Satanists’ Material

On an episode of Dragnet years ago (the one that ran from 1967 to 1970), Sergeant Joe Friday and his partner Bill Gannon were dealing with a citizen skeptical about the need for the police to have guns. (The conversation below is only an approximate one.) An officer had been shot answering a burglary call, and the store owner seemed to think that if the officer had not had a gun, he might not have been shot. Friday asked him in his usual terse manner: “The officer was shot while protecting your store?”

Store owner: “Yes, that’s right.”

Friday: “Do you have a gun?”

Store owner: “No, I told you I don’t like them.”

Friday: “What do you suppose the robber might have done to you if an armed officer had not prevented him from doing so?”

The same case could be made with respect to morality. If churches were not a civilizing influence on society, how bad might it be? Yet Satanists want permission to hand out literature to school students, according to an article in the Orlando Sentinel on September 16, 2014. “A religious group called The Satanic Temple is making plans to hand out literature in Orange County Public Schools later this school year…” (B2).

Is this really necessary? Aren’t children today bombarded constantly by Satan? Aren’t they already influenced toward immorality by television and movies? Aren’t they taught to take God’s name in vain and to use foul, crude language? Aren’t they taught that marital infidelity is normal and that drinking alcohol is the sophisticated thing to do? Aren’t some of the devil’s humanistic teaching incorporated in school curriculums? Are not many of their peers using drugs or engaging in fornication? What possible need could today’s young people have for Satanic materials?

The Satanic Temple is jealous because sometimes Bibles or pamphlets have been allowed to be given to students. But with nearly everything in society geared toward Satan’s way of thinking, is it really so terrible to hand out something to the contrary? The Bible, if followed, makes people (in particular) and society (in general) better. According to Daniel Webster (in a letter he wrote in 1852), Thomas Jefferson once told him: “I have always said, and always will say, that the studious perusal of the sacred volume will make better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands.”

This statement is true. Husbands who follow the Bible will love their wives as Christ loved the church, and godly wives will submit to their husbands (Eph. 5:22-25). Christians will strive to be good parents (Eph. 6:1-4). All who study the writings of Paul and Peter will do their very best to be good citizens (Rom. 13:1-7; 1 Peter 2:13-17).

When has Satan ever taught such lofty principles? But Satanists want “equal” time to propagate their teachings. The Satanic temple “supports social-justice causes and believes Satan is ‘the eternal rebel against the ultimate tyrant,’” according to the Sentinel (D2). How talented is this group to compact two lies in only a seven-word description? In the first place, Satan is not eternal. His followers only wish that were the case because they can then hold out hope that he has as much power as God and that someday he and his followers might even be victorious. And, in fact, if Satan were eternal, why would he not have as much power as God?

The second falsehood is that God is the ultimate tyrant. If He were, why did He not destroy Satan a long time ago? How many tyrants (let alone an ultimate tyrant) have we ever heard of who let a rebel stay on the loose for 6,000 years? Tyrants eliminate their opposition. The history of the world confirms this truth, as do the Scriptures. The principle is stated very clearly and succinctly in 1 Kings 16:21-22:

Then the people of Israel were divided into two parts: half of the people followed Tibni…to make him king, and half followed Omri. But the people who followed Omri prevailed over the people who followed Tibni…. So Tibni died and Omri reigned.

Tyrants (and their followers) vanquish any challengers as quickly as they can. The Satanic Temple has published a book that they want to distribute to children, which is called, The Satanic Children’s BIG BOOK of Activities. Notice what one of the activities is:

Damian is showing his class the way to make an inverted pentagram. Connect the dots to make one yourself.

Damien (slight variation in spelling) is the name of the Anti-Christ in The Omen movie series. He was born on June 6th, at 6:00 A.M. (666). The jackal who bore him died while giving birth; he was adopted by Robert Thorn, Ambassador to Great Britain. And the movie continues from there. But the Damian in the activity book is showing children how to connect the dots to draw a pentagram, a Satanic symbol.

And how is all of this going to benefit children? And what, besides Satanic symbols and propaganda, will this book teach with respect to social justice? Does it promote homosexuality, for example? What about abortion? Are these social-justice causes? What view does it take toward marriage? Don’t children already have access to sources promoting numerous forms of immorality? How about letting them have some doses of purity and righteousness for a change?

Somewhere, sometime, people in the community must stand up to the Freedom from Religion Foundation, the Freethought Community, and the ACLU by telling them, “This foolishness will not stand here.”