Members of a satanic group are set to give the prayer at an upcoming meeting of the Phoenix City Council, triggering a debate about religious freedom and whether such a display is appropriate for the venue.

Satanic Temple members Michelle Shortt and Stu de Haan are expected to give the invocation at the council's Feb. 17 meeting after the group submitted a request in December. Despite the objections of some council members, the city has decided to let the satanists speak as scheduled.

Phoenix City Attorney Brad Holm released a statement Thursday evening, defending the city's position. The city typically holds a short invocation at the start of formal council meetings and has included members from a variety of faiths, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam and Sikhism.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2016/01/28/satanists-give-prayer-phoenix-city-council-meeting/79486460/

This is the end, beautiful friend,
of everything that stands, the end,
I'll never look into your eyes again.

The Doors???

Let em pray I say.

The effect will be no different than one offered by members of any of the other faiths named above.

Hail Satan!

...yeah, me too. Let em' do what makes them happy....but I've hardly ever seen a Arizona Satanist that didn't have some Robitussin AC dripping from their mouths........I like it too!!

...here's a free coupon too!!

http://noncovereddrugs.com/images/coupon/robitussin-ac-rx-coupon.png

This is a good thing. It will hopefully show religious nutjobs that their push for prayer in public venues includes religions they do not agree with.

OK, Captain Obvious here, but why do they need a prayer at all? I guess they are trying to give the meeting an air of gravitas. If so, I am provisionally OK with it. But when your main focus is sewage treatment and municipal transportation, then I fail to see how God would have the slightest interest in intervening. Maybe they could schedule a few minutes for God to voice his opinions on storm drains as a concerned citizen?

If you support the separation of church and state then you should oppose any prayers led by any faith before a government meeting. Liking this simply because it'll irritate Christians is ridiculous, especially if you'd oppose a pastor or a TSCC bishop being asked to pray in a similar situation

NeverBeenaMormon Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> If you support the separation of church and state
> then you should oppose any prayers led by any
> faith before a government meeting. Liking this
> simply because it'll irritate Christians is
> ridiculous, especially if you'd oppose a pastor or
> a TSCC bishop being asked to pray in a similar
> situation

That is exactly what I support. Individuals can pray all they want to. Governmental bodies have no business having prayers at their meetings, no matter who is offering them.

The reason Phoenix is doing this is because they want to keep prayers at their meetings. To do so, they have to allow *any* group to give the opening prayer, not just a few christian groups they happen to like. That's the only legal way to keep prayers involved.

My hope is that after satanists, rastafarians, pastafarians, and some others come in and do "prayers," the council might realize that rather than keeping prayers and having them open to anyone, it would be best to do away with them -- and let individuals pray if they want, or not pray if they want. Keep the government out of it.

That is exactly why I also applaud the Satanists speaking also.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/04/2016 08:25AM by annieg.

Exactly. Its great they allowed the Satanists to pray there because then it just shows the ridiculousness of fighting to include religion in the public sphere. People can believe whatever nonsense they want just leave it out of government.

I want to see a Pastafarian wearing a colander and holding up a jar of Prego.

Let us hope that there's a published transcript of the prayer.

Calling on the devil to sanction governmental proceedings ought to be entertaining to say the least.

Shummy Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Let us hope that there's a published transcript of
> the prayer.
>
> Calling on the devil to sanction governmental
> proceedings ought to be entertaining to say the
> least.


Doesn't he already?

It would be nice if the choose a particular issue to be voted on!

I greatly admire satanists for taking this on. I doubt their real motive is spreading satanism. When they insist on being included, it helps raise the issue about why prayer and religious display is inappropriate in government.

Well I gotta wonder how much longer this vestigial religious ritual will continue to be tolerated.

I'm surprised that Freedom From Religion foundation hasn't taken this one on.

Seems to me that our congresspeople might act more responsibly if they didn't feel that they were acting with God's approbation.

More power to them. The city either has to allow all faiths, or none at all. The fact that people are raising such a fuss over Satanists and not over any Christian faith is telling.

Still not a done deal if the local yokels have their way.


http://kjzz.org/content/260249/should-satanic-group-lead-phoenix-city-council-meeting-invocation

So what does someone from the church of satin pray for? If in this city meeting, they pray for ISIS to destroy the US, and for dirty uranium bombs to be set off in the city, would their freedom os speech/religion be protected?

Phoenix City Council? The Satanists will fit right in!

Well if they do pray, I hope they use old King James English like the Mormons do in their prayers - that way the Mormons will be able to relate.

For instance, "Our father in hell, we thank thee for allowing us this time to convene as city officials. We pray that thy spirit will be here with us to direct us...." It would be a hoot.

I read that they decided to end ALL prayers.

http://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/phoenix/2016/02/03/phoenix-city-council-vote-satanists-sheraton-buyer/79758268/

http://youtu.be/hopeFgwApCM

notice me!