A Satanic group is set to deliver an opening prayer at an upcoming meeting of the Phoenix City Council, sparking controversy.
The local Satanic Temple will deliver the invocation at the Council’s Feb. 17 meeting after winning approval -- and at least one Councilman is calling that a joke, Fox 10 reported Thursday.
"Well it's definitely going to be making a mockery of everything, they want to mock the City of Phoenix, the taxpayers, and the people who want to take this stuff seriously," the councilman Sal DiCiccio told that station.
DiCiccio also took to Twitter over the issue.
Another dumb idea by the City of #PHX. Satanists are set to deliver the invocation at the Feb 17th Council meeting. @CityofPhoenixAZ
— Sal DiCiccio (@Sal_DiCiccio) January 28, 2016
The Satanic Temple fired back.
.@Sal_DiCiccio @CityofPhoenixAZ This is what Religious Liberty looks like when you open the forum, Councilman. Little Civics Lesson.
— The Satanic Temple (@satanicpsalms) January 29, 2016
The attorney for the City of Phoenix Brad Holm defended the decision, Fox 10 reported.
“Consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s direction, the city cannot dictate religious viewpoints or the content of a prayer, Holm said. “In addition, government may not exclude a denomination or a religion from praying under these circumstances.”
Phoenix mayor Greg Stanton supports letting the Satanists deliver the innovation, saying the “Constitution demands equal treatment under the law,” according to the Arizona Republic.
One of the Satanists Stu de Haan refused to tell the paper what the group was planning for the invocation, but said, “We don’t intend on doing anything offensive.”
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