Satanic Temple Asks To Hold Services At U.S. Naval Academy

ANNAPOLIS, MD — A group classified as a church by the Internal Revenue Service that goes by the name The Satanic Temple is fighting the U.S. Naval Academy to gain the right to hold meetings on academy grounds. According to the Catholic News Agency, the group has requested to hold "satanic religious services" there.

The Satanic Temple — which says it is a nontheistic religious and politically active movement — has threatened legal action against the academy if midshipmen aren't allowed to hold "satanic services" on campus since members of other religions are allowed to hold their own services.

A nontheist is someone who doesn't believe there is a God or gods.

Jordan Lorence, senior counsel with Alliance Defending Freedom, told CNA the group’s efforts at the Naval Academy are misleading because it doesn't want to hold “a satanic service.” The group claims to be interested in hosting "a discussion about how the supernatural doesn’t exist.”

On Oct. 8, an internal email was sent to the Brigade of Midshipmen at the academy announcing “‘satanic services’ would start this week,” according to a Wednesday statement issued by Cmdr. Alana Garas, spokesperson for the academy.

“This email was sent without the review and approval of the Naval Academy’s Command Chaplain, as required by command policy; it did not represent the U.S. Naval Academy’s Command Religious Program,” Garas said.

After the email was sent a note clarified that some midshipmen had requested space for a study group, not room for satanic services, Fox News reported.

"Midshipmen have the right to assemble to discuss their beliefs as they choose, but, to be clear, in accordance with Department of Defense policy, military members will not engage in partisan political activities, and will avoid the inference that their activities may appear to imply (Defense Department) approval or endorsement of a political cause," Garas told Fox News.

Lucien Greaves, a spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, told the Catholic News Agency the idea of the group being denied services at the Naval Academy “self-evidently absurd.” If The Satanic Temple were to be denied the ability to use the campus, other groups shouldn't be allowed to either, Greaves said.