an endorsement of that religion by the school.
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The Ruling
The Supreme Court ruled that the school district must give the same accommodations to a Good News Club as to any other club. For example, if a chess club gets to use a classroom and meet immediately after the last bell, the school couldn’t restrict a Good News Club from having that same access just because the Good News Club has a religious perspective. That would amount to discrimination based on a religious viewpoint and would be a violation of First Amendment rights to free speech and free practice of religion. The First Amendment says the government may not prohibit the exercise of these freedoms.
Now, the First Amendment also says the government may not establish a particular religion and force people to practice it. So, the school district’s attorneys argued that having a religious club on public school property could lead children to believe that the school or government was somehow endorsing a particular religion. SCOTUS considered that argument and concluded that there is a greater danger that children will get the idea that they may not speak about God on public property than there is a danger that kids will think the school is endorsing a particular religion. With parents’ permission, children are allowed to attend a variety of clubs that are held at the school, including religious clubs.
Child Evangelism Fellowship was pleased with the victory and has been able to help many school districts around the United States understand that they must allow the Good News Club to have the same access as other clubs. This SCOTUS ruling also helped to win another District Court ruling which clarified that teachers may also volunteer in Good News Club (Wigg v. Sioux City School District).
The Satanic Temple’s Pushback
Now, here’s where it gets sticky. The Satanic Temple was upset to see the Good News Club having less resistance, so to make a point, they decided to start their own “Satan Clubs” in public schools. Choosing a school with a Good News Club, the Satanic Temple would insist that permission slips for a Satan Club be made available to the children under that same freedom of religion umbrella. Of course, when an active parent sees that a Satan Club is being hosted at the school, they get upset and go to the school board. The board can’t allow one and not the other, so the Satanic Temple hopes that this will force the school to shut down all clubs and thus get rid of the Good News Club. Or even, to put pressure on the Good News Club to leave in exchange for the Satan Club to leave also, thus solving the school’s problem of angry parents.
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