Iowa City Council Kicks Off Meeting With Satanic Invocation

A city council meeting in Ottumwa, Iowa, began with a non-theistic 'Satanic invocation' delivered by Matt Dalbey, a member of The Satanic Temple of Iowa. The invocation called for the rejection of 'arcane doctrines' and urged attendees to 'embrace the Luciferian impulse.' The event sparked immediate backlash from a local pastor who interrupted the meeting to call for a reversal of the 'curse,' leading the mayor to call for a 30-second moment of silence. Council members and city officials noted that the invocation was permissible under the city's open invocation policy, which was designed to be inclusive of all faith backgrounds and belief systems to avoid legal challenges.

A city council meeting in Ottumwa, Iowa, began with a non-theistic 'Satanic invocation' delivered by Matt Dalbey, a member of The Satanic Temple of Iowa. The invocation called for the rejection of 'arcane doctrines' and urged attendees to 'embrace the Luciferian impulse.' The event sparked immediate backlash from a local pastor who interrupted the meeting to call for a reversal of the 'curse,' leading the mayor to call for a 30-second moment of silence. Council members and city officials noted that the invocation was permissible under the city's open invocation policy, which was designed to be inclusive of all faith backgrounds and belief systems to avoid legal challenges.