In my paper, I plan to delve into the idea of religious pluralism in relation to the American Dream, specifically looking at the Satanic Temple and their political activism. The Satanic Temple is a non-theistic, non-supernaturalist recognized religious group that campaigns against politicians or other powerful figures who use their own religious beliefs as a form of control over people who are not members of that same religion. I chose this topic because I am a member of TST and grew up in a very Christian area, the latter leading me to become enthralled in alt-right conservative beliefs from middle school up until partway through my military service, and I believe an important part of the American Dream is equal treatment regardless of religion, skin color, or any other factor. For research, I have purchased the book “Speak of the Devil” by Prof. Joseph Laycock and have found multiple articles about TST’s involvement in the removal of the 10 Commandments monument on the grounds of the Oklahoma State Capitol and their activism in favor of Abortion Rights. The questions I will be exploring are, “What part does freedom from religious discrimination play in the American Dream”, “How is that freedom being threatened”, and “What is being done to protect citizens from being discriminated against based on their religion”.
Works Cited: “Speak of the Devil” by Joseph Laycock, “Religiously Nonreligious” by Laurel Zwissler, and “Maybe Today, Satan: A Christian Supreme Court, Unbalanced Religious Clauses, and the Rise of The Satanic Temple.” by Angela Pruitt
