From Fox News · Lindsay Kornick · · 1m 10s
Iowa City Council Meeting Erupts After Satanic Prayer
Iowa city council meeting disrupted by former member's satanic prayer ending with 'Hail Satan'.
In brief
Iowa city council meeting disrupted by former member's satanic prayer ending with 'Hail Satan'. Ottumwa City Council meeting began with a Satanic Temple member reciting a prayer declaring 'Hail Satan', sparking immediate backlash from council members and the mayor. Originally reported by Fox News.
Ottumwa City Council Meeting Begins
Ottumwa City Council opened Tuesday with a resident reciting a satanic prayer ending in 'Hail Satan'.
“Hail Satan”
Former Council Member Opens Meeting
Former council member Matt Dalbey recited a prayer invoking the 'dark father' to 'embrace the Luciferian impulse to eat from the tree of knowledge'.
“embrace the Luciferian impulse to eat from the tree of knowledge”
Council Member Demands Action
New Life Center Pastor Rick Bick demanded immediate reversal of the invocation, calling it a curse on the city.
“Let's just reverse this curse that was put on our city”
Mayor Requests Silence
Ottumwa Mayor Benjamin Foote requested 30 seconds of silence to allow for prayer or reflection before overruling council member Cara Galloway.
“This is not a reflection of our community”
Council Member Expresses Concerns
Council member Cara Galloway warned that opening with invocations could lead to financial liabilities and conflicts for the city.
“Opening with an invocation means allowing viewpoints that may not reflect our own”
Satanic Temple Clarifies Stance
Satanic Temple member Matt Dalbey stated the prayer has nothing to do with belief in a satanic deity.
“but has nothing to do with the belief in a satanic deity”
The big picture
Ottumwa City Council meeting began with a Satanic Temple member reciting a prayer declaring 'Hail Satan', sparking immediate backlash from council members and the mayor.
