The Satanic Temple’s (TST) co-founder challenged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to a debate on non secular freedom after the governor singled out satanists by saying they weren’t allowed to take part in a brand new chaplain program signed into legislation final week.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a invoice into legislation that permits college districts to undertake volunteer college chaplain companies.
Under the invoice, every college within the state has the choice to undertake a coverage permitting volunteer college chaplains to offer assist companies and applications for college students. The invoice additionally requires principals of colleges with volunteer college chaplains to tell all mother and father of the companies being supplied, whereas additionally requiring written parental consent earlier than college students take part or obtain the companies.
On Thursday, DeSantis confused this system was “totally voluntary for a parent or a student to participate.”
FLORIDA BILLS WOULD ALLOW SATANIC PRIESTS TO SERVE AS VOLUNTEER CHAPLAINS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS
![Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis](https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2023/07/1200/675/Ronald-DeSantis.jpg?ve=1&tl=1)
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis stated The Satanic Temple isn’t a faith. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
He additionally made clear that members of TST wouldn’t be capable of function public college chaplains.
“Some have said that if you do a school chaplain program, that, somehow, you’re going to have satanists running around in all our schools. We’re not playing those games in Florida,” DeSantis assured the individuals within the crowd. “That is not a religion. That is not qualified to be able to participate in this. So, we’re going to be using common sense when it comes to this. You don’t have to worry about it.”
As the invoice moved via the state legislative course of, TST threatened to sue the state if any of its members had been banned from serving as chaplains in this system.
SATANIC TEMPLE LEADER CHALLENGES ‘PATHETIC LITTLE COWARD’ DESANTIS TO DEBATE OVER GROUP’S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS
Lucien Greaves, is spokesman for The Satanic Temple, photographed exterior a Salem courthouse. (Josh Reynolds for The Washington Post through Getty Images)
TST co-founder, Lucien Greaves instructed Fox News Digital the governor has made a number of feedback concerning the group with none data of who they’re or what they consider.
“This should be of significant concern to anybody, regardless of their own religious views,” Greaves stated. “Worse, in signing HB 931 into law, the governor simply announced, from the podium at a press conference, that Satanists were to be considered unqualified for the school chaplaincy program while citing no legal theory to support his view.”
The co-founder of TST stated the laws signifies DeSantis is unaware of how the legislation works and unaware that the invoice he signed into legislation “does in fact allow Satanic chaplains in schools,” revealing the governor is unaware of the boundaries of his authority.
DESANTIS PLEDGES SUPPORT FOR DEVIL STATUE DECAPITATOR, SAYS GOVT SHOULD NOT RECOGNIZE SATANISM AS ‘RELIGION’
The Baphomet statue is seen within the conversion room on the Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts, on Oct. 8, 2019. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP through Getty Images)
After making the feedback, Greaves posted on X that the IRS acknowledges TST as a tax-exempt church.
“If FL’s Republican administration deliberately excludes the group from the state’s new school chaplain program, that would constitute the kind of discrimination that would likely fail in court,” he posted.
The government director of operations at TST, Rachel Chambliss, additionally despatched an invite to DeSantis to take part in a public debate with Greaves, relating to their standing as a federally acknowledged non secular group.
“In light of Governor DeSantis’ recent remarks concerning our involvement in Florida’s new School Chaplain program, we find ourselves in respectful disagreement,” Chambliss wrote. “We believe that a public debate would provide an excellent platform to thoroughly discuss the principles of religious freedom in America.”
DeSantis’ workplace didn’t reply to Fox News Digital’s request for touch upon the matter.
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Still, Greaves known as the governor’s actions “erroneous.”
“If I am correct, and DeSantis is merely engaging in empty grandstanding with a complete disregard for the intelligence of the people of Florida, he will surely ignore this challenge,” Greaves added.