Satanic Temple offers religious program to Ohio students

The Satanic Temple is now offering a new religious program to Ohio elementary students. Parents have asked for an alternative to a current Christian release program already offered to students.

Students at Edgewood Elementary School in Marysville, Ohio, can attend an off-campus religious program once a week.

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The LifeWise’s Evangelical program lasts about an hour and teaches students about the Bible. Teachers apply each passage to character traits and life lessons, according to LifeWise’s website.

Hellion Academy of Independent Learning (HAIL) announced it plans to do the opposite. During its program, students will learn without religious connotations, The Satanic Temple wrote in a Facebook post.

HAIL’s learning mission focuses on:

• Creative expression
• Critical thinking
• Good works in the community
• Problem-solving skills
• Self-directed learning
• Inspirational guest speakers

A parent who learned about the program requested that the Marysville School District make HAIL available to students.

“We wanted to make sure that we had a program that was teaching compassion and empathy and also inclusion,” parent Betty Elswick said. “Several parents had expressed concerns about their kids coming home and being bullied or made fun of and teased for not participating in the other programs in the area.”

The HAIL’s program director, June Everett, said school districts should realize once the door is opened for religion, the door is open for all beliefs.

The Internal Revenue Service recognizes The Satanic Temple as a non-theistic church.

“When they hear it, it’s initially shocking, ‘Oh, the Satanic Temple.’ They automatically think evil and awful things. We are not devil worshipers,” Everett said.

Joel Penton, CEO of LifeWise, released a statement in response to the new program. He said they’re not fearful of other organizations that release programs such as HAIL.

“We believe all families should have the opportunity to choose religious study during school hours and we trust parents to make the best choice for their children.”

Statement by LifeWise CEO Joel Penton

Penton supported a bill in the Ohio House requiring schools to allow students to attend religious instruction programs.

Beginning in 2018, LifeWise slowly began introducing its Bible-based teachings in schools. It quickly grew to hundreds of programs in dozens of states as of last year.

HAIL’s program, which started in December, is voluntary. Kids can sign up using a permission slip signed by their parents.