Speaking to Washingtonian recently, the head of the Satanic Temple said he hoped to engage a conservative organization called the Liberty Counsel in its quest to install After School Satan Clubs in American schools. “I would like to see how far their dedication to religious liberty actually goes,” Lucien Greaves said. “Are they only talking about one particular religious point of view or are they including us?”
Mr. Greaves, you may want to find another lawyer. In a post on its website Wednesday, the Liberty Counsel confirms they are offering “pro bono legal counsel to schools targeted by this disruptive group.”
The Satanic Temple sent letters to school leaders Monday alerting them to the After School Satan Club. The group is specifically targeting schools that already offer kids the chance to attend the Good News Club, run by the Child Evangelism Fellowship and represented in the courts by the Liberty Counsel.
The After School Satan Club is as much about spreading the word of secularism as it is about protesting evangelism in schools. “If schools for some reason just can’t tolerate the After School Satan Club being there, and they shut down the Good News Clubs and After School Satan, well, then, we’ve avoided the worst case scenario.”
Despite the obvious differences in opinion, Greaves was hoping the Liberty Counsel would be true to its mission as “organization dedicated to advancing religious freedom.” The Counsel, however, doesn’t quite take that view, calling Greaves’ church “an atheist group masquerading as a so-called Satanic Temple.” Burn.
Amanda has contributed to Washingtonian since 2016. She has written about the right-wing media personality Britt McHenry, chronicled her night with Stormy Daniels, and come clean about owning too much stuff. She lives on H Street. She can be reached at [email protected].
