Following the US Supreme Court’s 2014 ruling in the case Greece v. Galloway that ceremonial opening prayers were permissible at meetings of local government bodies provided that there was no consistent pattern of discrimination in favor of or against one sect, a Satanist will be giving the invocation at tomorrow’s meeting of the Grand Junction City Council meeting in Colorado.

The City Council adopted a policy in 2008 which allows any individual or group in the community to submit its name to the city clerk, and then those applicants are randomly drawn. Those selected are allowed to give an invocation that doesn’t have any prior restraint — no time or content limits — and if the person selected for invocation doesn’t show up, a moment of silence is observed.

In this case, Grand Junction resident Scott Iles, a member of the Western Colorado Atheists and Freethinkers, was chosen, and has announced he plans to let the satanist take his place.

The as-yet anonymous Satanist seems good-humored about the whole thing but is naturally somewhat apprehensive about reactions.

He’s worried about possible backlash, threats and retribution, but “I’m hoping people will be open-minded enough to be receptive.”

He explained that his belief system is not the same as devil worship, and that his practice hinges on self-empowerment and the pursuit of knowledge. He also said he does not represent the Satanic Temple and that his beliefs have nothing to do with a violent motorcycle gang recently brought to light locally, called Satan’s Disciples.

He’s also not hoping to proselytize or convert anyone with the invocation.

“I don’t think that would even be a possibility,” he said. “I wasn’t granted any special magical powers by the devil when I became a satanist, unfortunately.”
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Religious freedom activists have targeted elected boards in recent years for prayer and invocation policies, and have had satanists and atheists deliver invocations at public meetings. One example happened last year in Pensacola, Florida, when a satanist named David Suhor delivered an invocation by song while wearing a hooded robe. Protesters, some of whom were removed for disruptive behavior, filled the council chamber and prayed with raised fists and Bibles in their hands.

The Pensacola meeting looked it was fun.