Recently, there has been an issue at Olathe Northwest High School. A member of the Awake Club, a Christianity-based club, has started a petition to ban the Satanic Temple Club. 

Many students find a problem with this, but many also agree with the points stated in their petition. A direct quote from the opposing petition states that Satanism is, “a religion that worships Satan at the cost of anyone or anything. Satanism has a strong history of persecution and violence towards the church and those who believe in God”. This is false. On the Satanic Temple official website in the frequently asked questions tab they're asked a question: Do you worship Satan? Their answer is no, “No, nor do we believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural. The Satanic Temple believes that religion can, and should, be divorced from superstition. As such, we do not promote a belief in a personal Satan”. This discredits the explanation directly written by a member of the Awake Club. 

The core beliefs of Satanism and the Satanic Temple are as follows, “The Mission Of The Satanic Temple Is To Encourage Benevolence And Empathy, Reject Tyrannical Authority, Advocate Practical Common Sense, Oppose Injustice, And Undertake Noble Pursuits”. These beliefs have nothing to do with the “persecution and violence towards the church,” and believers of other religions, and it's quite the opposite of what the opposing petition states Satanism to be. 

Our rights, as students, and staff, are being threatened here at Olathe Northwest. Our First Amendment right, which protects our freedom of religion, is under fire. If this club isn't allowed to exist, then all religious clubs at ONW should be banned. That includes the Awake Club. 

To ban one is to ban all, if there's a problem with one peaceful religious club, then there should be none. 

To learn more about the Satanic Temple, their official website is thesatanictemple.com