THE WINNERS OF TST’S DEVIL'S ADVOCATE SCHOLARSHIP

TST is pleased to announce our Devil’s Advocate scholarship was
awarded to one individual who displayed how they have upheld the
values and mission of The Satanic Temple. TST also awarded
scholarship funds to three individuals who shared their stories about
a teacher who crushed their spirit and made them despise every minute
they were forced to be in school.

We received over 300 submissions, many of and this were exceptional,
which made judging quite challenging.

Our winners submitted remarkable works that show how they champion
our tenets and oppose the injustices they had to endure while in
school. All four winners will receive $666 to assist them in their
plans and a trophy to commemorate their accomplishments.

CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2020 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS!

AUBIN, NEW YORK

What have you done to further TST's mission and tenets?

Colored pencil drawing with coffee watercolor background (2020/08/05)

This piece is inspired by The Satanic Temple's first Fundamental
Tenet. I hold a firm belief that all animal life is sacred and should
be treated with respect. In my life, I have spent much time foraging
for animal remains that may have been killed at the hands of humans
(roadkill, hunting, trapping). I bring these animals home with me and
give them a place in my home for them to be honored and respected in
ways that they unfortunately didn’t get to experience in their time
on earth. I see that these animals play a very important role in
Earth’s ecosystem, but have fallen victim to the cruelty and
blindness of Man. I hope that the spirits of the animals that I live
with are able to find peace in knowing that their lives will not be
forgotten.

Please discuss and describe in detail any one of the teachers who
crushed your spirit, undermined your self-confidence, and made you
hate every minute you were forced to be in school.

HANNAH RICE, ARIZONA

It's important that I mention the fact that Arizona is ranked number
40 out of 50 states in terms of the quality of education. This is not
to say the education I received wasn't more than adequate when
compared to, say, children in the Middle East. Of course I could
write a soliloquy of teenage angst targeted at some of my high school
teachers that left a bad taste in my mouth. However, I think middle
school is a much better place to look back on. That is, if you're
feeling particularly nostalgic of the days when testosterone,
estrogen and cortisol created an Axis Alliance ready to assault you
from the moment you woke up. How fond I am of the casual homophobia
and sexual harassment exhibited by the male students, while I would
be publicly humiliated for daring to show approximately 3/4th of my
left shoulder. It truly was the golden days.

The story I am regaling for you today in hopes of receiving a
scholarship is one of not-so epic proportions. Allow me to set the
scene: we open in on a halfway dilapidated blue and white brick
building, a horse is the mascot. A closeted lesbian refuses to take
off a leather biker jacket in 95 degree heat. As you know, nobody
with the exception of possible sociopaths were confident in
themselves at age 13. Also, it looked sick. All of my peers are
either in all black or all neon clothing, and absolutely everyone has
acne. Let me recount for you the morning routine. First, we all sit
in our seats and chat for a couple minutes. We have to keep our
voices down, less the teacher gets a headache. Regardless of your
homeroom, you are required to do two things in the morning: complete
a timed quiz, and recite the pledge of allegiance.

The daily morning quiz consisted of a two sided math test. One side
is basic multiplication, the other asks you to solve fractions
quickly. Addition, subtraction, multiplication and division of
fractions are all covered. You have only a few minutes to complete
this, and then it's pencils down. I never did too well on them, but
in 7th grade I wasn't the most driven pupil. Occasionally the pledge
would cut off the test short, and then it would resume. If by this
point you need a refresher on the proper etiquette when pledging your allegiance to the flag, you must first stand and face the nearest
U.S. flag at your disposal. As the principal or front office lady
recite the pledge, you say it in unison as well. As a symbol of
respect, you put your right hand over your heart.

However, that morning I had made up my mind about not standing for
the pledge. I had no particular agenda in mind; I was just
questioning authority, as one does after your father introduces you
to the artistic stylings of Rage Against the Machine. I felt anxious
the entire bus ride to school that morning. In the middle of trying
to remember what 1/5 plus 3/4 was, the intercom sounded with a grainy
voice, "please stand for the pledge." Everyone stands. I do not. I
try to avoid anyone's eyes as the boy who sits in front of me
whispers to me to stand. My teacher leans over close, she's in her
early 60's with a conservative hippie skirt and a black turtleneck.
She says, "That is the most disrespectful thing I have ever seen.
Stand now." I relent my punk ways for the last verse of the pledge to
stand. She tells me I have detention. That anxious feeling sits with
me the rest of the day, and I wonder if my dad will be disappointed
or proud.

HEDERA BELMOND, IOWA

SODA LIGHTFUL, NORTH DAKOTA

FIVE MORE MINUTES

The sound of an alarm cuts through the silent air

Harsh and sharp and voice full of malice

He screams in my ears

Another day, another dollar

Another day at the hands of another

Another unending search for the unfindable

Of toil and sweat and empty words on a page

I feel the cogs slowly turn in my head as I relive the same day over
and over again

The machine never stops

Never slows or ceases

Wake, eat, study, sleep, repeat

Endless cycles of forced structure

Though the question echoes through the caverns of my mind

My mind that is riddled with flashcards and notes and chickenscracth handwriting

Why do we allow ourselves to cage the bird?

The brain is a such beautiful thing

Her song is so lovely

A crisp melodic tune

Sung softly on a gentle breeze

But yet a symphony of bells and whistles and crashing percussion

Of trumpets and horns and colorful lights

We are capable of so much more

So many wondrous, creative, beautiful things

We are made for greatness

Yet

We are kept in a box

In a straight and steady line

Unmoving

Unwavering

The subconscious yearns for excitement

Though never to be found in the cold gray walls of textbooks and
worksheets and standardized testing

The alarm continues to blare

His harsh voice taunts me

I barely even recognize this vessel anymore

Dark circles, tired eyes

There are no colors

Only gray

Only shadows

Who is that?

Who have I become?

At the hands of the system

I have been broken into nothing more that a soulless receptacle for
useless facts and bounded by the ancient texts that keep them

I rub the sore spot between my shoulders

Maybe I’ll leave the books home today

Or maybe

I won’t return at all

Maybe

Just maybe

I’ll hit snooze one more time

And wake up in a world where education is more than just words on a
paper

More than just empty words and phrases

More than just

Dull

Empty

Gray

GREY FACTION: "A RUMOR OF DEVILS"

The Satanic Panic of the 80s and 90s was a moral panic that led to
witch hunts that targeted supposed Satanists who were allegedly
engaging in evil ritual acts. Though thoroughly debunked in
subsequent years, allegations of Satanic ritual abuse during this
time ruined lives, tore families apart, resulted in the imprisonment
of innocent people, and established a legacy that is still being
fought in the mental health field. To show this panic’s human cost,
Grey Faction is launching “A Rumor of Devils.” This project will
document stories of those impacted by the Satanic Panic and the
impact it has had on people’s lives.

Grey Faction will be collecting audio and video testimonials of
individuals who were falsely accused of Satanic ritual abuse, in
addition to people who were targets of conspiracy theories and those
who experienced false memories of ritual abuse. Please email us atarumorofdevils@gmail.com for submission requirements and details to
be a part of this one-of-a-kind project. <https://announcement.thesatanictemple.com/rrr-campaign41280784>

Last month, TST announced that our religious abortion ritual exempts
Satanists from being subject to laws that restrict access to abortion
during the first trimester in states that have enacted the Religious
Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). This exemption applies so long as the
laws serve no medical purpose and are scientifically inaccurate.
Contrary to arbitrary regulations that wrongfully elicit guilt and
shame, our ritual is designed to evoke spiritual comfort and
confidence upon the abortion procedure’s onset to affirm our beliefs
in bodily autonomy and scientifically-reasoned personal choice.

We have raised funds to support and uphold the institution of our
Satanic abortion ritual. These donations will be used to inform
members of their religious liberty and to take on the legal
challenges of defending our members’ rights.

Thyself is thy master! Hail Satan! <https://announcement.thesatanictemple.com/rrr-campaign41280784> <https://thesatanictemple.com/>

Every tenet is a guiding principle designed to inspire nobility in
action and thought. The spirit of compassion, wisdom, and justice
should always prevail over the written or spoken word.

Often people incorrectly assume The Satanic Temple adheres to the
Satanic Bible, or they ask if TST has its own bible. The presumption
that a religion must have a hallowed tome is hardwired for many.
While texts of all kinds can be illuminating and inspirational, they
should never be regarded as sacred. Meanings of words evolve or
abruptly change, and the context from when a work was written will
influence its concerns in ways that date its intentions as context is
always in flux. Works can have great meaning and speak of many truths
that endure, but they must always be open to examination and
reconsideration and even revision.

Ideals such as compassion, wisdom, and justice transcend the written
word. TST’s tenets are inspired by a drive to incrementally approach
these ideals. As such, if the language in any of our tenets inhibits
progress towards these ideals, then those words should be subject to
revision accordingly. The spirit of the tenets and their intent is
what matters most and one should not obsessively fixate on specific
words.

Maybe I really do need to be punished

Because there is no justice

And it makes me feel guilty, what I get away with

I just got on the scale, filled with dread

But after all the outrageous food I ate last night

At such an outrageous hour

The scale said 152.4

The lowest number I have seen all year

The least I have weighed in probably three years

That is inexplicable, and totally unjust

I am full of guilt and shame

And a deep desire to be punished

Unless, as is entirely possible,

I am, to some degree, overstating

It might depend on what you had in mind

John S. Hall is a poet/spoken word artist, musician (if ukulele
counts), and singer-songwriter. He has released numerous recordings,
including nine albums with various incarnations of his band King
Missile. He is the author of a collection of poetry (Jesus Was Way
Cool) and a self-help parody (Daily Negations), both on Soft Skull
Press, and over 100 unpublished children’s stories. His most recent
releases may be found athere <https://dromedaryrecords.bandcamp.com/album/garden-variety-fuckers>
andhere
<https://silkcut.bandcamp.com/releases>. <https://www.instagram.com/thesatanicchef/>

Some people just hate Brussels sprouts. If hell were real, some
people would complain that they would be fed Brussels sprouts all day
long.

I, myself, love them. You can do so much with these vegetables. From
making kimchi to pickles, the possibilities are endless.

What I am going to do is teach you an alternative to eating bland,
roasted, or broiled Brussels sprouts. This dish will put you in the
mood for the fall, and maybe this dish will help change the
perception of that one friend that needs a little Satan in their
lives.

GATHER THE FOLLOWING INGREDIENTS

2 pounds Brussels sprouts

4 Cups of apple cider

1/4th a cup lemon juice

1 cup of sliced mint and basil

2 apples small diced

Grape-seed oil

Sourdough Crumble:

- 1 pound of butter

- 1/2 a loaf of sourdough bread

Take your sourdough bread and dice it up small. In a large deep sauté
pan, melt your butter until the dairy disappears. (If you want to go
vegan, use olive oil.)

Your butter should start to clarify and turn brown. Take your
sourdough and put it into your pan on low heat, continually stirring.
Once your bread is toasted, take it out of the pan and drain the fat.
You can reuse the butter if you like to make more crumble or even
grilled cheese sandwiches.
<https://www.instagram.com/thesatanicchef/>

After your bread has cooled down, put it in a blender or use a motor
pestle to break it down. Afterward, put it in a container, and set
the crumble aside.

Next up is your sprouts. Cut them in half, removing the stems and
excess leaves. Save the leaves because you can fry them up or roast
them at a high temperature for a tasty snack.

Put your 4 cups of cider in a small saucepot and cook it down
three-quarters of the way. Set it on the back burner once that is
done.

Grab your apples and cut them around the core. Dice them into small
pieces and then sear in a pan. Don’t overcook them, or you will turn
them to mush. Simply get your pan super hot, add a couple of
teaspoons of grape-seed oil, and give them a toss.

Take your herbs and cut them up. Set them aside.

Next up, you are going to need a sauté pan that can withstand high temperatures. I suggest a cast iron pan. They can get extremely hot,
allowing for a great char on your sprouts.

Coat your pan with about 4 tablespoons of grape-seed oil. Place your
Brussels sprouts face down in the pan, which will be your searing
side. If you are an experienced cook, then bring your heat up to a
smoke point and drop each sprout into the pan carefully to sear the
sprouts. If not, put your sprouts in the pan without any oil after
the pan has heated up. Try and get them face down. If not, it's ok.

After they start to sear, season them with some sea salt on top.

You should have your oven at 450 degrees. Once they are searing, and
it is starting to smell good, place your pan in the oven for about
ten minutes.

Once they come out, the sprouts should be perfectly cooked, not too
tender, and not too hard. To finish this dish, you want to toss in
your apple cider, apples, and a tablespoon of lemon.

Serve them into a dish of your liking and top them with an even
covering of crumble and herbs.

Shemaforash!

September 2020 – Adam Ostrofsky

@thesatanicchef <https://www.instagram.com/thesatanicchef/> <https://thesatanictemple.com/collections> <https://thesatanictemple.com/collections/official-membership-cards-and-certificates/products/official-membership-cards-and-certificates>

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