Satanic Temple co-founder challenges Florida Gov DeSantis to debate on religious freedoms
Source: Fox News
Author: Greg Wehner
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a new bill into law that allows chaplains inside schools, but said The Satanic Temple is not a religion, nor is it qualified to participate in the program.
The Satanic Temple's (TST) co-founder challenged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to a debate on religious freedom after the governor singled out satanists by saying they were not allowed to participate in a new chaplain program signed into law last week.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a bill into law that allows school districts to adopt volunteer school chaplain services.
Under the bill, each school in the state has the option to adopt a policy allowing volunteer school chaplains to provide support services and programs for students. The bill also requires principals of schools with volunteer school chaplains to inform all parents of the services being provided, while also requiring written parental consent before students participate or receive the services.
On Thursday, DeSantis stressed the program was "totally voluntary for a parent or a student to participate."
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He also made clear that members of TST would not be able to serve as public school 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 people in 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 bill moved through the state legislative process, TST threatened to sue the state if any of its members were banned from serving as chaplains in the program.
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TST co-founder, Lucien Greaves told Fox News Digital the governor has made multiple comments about the organization without any knowledge of who they are or what they believe.
"This should be of significant concern to anybody, regardless of their own religious views," Greaves said. "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 said the legislation indicates DeSantis is unaware of how the law works and unaware that the bill he signed into law "does in fact allow Satanic chaplains in schools," revealing the governor is unaware of the limits of his authority.
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After making the comments, Greaves posted on X that the IRS recognizes 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 executive director of operations at TST, Rachel Chambliss, also sent an invitation to DeSantis to participate in a public debate with Greaves, regarding their status as a federally recognized religious organization.
"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' office did not respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment on the matter.
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Still, Greaves called 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.