A new after school club at Golden Hills Elementary School in
California called the After School Satan club has parents in a tizzy.
They are outraged, how dare they bring the devil to campus.
Well, the satanic temple has actually launched several of these after school
satan clubs, even though they don't worship satan,
that's not what this is about.
And it's a direct response to schools with evangelical after school programs,
often specifically targeting the Good News Club.
Now, in 20, I'm sorry, in 2001, the United States Supreme Court ruled
in favor of the Good News Club when a New York school district sought
to prevent the group from holding meetings on school grounds after school hours.
The Supreme Court actually ruled that the district could not discriminate
against groups based on their viewpoints.
And because comparable secular groups were allowed to operate,
the Good News Club must also be accommodated, okay?
So that was the Supreme Court's ruling.
Keep in mind, this is after school, this religious group is having their
meetings on campus, but it's allowed, okay?
Scada says this is a okay, you can't discriminate against them.
Now, the ruling did open the doors to both religious groups
meeting in public schools, but also for the proliferation of
After School Satan as clubs as intended counterweights.
The clubs created controversy in Illinois and Ohio earlier this year.
In fact, I think we talked about the case in Lebanon Ohio, specifically.
Now, again, let me reiterate the Satanic Temple does not advocate for
religion in schools.
However, once religion invades schools as the Good News Club
have the satanic Temple will fight to ensure that plurality and
true religious liberty are respected.
And again, this is a non theistic religious organization,
they don't actually worship the devil, they don't actually believe in Satan.
It's meant to again be like a counterweight to the religion or
religious after school programs infiltrating these public schools.
Cenk, what do you think about this?
>> So I'm torn on their branding, right?
On the one hand, it's kind of rubbing their face in it and
going well if you allow so called God, you have to allow so called Satan, right?
And that does scare the bejesus out of right wingers, so
it might be effective in getting them to reconsider.
On the other hand, the atheist position is the correct position.
And so calling it the Satan club is going to drive people away and
have them freak out too much.
So for people in that club and for atheist and
agnostic folks that are not religious in this country or anywhere.
You all know that it's mythology and it's, they're getting really mad over Zeus and
Athena, right, and so you find that funny or irrelevant, right?
And I get it, I'm in that club, right?
But remember they think it's real, they think that there's an actual Satan.
And when you say Satan Club, they think Beelzebub is going
to come into the school and they get really freaked out by it, right?
And then they associate all these negative things with people who are atheists and
agnostic.
That's why I'm torn on the branding, even though I love the old school trolling.
>> Yeah, but I think that the branding is part of the message
they're trying to send, right?
Because if you're gonna open the floodgates for
religious after school programs, well based on our constitution,
the government and that includes government employees, aren't able
to establish any type of favoritism for one religion over the other, right?
So they intentionally used Satan as a way to upset the religious individuals
who think that the religious after school programs are totally fine.
This group, the Satanic Temple, whatever, their after school programs have
nothing to do with Satan or religion, as I've said now for the billionth time,
it's all about science, free inquiry, and rationalization.
>> I'm telling you, I don't love the branding cuz then it's gonna
make religious folks think that science is satanic.
They already think that Cenk.
>> I know, but they reinforced.
Anyway look, I love the effort, don't get me wrong.
>> I love it.
>> Yeah, but in terms of religious folks, I also wanna address you guys,
I just address the atheists, right?
So guys, I know you think Satan exists and you think like,
I think he can enter people's bodies and talk funny whatever you got, okay?
So I'm sorry, I'm being condescending, okay?
But my point is understand that we don't think Satan is real,
>> [INAUDIBLE]
>> Right, I know, we think that's funny,
that's hilarious, right?
We don't think that any such fictional character exists, right?
We look at that, are you are you serious?
You think that thing actually exists?
Right, so when non religious people talk about Satan for you,
religious folks don't get scared, we don't mean it, we're having a laugh, right?
Because to us it's like talking about dumbledore, okay?
So that's why we're miscommunicating.
But yeah.
>> Yeah, so the reaction from parents has been entertaining,
I think it's disgusting, said one parent.
>> Of course, they think it's real.
>> I think it's wrong and it shouldn't be in the school, said another.
But I mean, the floodgates have been opened, right?
And if you don't want your kid to be part of this situation,
then pick up your kid after school, don't let them stay there after school.
>> [LAUGH] >> Yeah, I mean,
look again, the argument is compelling because especially if you're religious and
you do believe in it, then you think, well if I open the door to God,
I'm accidentally also opening the door to Satan.
And that really scares them, right?
>> What a pickle?
>> I know.
So guys, that's why we shouldn't intermingle religion with the government.
You know what happens if you do that?
Iran happens, Saudi Arabia happens, Satan happens, okay, according to you guys.
So be careful what door you're opening.
>> Why can't people be like Jewish people when it comes to religion?
Okay, I'm just gonna be honest and people will probably be offended, I don't care.
Jewish people are my favorite religious people.
You wanna know why?
Because they don't want you, they don't want you.
In fact if you want to convert to Judaism,
it is one of the most difficult things in the world.
They don't go around trying to force their religion onto you.
They're the best, right?
Live and let live believe and let believe.
Why do I have to believe what you believe?
>> Yeah, no, the fact that they leave us alone is wonderful.
>> They're the best.
>> Okay, so I have a friend who converted to Judaism and
she had to work super hard and convince them.
>> Yeah, no totally.
>> And the rabbis, I don't know about this, it's okay.
>> And you get repeatedly, like beaten down.
>> Are you sure?
Right, but that's awesome cuz then they don't bother anybody else.
I remember living in South Beach in Miami, I think they were Hasidic folks love,
those folks they come around in a van, it looked fun, not really.
[LAUGH] They would come and are, you Jewish, are you Jewish?
And if you were, then you had to sit there for 20 minutes etc.
And I've never been happier than being, I am not Jewish.
And then they were, then I don't want to talk to him like great,
I'm gonna go get coffee.
>> Wait, wait, hold on.
There was soliciting folks?
>> Yeah, but since there's a lot of Jewish folks who live in Miami,
they're just randomly going up to people who could potentially look Jewish and
asking them, are you Jewish?
So when Ben and I would walk along, he would every day, he stressed out cuz
he's faces more dilemma of do I lie to them and say I'm not Jewish.
And thereby you feel bad denying your own people, right?
>> Just ignore them and walk away.
>> And I know or but he had to wrestle with that.
>> Whereas I was, I'm not Jewish.
And they're, we don't want you, okay?
They're like Ben, what about you?
And he's, goddammit, I just want the coffee.
>> My favorite thing in the world.
My favorite thing that my dad has ever done, okay?
So my dad is a believer, he's a man of faith, right?
He's christian, I was raised christian and
I have disappointed my parents by moving away from that.
But nonetheless, we would get Jehovah's Witness individuals coming to the door,
trying to convince people in the house to either convert or
become Jehovah's Witness?
And everyone usually doesn't open the door or
like cuts it short and like tells them to go away.
Not my dad though, my dad wanted to engage in a debate.
So I remember one morning at 7:30 I hear my dad debating some random person at
the front door and I'm, who is this?
Peek my head and I see these poor Jehovah's witnesses who thought they were
gonna inconvenience my dad.
But little did they know, my dad was going to inconvenience them.
And they're going back and forth about their mythical books and what's this and
what's that, who's right, who's wrong.
And I'm just, I'm here for it.
This is the most entertaining thing my dad has ever done.
>> Yeah, and religious folks, we're not trying to insult you, I was religious,
right?
So I hear you, but at the same time you have to keep in mind that for us,
we do not believe the same things you do.
>> So please, don't- >> I just want people to stop
talking to us.
[LAUGH] >> Don't try to force us to believe
the things that you believe in and don't take great offense when we do
not do the same rituals and traditions and customs that you value.
We're allowed to not value them.
>> Yeah, and more importantly, look, I just wanna live in a society where
people of faith of course should be protected to practice their faith,
right, as long as it's not harming others.
In fact, I believe in religious liberty, I would fight like hell if there
was this movement to do away with religious liberty in the country.
I don't agree with doing away with religious liberty, at the same time,
I would just kindly ask that the respect that I have for people of
faith is also extended to me as an individual who is not a person of faith.
>> 100%, and the last two things I'll say on this real quick is, guys,
the whole country has to wrestle with because young people generally
now are not at all religious.
And so they think it's hilarious and ridiculous and
they are not nearly as respectful as we are over, all right?
And older people still generally totally believe it.
So you're gonna have this massive culture clash here where one side
is goofing around going, Satan's here, boo, right,another is here, right?
So we're gonna have to somehow deal with this as a country and
just don't judge each other too harshly in either direction.
I asked, but I know it's never gonna happen.
And for religious folks, my last point is this guy's Satan doesn't exist,
but the problem is, there's something worse.
It's not Satan, it's human beings who are being selfish and immoral.
And so not everybody at all, but unfortunately a lot of people are selfish,
a lot of people are immoral,
they just do what they wanna do even if it hurts other people.
That's way worse than Satan cuz that's a harder thing to deal with, right?
But that's what's real.