Two students from Delaware County, Pennsylvania, have been awarded scholarships by a local Satanic group, Satanic Delco.
The scholarships, amounting to $666 each, were given as part of the group's "Outsider Achievement Award" program.
According to The Post Millennial, the recipients of the awards, Kylie Tracy from Kennett High School and Adrian Gramatges from Ridley High School, were chosen for their embodiment of "individualism, empathy, free-thought, and skepticism."
Satanic Delco, which identifies itself as an independent Satanic congregation, has no affiliations with other Satanic groups. They claim to align with the values of "Outsider Satanism."
The group's website states, "We are Satanists. We're your neighbors. We make your coffee, we teach your kids, and you come to our office when you're sick." The Outsider Achievement Award, according to the group, is designed to recognize those students who do not fit into the traditional categories of success in high school, such as sports, academics, and groupthink.
The scholarship recipients submitted various materials for consideration. Gramatges submitted music and an essay, while Tracy submitted photography and an essay. The award, which has been in existence for four years, encourages students to express their understanding and interpretation of Satanism through writing and art.
As reported by Patch, applicants are required to "choose one of the values of Outsider Satanism and elaborate on what that value means to them, and how it applies to their lives in an essay, poem, film, song, or other creative medium."
Satanic Delco, like other Satanic groups, asserts that they do not worship Satan. "We don't worship Satan because Satan isn't real," they state. This sentiment is echoed by other Satanic groups such as the national Satanic Temple, which has compelled school districts to permit them to offer after-school programs for students ranging from elementary to high school age.
In recent years, the public presence of Satanic symbolism has increased. Target has featured Satanic designs on LGBTQ merchandise for children, and Satanic groups have erected statues of Baphomet, a figure representing Satan, at state houses that permit religious displays for Christmas. The Satanic Temple also views abortion as a religious rite.
The increasing visibility of Satanic groups and their influence raises questions about the nature of their beliefs and their impact on society. As John Wilkinson, a noted Quaker, said in 1836, "One of the artifices of Satan is, to induce men to believe that he does not exist: another, perhaps equally fatal, is to make them fancy that he is obliged to stand quietly by, and not to meddle with them, if they get into true silence."
French writer Charles Baudelaire also commented on the issue in 1864. My dear brethren, do not ever forget, when you hear the progress of lights praised, that the loveliest trick of the Devil is to persuade you that they dont exist! he wrote.
Satanic Delco asserts that "To embody the name Satan means embracing rational inquiry without supernatural or outdated traditions." They maintain that they are a religion, despite not believing in a supernatural being, because "The figurative representation of Satanism holds just as much meaning for us as the profound convictions we actively advocate for." This raises questions about the nature of religion and belief, and the role of such groups in society.
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