Image Credit: The Satanic Temple / Facebook & Homes.com
The Tennessee Conservative [By Adelia Kirchner] –
This month, community members gathered outside of Chimneyrock Elementary School in Cordova, Tennessee, to protest during a meeting of the Satanic Temple’s After School Satan Club (ASSC).
The Satanic Temple currently maintains active after school clubs in California, Ohio, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and now Tennessee.
Campaign director for the Satanic Temple’s ASSC, June Everett, previously told The Tennessee Conservative that the club “only goes where it has been invited” and that the ASSC was actually requested by a Chimneyrock parent.
According to Everett, the ASSC received over 14 permission slips from parents and many of those students plan to attend future meetings.
This ASSC meeting on Wednesday, January 10th, was the first of its kind to occur in the State of Tennessee.
“Our very first After School Satan Club meeting in Tennessee was a huge success!” the Satanic Temple wrote on social media. “Students had fun playing with Legos and coloring books and constructing marble tracks to learn about kinetic and potential energy. Parents and families were thrilled to meet other like-minded people in their community, and everyone is excited for their next meeting!”
The organization’s social media post featured a collage of photos from the meeting, which was likely edited to protect the identity of children in attendance. However, this was done by covering up the children’s faces with images of cartoon goat faces.
After the meeting, the Satanic Temple told Action News 5 that “the kiddos had a great time.”
The initial flyer for the ASSC stated that the Satanic Temple “is a non-theistic religion that views Satan as a literary figure who represents a metaphorical construct of rejecting tyranny and championing the human mind and spirit.”
The flyer also claimed that the club is not an attempt to convert children but is instead meant to help children think for themselves through a “scientific, rationalist, non-superstitious world view.”
These clarifications did little to quell the concerns of community members and parents though, as protestors showed up outside of the school building with signs reading “There is power in the blood of Jesus,” “Schools in the name of Jesus,” “There is room at the cross,” and more.
“There is no reason that Memphis should have ever allowed an after-school Satan club to come in,” said Samantha Harmon, one of the protestors. “It’s time to revise policy and it’s time for parents to get on their post and pray and protect their kids.”
“They need to go ahead and have this Satanic Temple somewhere else. Not near my children. Not after school. Not before school…Not on our grounds.” said another protestor and parent. “I’m not going to allow it and I’m going to keep speaking out until something is done.”
“It is a gradual indoctrination,” an online commenter noted.
The protest’s organizer, Charlottee Bergmann, also spoke with the news media.
“What I want the school district to do is to obey the law…and allow God to take care of this because this fight is not between the school and the satanic club,” said Bergmann. “This fight is between God and the satanic club, and God’s going to bring it down.”
About the Author: Adelia Kirchner is a Tennessee resident and reporter for the Tennessee Conservative. Currently the host of Subtle Rampage Podcast, she has also worked for the South Dakota State Legislature and interned for Senator Bill Hagerty’s Office in Nashville, Tennessee.
You can reach Adelia at adelia@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
