“Minion of Satan” Asks to Give Devil Invocation at Florida County Commission Meeting

Can you recall a time before Obama became president when evil is as open and in-your-face as today?

Christal Hayes reports for the Orlando Sentinel, Oct. 22, 2015, that Chaz Stevens, 51, who calls himself an atheist and a “minion of Satan,” has requested to give a satanic invocation before a Florida Lake County Commission meeting.

Stevens said his request is part of his “Satan or Silence Project” aimed at persuading elected officials to either drop prayers before meetings or allow him to lead a prayer and ask for blessings from the devil.

He said that, if allowed, his invocation “is going to be solemn and right to the occasion, but it might very well raise the dead. I mean think about it. We’re talking about Satan.” Stevens also promised that his invocation will be accompanied by beer because “the Catholics have wafers. We have nachos. They have the blood of Christ. We have cold Mexican cerveza.”

Thankfully, county commission Chairman Jimmy Conner said he has no plans to accept Stevens’ request: “There won’t be any satanic prayers while I’m chairman. The man isn’t going to bully me. If he hates God, he can do that. But we’re not going to spread devil worshipping in our chamber.”

Stevens’ request is the latest to a local board that is enabled by a 2014 U.S. Supreme Court (town of) Greece vs. Galloway ruling advising public bodies to make a reasonable effort to include all community members, regardless of faith — or lack of it — in deciding who can give opening invocations. Since the ruling, members from the Central Florida Freethought Community have given a number of invocations at public meetings throughout the region — including in Lake — in an effort to show religious freedom.

In the past, Stevens succeeded in swaying several South Florida cities to have a moment of silence before meetings instead of a prayer. He said he will consider suing if Lake County denies his request.