It causes me to feel cold when any organization or group seeks to target children in schools with indoctrination and propaganda. In my view the Satanic Temple has moved a step too far by bringing religion and politics into the classroom with their latest campaign the Protect the Children Project.
In the USA the boundaries between religion and secularism in the public education system is becoming confused, not helped by the Satanic Temple pushing their brand of Satanism into schools. Children need protecting from overzealous salespeople of any religion or politics, to learn and make up their own minds free from blatant brainwashing. It is getting harder each day working out what the Satanic Temple is evolving into: a political group trying to push politics onto school kids?; a religious cult trying to indoctrinate children into a religion?; a group launching another satirical campaign using children as the butt of their joke? I do not know, but I dislike where this is leading.
The publication the Satanic Temple wants to make available into schools makes Satanism look retarded. In the age of internet technology no kid is going to be interested in a puzzle book. The Satanic Temple educates school children with fantasy and stereotypes. No teacher is going to allow or be seen to support Satanic rituals in their classroom. Few Satanists go about in public wearing Satanic t-shirts or regalia beyond heavy metal music branding. The images of a Satanist with goofy teeth, nerdy glasses and so fat that their belly button hangs out of their t-shirt is hardly an attractive image of a typical Satanist.
Fortunately even most Satanists will view the efforts of the Satanic Temple to brainwash children with their naive and clownish version of Satanism is unwelcome and will be opposed.
satanicviews 
At first I thought that was just a joke they were playing, another way to troll the establishment. I think it might still be trolling effort, but even if it is it might be going too far. How much longer before the Satanic Temple gives in to the sins of a dogmatic organisation?
Satanic Temple has left me confused as to where it is now going. I do think regardless of if it is a trolling effort or something else, the involvement of school children is taking their campaigning too far.
I’m confused too. It is too soon to guess if they’ll show any signs of regret.
I don’t think that their intention is to brainwash children or indoctrinate. They are merely offering another option to this most recent display of Christian entitlement. It has been made clear that they would not offer any religious literature (or statues…) into a forum where it is not already being offered and dominated by Christians with their propaganda. The activity book came from an earlier campaign, I don’t think they intended it to ever become a major tool in their works but it just happened to be available for this recent matter. They are working on more sensible age appropriate works for the actual distribution which takes place in January. It is most likely for shock value and was quite effective- this seems to be getting as much attention as the Baphomet statue in Oklahoma, which is great, because it is narrowing attention on Orange County’s blatant disregard for separation of church & state, which is needed.
(PS: I think the awkward fat & pimply kids on the cover are the “bullies” and the cute well kept kids in their Satanic garb holding hands are the Satanists, joining hands against them, heh)
The campaign certainly is getting lots of publicity, though this type of “Satanic marketing” involving children is in my opinion taking their campaigning too far. I welcome Satanic material for children but the type the Satanic Temple have so far produced is in my opinion reflects Satanism in a retarded and unrealistic way.
I’d say- wait and see what happens. They did mention that they are preparing more suitable literature (which I am sure will not disappoint), as the propaganda peddling is happening on a high school level. I wouldn’t be surprised if someone looked through older TST campaigns, found the activity book and brought it into the limelight for controversy. (I found no active promotion of the activity book from TST for this campaign, only the media which found it and used it)
I agree that all should be judged by results. I shall be interested to see how this latest campaign turns out, though I still believe children are better left out of political or religious related campaigns.
You got it all wrong. Satanic Temple does it ONLY BECAUSE christians did that, violating the rule of neutrality and secularism. They provoke just because christians did it. Their point is: if they can, why can’t we? Satanic Temple clearly stated that they would be very happy if those schools prohibited the display of all religious pamphlets, but they made dangerous precedence. However all react as if it was not a big deal, so Satanic Temple tries to make others aware – it is a big deal.
It’s the same deal as with the statue. If a land is not secular/neutral, let it be multireligional and tolerant.
I understand the reasoning if that is what the Satanic Temple aims to do, though Satanic Temple is becoming increasingly confusing in the sort of message it is sending out to Satanists and the world at large.
All because Christians do a thing does not mean Satanists should do it. I consider children have become a pawn in whatever game the Satanic Temple is now playing, and I think this is a step too far.
I meant: “multireligious”
Talk about missing the point. Did you even look at any of the press releases, interviews, or anything at all? How did you miss the fact that TST is working in cooperation with the Freedom From Religion Foundation? How did you miss the statements, delivered again and again that this is a counter-indoctrination campaign and that the Satanic material is to be removed when the evangelical material is? You call that, “pushing their brand of Satanism into schools?” TST is quite clear that no religion should be in classrooms, but if there’s too be one, it shall be counter-balanced with others. You say, “No teacher is going to allow or be seen to support Satanic rituals in their classroom.” And there we see you lack the most basic understanding of what this is about. They won’t support it, but they have to allow it if they’re allowing evangelical brainwashing. It’s hard for me to believe that this all sailed over your head by such a distance. It became clear at some point that an unknown vendetta you have against Zach Black, and his support of TST, have colored your assessment of TST, provoking willfully ignorant dispatches such as this.
@ Riverdale: This blog supports the efforts of Zach Black in his promoting of Satanism, and fully supports many of the campaigns of the Satanic Temple such as its statue.
This blog is against involving children in political and religious mindgames or campaigns by Satanists. This blog is neither supportive or hostile to the Satanic Temple, but is begiinning to question the motives, strategies and the path that the Satanic Temple is now heading towards.
These people are no better than xtians that recruit little kids. Leave the kids alone.
If they are doing it only because xtians are doing it, what would mom say? I can hear her now. “If they jump off a bridge are you going to jump off too?” Sure mom. Their corpses will cushion my fall. “GO TO YOUR ROOM NOW, Mister!”
Well said. I am sure Satanist parents would be unhappy to find their children being used like chess pieces for political or religious ends.
Yes, they are using kids for leverage. Kids are a tool to them.
I agree with you in that they make Satanism look retarded. That might be their mission. I wouldn’t put it past xtian fundies pretending to be Satanists in order to “stir the pot”, turning people off to Satanism. They have been lying, stealing, cheating and other things they project onto Satanists, and they have been doing it for centuries.
Who gains?
Yes, well said. If a man slaps you on the face are you really any better than him if you hit him back? Satanists should learn to “turn the other cheek”. Isn’t that right, ” Loose Cannon? If somebody leaves their ignorant opinion online, your opinion is just as stupid if you answer with it in reply. That’s the logic you’re using. Why is it that every secular group that actually fights to keep religion out of schools understands and supports TST’s efforts, while it only seems to be self-identified Satanists with hurt feelings — asserting that Satanistm should be silent — who claim to have completely missed what this is about?
Thank you. A good hearty laugh is good for the soul.
I care not a whit what secular or religious / “satanic” groups think, about anything. You can pander to groups all you want. It’s a free country, more or less. Identify with them if that’s what you want. Be a crusader. Follow your leader. I’m sure it will end well for you.
I’m sorry that my opinions hurt your feelings. Really, you are acting like a xtian that is being “persecuted”. You’re not a xtian, are you?
Recruiting Satanists is not Satanic because it’s our own will that leads us onto this path. The recruiter depends on what he hopes is a more dominant will to influence converts. They don’t gain converts. They gain hypocrites. And in this case, they are targeting kids that don’t know enough about life. It’s like shooting fish in a barrel. It’s easy to manipulate kids. Try that with a free-thinking adult and see how far you get.
Leave the kids alone. They will make their own decisions, in time. School is about learning school subjects that are necessary to live in this physical world. Philosophy comes later.
Well said, I totally agree.
It’s your “own will” that leads you to do nothing, “Loose Cannon”? That’s all well and good, but can you go about turning the other cheek without crying that you’re somehow the victor when you do? You’re the real problem with modern Satanism: one of the weak failures who uses Satanism merely as a rhetoric of power for which you attempt to compensate your pathetic irrelevance.
@ Riverdale.
For the independent Satanist will is about becoming their own god in their own lives, in this there is no compromise or “turning the other cheek.” When it comes to trying to change society it becomes less certain where Satanism starts and ends.
Satanism at its core is about individualism rather than making the world beautiful, liberated and perfect. Power is cloaked in action rather than words, but if action results in an individual Satanist becoming empowered in their own lives then they have expressed Satanic power. Most individual Satanists are irrelevant in the objective sense relative to seven billion other humans, but in their own lives they are relevant, and if not why are they Satanists?
You’re so emotional.
My relevance doesn’t depend on manipulating kids. Using kids to push your agenda (the search for power) is what’s pathetic. Leave them alone.
I found the little book highly amusing and entertaining. Could be fun to show that to kids. I don’t think it will indoctrinate them, more than just confuse them and their perception of things.
Thats one of the problems I have with that little book, it creates a false impression of Satanists and Satanism.
True. But then again, most children’s book are a mere caricature of real life. It depends what the target audience is. If it’s like 5-7 years old, it shouldn’t be too bad of a start.
Yes perhaps, but even 5-7 years are amazingly sophisticated compared to those of the pre-internet era.
Agreed. I’m just making assumptions here though. I don’t intend to be absolutely right.
Children are no morons so many of them stay in opposition to christianity despite all their propaganda so I see no problem with satanic pamphlets as well, Besides, even small contact with satanism may make them realize that satanism may be different then christian propaganda says, at least those thinking kids will come to that conclusion.
Children are not void of sexuality and in fact even infants can have orgasms. Sexuality is normal so children should be taught about sex. Religion is component of culture since the beginning so children should know that there are many religions and they also have merit, not just one.
Children don’t live in some fantasy land. They live in the same world as we so I don’t understand comments like “leave the kids alone”. Christians won’t leave them alone. The only reasonable thing to do is to expose them to different world views. It’s a healthy and reasonable thing to do.
I disagree, children are emotionally, mentally and physically undeveloped, and thus to push adult political and religious mind games upon them is undesirable.
Children definitely are developing into sexual beings from early on, but it does vary I suppose. I can remember early instances of expressions of curiosity, at times with other happily willing participants very near my age, that were met with shaming by parents. I also have specific memories of my older sisters socializing heteronormative attitudes into me early on, before I ever possessed the notion that there could be something wrong with acknowledging that a member of the same sex is attractive.
That being said, everyone is definitely way too squeamish about children & sexuality being mentioned in the same.. not even breath, same thought process. Everyone’s so paranoid about everyone else, and that’s at least a bit exacerbated by how scattered most people are and the dearth of substantive communal structure in the lives of most Americans, which is what humans originally adapted.
You’re definitely accurate in saying that they aren’t void of sexuality. I think that’s a perfectly benign attitude to have as long everyone understands that, with regard to age differences, the younger a person is, the more significant & potentially damaging those differences get the bigger they are. Unfortunately for a society obsessed with one-size-fits-all templates for psychosocial development, that will always be open to interpretation, but it’s clear enough to any sane, healthy person what’s acceptable and what’s not. Personally I hope that advancing technology & AI will enable kids to ask questions and have them answered accurately more & more easily so children can explore any topics at their leisure. I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything on Wikipedia that I would be too terribly afraid of a child seeing, and I’ve gotten lost down some bizarre & taboo rabbit trails on there. I think it could be done, in some capacity, and hell, it’s probably already starting to happen! Kids just need to know that they can talk to us if they’re confused or have a problem. If we structured society around what’s healthy for the mental and physical development of children above all, I think everything else would just fall into place. (And I think that entails not bringing them up with false beliefs and assumptions about the real world and objectivity.)
Sure that children are more vulnerable and more prone to believe what adults say to them but there is no magickal boundary that would say – from now on a child can be exposed to X or be able to evaluate Y, or make adequate decision Z.
I remember when I sat in the religion class when I was 6 years old and listening to nun saying how catholic faith is the best and only true one, I thought: “WTF? How could it be the only true faith when other major faiths think exactly the same and there are other small groups that believe in different things and some even don’t know catholicism so it doesn’t make any sense?”
I know that most 6 year olds won’t be thinking this critically but if children are exposed to KNOWLEDGE, they can connect the dots, especially if their parents are free thinkers too. If they have passive, not reflexive parents, children will inherit this attitude for a while but when they become teenagers, they may start questioning believes and values of their parents but only if they were exposed to facts from early childhood. Protecting them from reality is just stupid. Learning life won’t start at certain age but from the very beginning. Sure, parents should protect and care for the child but they cannot protect it from life itself. Children are very flexible and open so even if they believe in something without second thought at certain age, they may change their mind later. But to do that, they need knowledge and experience. If they are denied of that, they won’t have even a chance.
Besides, for me this is very arrogant attitude when you say that children won’t suppose to be exposed to that. Who gives you the right to decide? This is exactly the same attitude that christians have. They think they are the owners of the children but they are merely temporal protectors and children can take much more then we imagine. Don’t set boundaries to them even if you set boundaries for yourself.
I have impression that many satanists to some degree wants to perceive themselves as good people so sometimes they chose certain moral standards and try to enforce them more then anyone, just to flatter ego. That’s a natural play we all do in various ways. It was scientifically observed that people how believe that ends justifies ends are more balanced, because sometimes they do “wrong” things but balance them out with “right” ones to make them feel good about themselves. It’s subconscious and quick choice. You were not so honest with someone? Next day you do something morally rewarding so you forget the previous questionable choice.
On the other hand, people with high and very rigid moral standards abuse others frequently for the sake of those standards. They become blinded by them.
Anyway, I noticed this in satanism that because we tend to think and behave the way others would say that is inappropriate, we like to stress our high moral standards in other areas like: we love animals (more then humans), children are sacred so we need to protect them at any cost and crime against them is the highest crime, etc. Unfortunately it’s always a subconscious play of ego and cultural boundaries. Only true sociopaths can think good about themselves when violating social boundaries all the time. Rest try to walk the fine line.
My point is to be aware of that line and to be able to change it if it doesn’t suit us anymore. It’s not just direct abrahamic brainwashing we face but all social norms that come from major faith of the nation and its history.
Thanks for your insights Zalbarath. My view on the indoctrination or use of children in political and religious mind games is based on common sense of seeing the world in a realistic way rather than mere opinion.
You and I are rare examples of critical thinkers as children, but this is a rare trait. I am all for knowledge and skills being taught to children such as critical thinking, but in reality most children will accept what is told them, they have no sense of reality born from experience to determine what is true or false. The under tens have a black and white attitude to life, such as if a starving man steals food to feed himself from a rich person such children would say he should go to prison, why? because their undeveloped brains are unable to differentiate the subtle grey areas of life as yet.
The idea that everything and everyone is equal and should be treated with equality is a delusion, children cannot be treated in the same way as adults.
Adults who wish to bring their religion or politics into the classroom often are not doing it through altruistic purposes, they do not present information in a balanced way, nor do they teach critical thinking. Such adults bring to the table their own relative truth, and I oppose that.
Sure, they won’t get the full spectrum and merely a subjective presentation. I would also prefer to have materials who portray my vision of satanism rather then Satanic Temple but as you self said: children are likely to believe everything adults say to them. Printed form may have even more merit to them.
However christians already do that, whether you like it or not. It’s better to present them some opposite views, even if they are superficial and general. If children would see that there are people who think differently, they will be more prone to critical and tolerant thinking in further life.
The issue with social pressure is that most people is too stupid and just assumes that everyone thinks and feels the same so they push their way, while minority allows it – like pussies. If those mindless people knew from the start that some think otherwise and won’t allow to play by their rules, they will learn (and get used to) that they and their views are not the center of the world. That is why I often voice my opinion and say directly to religious people what I think about their views or their “sacred” kitschy pictures etc.
The more people will do it, the more normal opposite views will be. But if you allow to speak only majority and will do nothing, you get situation you will only hate and that’s not their fault, it’s yours. So speak up, let other know what you think, let them learn it from the beginning. There is no right age for it, only a right moment.
That is why I support and agree with Satanic Temple on that, although I may disagree with their views and how they present it. Children get christian propaganda at homes, in TV, in newspapers, in schools. And yet when satanists try to raise their voice in one of the mediums suddenly satanist dislike it? I just can’t believe it. No matter what we do, we can;t even reach the amount of christian brainwashing children are exposed to, so whatever we do is still a drop in the sea but nonetheless a needed drop.