Florida Satanist to Open City Council Meeting With Prayer if Granted Request
A Satanist in Florida wants the opportunity to open a town hall meeting with prayer, citing the recent Supreme Court decision in "Town of Greece v. Galloway." Chaz Stevens has said he wants "equal billing" in order to express himself and his religious views, the same as any person.
"We allow various religious nutjobs to give a prayer," he told The New Times. "They pray to Jesus who is make-believe, god who is make-believe, why not Satan who is make-believe? 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."
Stevens has been in the news before for his unique views. He managed to convince Florida Governor Rick Scott to allow him to erect an 8-foot-tall Festivus pole made of Pabst Blue Ribbon beer cans next to the town's nativity scene. Festivus is a holiday created by the producers of TV show "Seinfeld" and has caught on as a celebration of its own, with the motto "Festivus for the rest of us," meaning those who choose not to celebrate traditional religions.
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He has written a letter to the City Attorney requesting that he be allowed to open a town hall with prayer.
"With the recent US Supreme Court ruling allowing 'prayer before Commission meetings,' and seeking the rights granted to others, I hereby am requesting that I be allowed to open a Commission meeting praying for my God, my divine spirit, my Dude in Charge. Be advised, I am a Satanist. Let me know when this is good for you," Stevens wrote, according to Raw Story.
Stevens has also written to the Florida State Senate to ask permission to erect his Festivus pole again and to open a Senate session "with a prayer to my god Satan."
So far there has been no word from either the City Attorney or the Senate about Stevens' requests.
