GREENVILLE, SC – Letting Satan in schools? It’s a topic going wild on social media, nationwide.The Satanic Temple is vowing to put an “After School Satan Club” in elementary schools across the country.
The group says they aren’t actually worshiping the devil but promoting freedom of religion, especially in schools with after-school Christian clubs.
With foreboding music and eerie images, the Satanic Temple says it’s using a video to advertise its brand new club. They say the club will give elementary aged children a “contrasting voice” to other Christian after school programs at their school.
They say they will promote focused rationalism, free inquiry and fun, but Greenville mother, Jennifer Feddelke, thinks it sounds like pure evil.
“To me, Satan sounds like devil worshipping. I don’t want my kids to be involved with that,” she said.
She said her kids go to a school with a “Good News Club” program after the school day ends. This is the primary Christian club that “After School Satan” is trying to counter, according to their website.
“I know there’s the freedom of speech, religion and everything, but I just don’t agree with that,” said Feddelke.
While “After School Satan” isn’t present in Greenville, yet, the organization is vowing to put the club in every elementary school where a “Good News Club” operates. More than 120 good news clubs meet in 100 schools across the upstate, according to the child evangelism fellowship ministry.
7 News reached out to USA Ministries vice president, Moises Esteves, who runs the child evangelical fellowship that organizes the good news club.
“We’re not going to be scared away by these atheists dressed with scary costumes,” said Esteves.
Esteves said these groups aren’t actually worshiping the devil and they are just secularists trying to silence Christians and scare parents. While the group may come in, all after school groups must have signed parental permission.
Esteves doesn’t see much traction with “After School Satan.”
“Let them send their permission slips home and we will see how many kids will come,” HE SAID.
7 News contacted the Greenville County School District. The District said it had not received a request from the Satanic Temple to come to any of the district’s elementary schools, but it would be up to the school principal to see if there is time and space to operate any club.