Activist Seeks Satanic Prayer to Make A Point

In his quest to strengthen the wall between church and state, activist Chaz Stevens has asked South Florida cities to allow him to give an invocation in the name of Satan.

Stevens doesn't actually worship the hooved dark lord of the underworld but he does use him to make a point: "It has nothing to do with this horned guy . . . this is about separation of church and state. Satanism is a vehicle. I don't believe in Satan. I don't believe in Jesus. I don't believe in any of this stuff."

Stevens has made his satanic prayer request to several cities, including Pompano Beach, Lake Worth and Dania Beach. At least two, Dania Beach and Lake Worth, according to the Sun-Sentinel, have recently changed their policies. He started his campaign in May of 2014 after the Supreme Court, in Greece v. Galloway, that the Town of Greece, New York may allow local clergy to open meetings with prayer as long as members of other faiths are also allowed to open with prayer.

But by the time he made his request in October of this year, Wilton Manors had long-since stopped giving local religious leaders a chance to give an invocation before commission meetings - almost a year before Stevens contacted the city.

Mayor Gary Resnick said he stopped the practice because sometimes the city had trouble finding someone to give the invocation.

So Resnick, who said he had no idea of Stevens' satanic invocations, said he started doing a moment of silence, usually to honor victims of gun violence or a resident who had recently died.

"I just decided to do it. People seemed to like it. It's somewhat more meaningful."

Father John Joseph Reid of Divine Mercy Chapel in Wilton Manors has given several invocations over the years. He said he's disappointed he won't be able to do any more but understands why the policy has changed. "If somebody's going to get up and talk about the devil, maybe it's best not to [have invocations]."

Ultimately, even a moment of silence isn't ideal for Stevens but he said fighting to get that removed too is a battle he can't win.

"Get right down to business. That's the correct way to do it."