You know you are in the midst of a miserable news cycle when a story with a headline containing the words "Satanic Temple" looks like it might be a break from the grind.
Back when I was planning on becoming a priest, I went through a quarter of Clinical Pastoral Education, which was akin to being a chaplain intern at a Salt Lake Hospital. I did pray with patients and their families, but the majority of the discussions I had were not religious or even spiritual.
When someone is in a hospital bed waiting for surgery or their next test or exam, they have a lot of time on their hands to think, so most of my time was spent listening to people talk about the things in their lives that worried them. In terms of "ministry," it was the most useful thing I ever did.
It was probably with that in mind that the Oklahoma House of Representatives passed Senate Bill 36, which Sen. Nathan Dahm (R-33rd District) authored. The bill would place chaplains in the state's public schools.
The Tulsa World reports that the House sponsor, Rep. Kevin West (R-54th District), likened the bill to the practice of having chaplains available for members of the military and first responders. West commented, “A lot of the topics that chaplains wind up talking to people about are peer pressure, family issues, anger, grief and loss. Teachers are tested at the same level of stress and anxiety as first responders. One thing that’s missing that’s available to first responders? A chaplain.”
The bill would allow districts to have paid or volunteer chaplains who meet the following criteria:
1. A minister, rabbi, priest, imam, lay leader, or similar functionary of the faith group;
2. Qualified morally, intellectually, and emotionally to serve as a chaplain; and
3. Sensitive to religious pluralism and able to provide for the free exercise of religion by all students.
Background checks will be required, and proselytizing will be prohibited.
The bill is not without its critics, who prefer counselors and psychologists over chaplains. Rep. Mickey Dollens (D-93rd District) labeled the bill an attempt to add “Christian nationalism, Dominionism, the New Apostolic Reformation, and the Seven Mountain Tenants” to the school. Christian nationalism has often been used as a left-wing "warning label" about Christians, particularly Evangelicals. Many Christians of all stripes already regard the other three movements with more than a great deal of suspicion.
Rep. John Waldon (D-77th District) commented, “The quickest way to kill and erode the value of religious faith in Oklahoma is to cloak it in the coercive power of the state. History tells us that when you give the power of the state to religion, you degrade them both.”
The Satanic Temple is also opposed to the bill, but it knows a good opening when it sees one and plans to participate in the program. A statement on the Temple's website read in part:
The Satanic Temple, a federally recognized religious organization, has expressed its dedication to religious pluralism and community service. “While we would prefer states to invest in professional counselors over unlicensed religious support for students, we are prepared to adapt to these legislative conditions,” noted Rachel Chambliss, TST’s Executive Director of Operations. “We are committed to offering compassionate guidance to students who come to us so that we can help make positive changes in their lives by listening to their needs and providing support.”
Chambliss further highlighted the potential employment of TST’s Ministers in Oklahoma’s educational system as a groundbreaking initiative for equal religious representation. “SB 36 offers an unprecedented opportunity for our Ministers of Satan to join the state workforce,” she stated. “With State Superintendent Walters and 54 House representatives endorsing the bill, we anticipate extensive political support to ensure that TST’s Satanic chaplains are afforded equal opportunities to participate in this program.”
The Satanic Temple has recurrently emerged in legislative discussions about school chaplains in other states that are considering passing a similar law. Earlier this year, TST's potential involvement led Utah legislators to reject a school chaplain bill. Similarly, Florida's Governor Ron DeSantis recently claimed that Satanic chaplains would be barred from participating in his state’s new program.
The Temple does not believe in any supreme being, including Satan, and holds that religion should be "divorced from superstition." It also maintains that Satan is a "symbol of Eternal Rebellion to arbitrary authority." The Temple offers a more comprehensive description on its FAQ and About pages. The site also has a link to the Satanic Abortion Ritual.
As distasteful as PJ Media readers may find TST's participation may be, it is the result of a society that offers religious pluralism, so TST can claim a right to be there. However, it is worth noting that in the last paragraph of the statement above, TST comments that the state legislature rejected a similar bill in Utah after the Temple expressed interest in the program there.
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