There has been a huge controversy in the Phoenix City council as Stu Du Haan, a Tucson Attorney and the member of the satanic temple, asked to deliver the invocation at the City Council’s meeting on the Feb. 17.

According to the constitution, every religious group has a right to be, and if a Satanist wants to deliver the invocation, he or she must be able to do it. So for the Council it came down to either letting Du Haan do what he asked for or amending the invocation practice altogether. They preferred the latter replacing invocation with a moment of silent prayer.

Satanic Temple Makes Its Point

Du Haan said he was happy with it as it was more about getting attention to the rights of the group as they do not actually believe that Satan exist, for them it is a symbol of rebellion and individualism. Moreover, the group’s principles are not what many people think. For instance, their tenets include acting with compassion in accordance with reason and inviolability of one’s body. Every religious group should have a voice, and Du Haan says, that either all voices should be heard or none.

Now Du Haan has asked Tucson City Council to give the invocation before a City Council meeting. There is a high possibility he will be able to do it, as Tucson stands against discrimination among religious views. Mike Rankin, the city attorney, said that any individual can be added to the list of those wishing to deliver the invocation.

Stu Du Haan stated that it is only the beginning and the Temple is going to ask to deliver the invocation in every city’s council meeting where it’s possible. They asked to do it in Phoenix because they knew it would draw a lot of attention although ending a 50 year old tradition of giving invocation there was not their intent.

In Tucson such a thing is not likely to cause much of a controversy. The City Councilman and Councilwoman say they do not have any issues with a Satanist delivering the invocation.