'That Is Not a Religion': DeSantis Bars Satanists from Florida School Program
By Ian Banks | May 3, 2024
The program
Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill permitting chaplains to provide counseling services on a voluntary basis at public and charter schools.
However, he made it clear that Satanists would not be eligible for the program, addressing concerns raised by Christian and conservative organizations.
Not qualifying
“Some have said if you do a school chaplain program that somehow you’re going to have Satanists running around in all our schools,” DeSantis said in a news conference. “We’re not playing those games in Florida. That is not a religion. That is not qualifying to be able to participate in this, so we’re going to be using common sense when it comes to this, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
Florida Senate
The bill passed the Florida Senate in February, followed by the approval of the House version at the beginning of the previous month. The wording of the legislation stated that “Each school district or charter school may adopt a policy to authorize volunteer school chaplains to provide supports, services, and programs to students as assigned by the district school board or charter school governing board.”
Background check
Under the new law, volunteer chaplains must undergo a background check, and school administrators are mandated to disclose the religious affiliation of each chaplain. Additionally, parental consent is required before a student can receive counseling from a volunteer chaplain.
Religious affiliation
“Any opportunity that exists for ministers or chaplains in the public sector must not discriminate based on religious affiliation,” The Satanic Temple’s Director of Ministry Penemue Grigori said back in February. “Our ministers look forward to participating in opportunities to do good in the community, including the opportunities created by this bill, right alongside the clergy of other religions.”
Freedom From Religion Foundation
According to Ryan Jayne from the Action Fund of the Freedom From Religion Foundation who stated, “I think there is a 100 percent chance you see satanic chaplains, and also of course other religious minorities that the majority-Christian population might not be a fan of. The Satanic Temple is a church, whether people like it or not.”
Family Research Council
Meg Kilgannon, the Senior Fellow for Education Studies at the Family Research Council, stated to The Washington Stand, “It is wonderful to have such a strong statement denying the legitimacy of Satanism as a religion or church from Gov. DeSantis. But I worry that appeals to common sense will not hold in the most ideological school systems, even in Florida."
Big questions
"Regardless, this is an important step in acknowledging the role that faith plays in our lives and how important it is that the big questions students have about morality, life and death, and God’s plan for their lives are best answered by a parent or priest, pastor, or chaplain,” Kilgannon said.
Condemned Satanism
DeSantis has previously condemned Satanism, asserting that it does not qualify as a legitimate religion.
The Satanic Temple
In December, following an incident where military veteran and vocal Christian Michael Cassidy destroyed a Baphomet statue placed in the Iowa state capitol building by The Satanic Temple, the Florida governor expressed in a social media post, “Satan has no place in our society and should not be recognized as a ‘religion’ by the federal government. I'll chip in to contribute to this veteran's legal defense fund. Good prevails over evil -- that’s the American spirit.”
The supernatural
The Satanic Temple provided a response to the question on its website, “Do you worship Satan?” stating, “No, nor do we believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural.”
Eternal Rebel
TST added, “Satan is a symbol of the Eternal Rebel in opposition to arbitrary authority, forever defending personal sovereignty even in the face of insurmountable odds. … Our metaphoric representation is the literary Satan best exemplified by Milton and the Romantic Satanists from Blake to Shelley to Anatole France.”
