Florida Man Wants To Open Town Hall Meeting With Prayer To Satan

After the Supreme Court ruling that legislative bodies can open their meeting with prayer, a Deerfield Beach, Florida man is petitioning to have a meeting of his Town Council, or Florida Senate, open with a Satanic Prayer.

Chaz Stevens, political activist, and the man who made national headlines last year for forcing Florida’s Governor Rick Scott to allow him to erect an 8ft Festivus pole made of beer cans next to the city’s Nativity Scene, (story here) has made another statement on his belief of separation of church and state. In a phone interview with NPR, Stevens said, “If the Supreme Court wants to open up the door to this, Satan and I will walk through.” In a separate interview with New Times, Stevens said:

“I just want equal billing. We allow various nutjobs to give a prayer. They pray to Jesus who is make-believe, God who is make-believe, why not Satan who is make-believe?”

Stevens continued:

“Why discriminate against one make-believe god over another?  Satan and I are being circumvented. The city of Deerfield Beach has once again declared war on religion — and this time it’s Satanism.”

In the Supreme Court’s 5-4 majority opinion, Justice Anthony Kennedy draws some lines around what types of prayer that are acceptable. Kennedy wrote: “These religious themes provide particular means to universal ends. Prayer that reflects beliefs specific to only some creeds can still serve to solemnize the occasion, so long as the practice over time is not ‘exploited to proselytize or advance any one, or disparage any other, faith or belief.” Primarily, the prayers may not be used to coerce non-believers, the prayers must not threaten damnation, the presenters god may be mentioned, e.g. Jesus, Allah, Jehovah, etc. and they should be ceremonial in nature.

In a letter to the city attorney Stevens gives an example of a prayer he may use:

“AVE SATANA!

Hail, Satan,
Lord of Darkness,
King of Hell,
Ruler of the Earth,
God of this World!

God Who invites us to become as gods!
Muse of our civilization,
Dread Enemy of its tyrant god!
Satan, mighty Liberator,
Bearer of true Light!

God of our flesh,
God of our minds,
God of our innermost Will!

O mighty Lord Satan,
teach us to become strong and wise!
Teach us to vanquish the enemies
of our freedom and well-being!

REGE SATANA!”

Stevens said his request is not about Satan, yet “It’s a comic gag, a satirical gag, an extreme gag that draws attention at the greying of the separation of church and state.”

The city of Deerfield Beach has yet to respond.