The small Iowa city of Ottumwa, which allowed a Satanic prayer to open its Oct. 6 city council meeting, has found itself in the unenviable national spotlight after the incident went viral.
And it’s not over. Matt Dalbey, the self-described Satanist and former city council member, delivered the prayer. He is now scheduled to repeat his written “hail Satan” prayer at the Nov. 3 city council meeting.
AFN previously reported Dalbey, a member of the Satanic Temple of Iowa, began his prayer with “Dear dark father” and concluded it with “hail Satan.”
AFN also reported how a church pastor, Rick Bick, interrupted the city meeting minutes later after witnessing the "hail Satan" prayer. “Let's just reverse this curse that was put on our city,” Bick, pastor of New Life Center, implored Mayor Benjamin Foote and the city council.
Dalbey’s prayer appeared to be a standard one Satanists read from that claims they cherish reason and science above religious beliefs. They also deny any belief in spirituality, including in Satan himself, hence the Satanists claim – at least publicly – their prayer is not spiritual in nature.
The "hail Satan" prayers also appear to have other goals, too, which are to mock religious faith and challenge the legality of traditional Christian invocations.
'Why are you giving an invocation?'
Discussing the City of Ottumwa’s situation on “Washington Watch,” Washington Stand editor Suzanne Bowdey said the city has a strong case to keep Dalby from reading his Satanic message again. That’s because the written prayer is not really a prayer, she said, since the Church of Satan and Dalby openly state they don’t believe in a deity.
“Well, then what are you doing giving an invocation?” Bowdey stressed.
For that reason, Bowdey said, the City of Ottumwa should “feel very emboldened” to inform Dalby he doesn’t quality to pray and lead an invocation.
The invocation policy was approved and added to city board meetings in January. It allows any Ottumwa resident – not just pastors and ministers – to give the invocation after coordinating their appearance with the city’s mayor.
Phil Rath, the city administrator, is quoted in news reports stating the invocation policy is open to “anybody and everybody." It would be discrimination, he states, to base that allowance on a person’s beliefs or religious faith.
Without stating so directly, Rath’s comments appear to acknowledge the City of Ottumwa’s legal liabilities if a person is turned away from delivering the invocation.
Back on “Washington Watch,” show host Tony Perkins pointed to the Galloway decision, a U.S. Supreme Court ruling from 2014. That 5-4 ruling upheld clergy-led prayers before monthly board meetings in Greece, New York. It also overruled the two city residents who attended those meetings and sued to stop the Christian prayers.
“Under the Supreme Court and the Galloway case, there are certain parameters where anybody – any religious group – can sign up, and come and lead an invocation,” Perkins stated.
“I would think, though,” he added, “that you would have to believe in a God in order to pray.”
“The very definition of an invocation,” Bowdey stated, “is calling on a higher authority.”
