Satanic Temple co-founder challenges Florida Gov DeSantis to debate on religious freedoms

The Satanic Temple’s (TST) co-founder challenged Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to a statement connected belief state aft nan politician singled retired satanists by saying they were not allowed to participate successful a caller chaplain programme signed into rule past week.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure into rule that allows schoolhouse districts to adopt unpaid schoolhouse chaplain services.

Under nan bill, each schoolhouse successful nan authorities has nan action to adopt a argumentation allowing unpaid schoolhouse chaplains to supply support services and programs for students. The measure besides requires principals of schools pinch unpaid schoolhouse chaplains to pass each parents of nan services being provided, while besides requiring written parental consent earlier students participate aliases person nan services.

On Thursday, DeSantis stressed nan programme was "totally voluntary for a genitor aliases a student to participate."

FLORIDA BILLS WOULD ALLOW SATANIC PRIESTS TO SERVE AS VOLUNTEER CHAPLAINS IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said The Satanic Temple is not a religion. (Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

He besides made clear that members of TST would not beryllium capable to service arsenic nationalist schoolhouse chaplains.

"Some person said that if you do a schoolhouse chaplain program, that, somehow, you're going to person satanists moving astir successful each our schools. We're not playing those games successful Florida," DeSantis assured nan group successful nan crowd. "That is not a religion. That is not qualified to beryllium capable to participate successful this. So, we're going to beryllium utilizing communal consciousness erstwhile it comes to this. You don't person to interest astir it."

As nan measure moved done nan authorities legislative process, TST threatened to writer nan authorities if immoderate of its members were banned from serving arsenic chaplains successful nan program.

SATANIC TEMPLE LEADER CHALLENGES ‘PATHETIC LITTLE COWARD’ DESANTIS TO DEBATE OVER GROUP'S TAX-EXEMPT STATUS

Lucien Greaves, is spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, photographed extracurricular a Salem courthouse. (Josh Reynolds for The Washington Post via Getty Images)

TST co-founder, Lucien Greaves told Fox News Digital nan politician has made aggregate comments astir nan statement without immoderate knowledge of who they are aliases what they believe.

"This should beryllium of important interest to anybody, sloppy of their own belief views," Greaves said. "Worse, successful signing HB 931 into law, nan politician simply announced, from nan podium astatine a property conference, that Satanists were to beryllium considered unqualified for nan schoolhouse chaplaincy programme while citing nary ineligible mentation to support his view."

The co-founder of TST said nan authorities indicates DeSantis is unaware of really nan rule useful and unaware that nan measure he signed into rule "does successful truth let Satanic chaplains successful schools," revealing nan politician is unaware of nan limits of his authority.

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The Baphomet statue is seen successful nan conversion room astatine nan Satanic Temple successful Salem, Massachusetts, connected Oct. 8, 2019. (JOSEPH PREZIOSO/AFP via Getty Images)

After making nan comments, Greaves posted connected X that nan IRS recognizes TST arsenic a tax-exempt church.

"If FL’s Republican management deliberately excludes nan group from nan state’s caller schoolhouse chaplain program, that would represent nan benignant of favoritism that would apt neglect successful court," he posted.

The executive head of operations astatine TST, Rachel Chambliss, besides sent an invitation to DeSantis to participate successful a nationalist statement pinch Greaves, regarding their position arsenic a federally recognized belief organization.

"In ray of Governor DeSantis’ caller remarks concerning our engagement successful Florida’s caller School Chaplain program, we find ourselves successful respectful disagreement," Chambliss wrote. "We judge that a nationalist statement would supply an fantabulous level to thoroughly talk nan principles of belief state successful America."

DeSantis’ agency did not respond to Fox News Digital’s petition for remark connected nan matter.

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Still, Greaves called nan governor’s actions "erroneous."

"If I americium correct, and DeSantis is simply engaging successful quiet grandstanding pinch a complete disregard for nan intelligence of nan group of Florida, he will surely disregard this challenge," Greaves added.