Commentary by Susan Brinkmann, OCDS

Outrage is growing across the nation over a decision by the Phoenix City Council to ban all prayer before meetings rather than allow a demonic invocation from the local Satanic Temple.

The Blaze is reporting on what appears to be the end of a show-down between the Phoenix City Council and members of a local branch of the Satanic Temple. In deference to the First Amendment, the council agreed to allow two members of the Temple to administer an invocation at an upcoming Council meeting. The decision generated a fierce backlash from council members as well as from citizens across America.

On Wednesday, Feb. 3, more than 100 people attended a council meeting, many of whom came to the meeting to voice their opposition to the Satanic invocation, according to the Arizona Republic. After two hours of testimony, the council debated whether they should reject the Satanic Temple’s prayer bid while still accepting other religions, which would result in a lawsuit, or to ban opening prayers across the board.

Ultimately, they decided by a vote of 5-4 to ban all opening prayers and institute a “moment of silence” instead.

This did not go over well with many citizens and some council members, but the Satanic Temple stood firm.

“If they don’t want to accept, constitutionally what must happen is that all voices must be taken down from the public forum,” said Stu de Haan, a Satanic Temple member last week. “It’s basically all voices must be heard or none at all.”

“I am not for the silent prayer,” said Pastor Darlene Vasquez, who began to cry after the vote. “I want those who believe in the one true God to pray. It breaks my heart to hear what is going on.”

Even though attorneys say a lawsuit from the Temple would almost certainly end in a loss for the council, some councilors insist that the Satanic Temple is not a real religion and believe the group has been aiming at banning prayer all along.

“This is what that Satanist group wants,” said council member Sal DiCiccio said. “A moment of silence is basically a banning of prayer. It’s to agree to the Satanic goal to ban prayer.”

Although they will never be able to win the war, at least for now, the Temple appears to have won the battle.

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