Satanists have won one hell of a battle against a Pennsylvania school district’s ban on any clothing deemed “Satanic in nature.”
It took a number of calls and email exchanges over the period of a month to Rose Tree Media School District before the district decided to remove the phrase from the dress code.
The news was welcomed by the organisation founder of Satanic Delco, Joseph Rose who he was made aware of the clothing ban from fellow satanists with children attending schools within the Rose Tree Media School District.
He told ABC affiliate WPIV-TV in Philadelphia: “The idea that a public school — which really isn’t a place for religion to begin with — would allow all but one religion is just so obviously unfair and unconstitutional.”
Announcing the change in the dress code, the district said: “... Although we have had no complaints or concerns brought forward by any student, parent, or resident we will remove this language from our current dress code information in the student handbook.”
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Villanova law professor Ann Juliano agreed with the district’s U-turn, saying: “I really do like the way they phrased it.
“They recognize that there could be religious beliefs at issue — not that there are — but there could be, and therefore they would take it out.”
Though not everyone agrees, as resident’s questioned what this rule change meant and disagreed with children being able to wear clothes “Satanic in nature.”
“It’s like a free speech issue. Are they going to allow Nazis to be able to put symbols on kids’ shirts and send them to school?” Donna Willis told WPVI.
“I wouldn’t want a Satanic or cultish anything on clothing in schools,” said Lisa Cutrufello of Clifton Heights.
Now, the rule change has inspired Rose to launch a similar campaign to stop the ban on satanic clothing in another school district - this time the Garnet Valley School District.
“It just sort of raises awareness for what Satanists are, what we’re not, and maybe helps empower us a little when we have to reach out to the next high school, which I’m doing,” he said.
Despite the word “Satanic” included in the organisation name, Rose insists that his group does not worship Satan but instead seeks to remove superstition from religion.
Their website says: “WE ARE SATANISTS. We’re your neighbours. We make your coffee, we teach your kids, and you come to our office when you’re sick.”
“We do not promote a belief in a personal Satan. To embrace the name Satan is to embrace rational inquiry removed from supernaturalism and archaic tradition-based superstitions. Satanists should actively work to hone critical thinking and exercise reasonable agnosticism in all things. Our beliefs must be malleable to the best current scientific understandings of the material world - never the reverse.”
