Town Council Meeting in Iowa Opens with Invocation to Satan
Former council member Matt Dalbey’s remarks drew immediate pushback and renewed questions about the city’s invocation policy.
- On Tuesday, former Ottumwa City Council member Matt Dalbey opened the city council meeting with an invocation addressing a "dark father" and ending with "Hail Satan."
- The Ottumwa City Council adopted an open-invocation policy on January 20 prohibiting mayoral censorship to ensure respect for all belief systems, which permitted Dalbey's appearance.
- After Dalbey spoke, New Life Center Pastor Rick Bick interrupted demanding the "curse" be reversed, prompting Mayor Benjamin Foote to call for 30 seconds of silent reflection before the Pledge of Allegiance.
- City administrator Philip Rath warned that amending the open-access policy could invite a lawsuit, while the meeting recording reached more than 5,000 views on YouTube by Wednesday.
- Mayor Benjamin Foote stated the invocation "does not represent the faith or the values" of local families, though Dalbey is scheduled to deliver another invocation on November 3.
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Satanist’s Prayer Sparks Controversy, Prompting Iowa Mayor to Review Invocation Policy
An Iowa mayor says he is reevaluating his city’s invocation policy after a satanic prayer delivered at a council meeting drew widespread attention. The Ottumwa City Council began Tuesday’s meeting with an invocation from Matthew Dalbey, a former council member who is now affiliated with The Satanic Temple of Iowa.
Iowa city council erupts after ‘hail Satan’ opening — but does the Establishment Clause protect it?
On October 6, at an Ottumwa, Iowa, City Council meeting, former council member Matt Dalbey — a member of The Satanic Temple of Iowa — delivered the opening invocation. In it, he addressed the “dark father,” referred to the “Luciferian impulse to eat of the tree of knowledge,” and concluded with the words “It is done. Hail Satan.”Despite the Satanic Temple’s claims to be non-theistic, local pastor Rick Bick called it a curse on the city that need…
Bulletin-Review
The Daily Nonpareil - Council Bluffs, Iowa…OUR VIEW: Religious freedom applies even when we disagree
Tuesday’s Ottumwa City Council meeting opened with an invocation, as it has since February. This time it was the city’s first non-Christian prayer. Resident and former councilmember Matt Dalbey delivered a Satanic Temple invocation ending with “Hail Satan.” Pastor Rick…
Satanic invocation brings national attention to Ottumwa city government
Leaders of the southeast Iowa city of Ottumwa say they’ve been inundated with phone calls after a prayer to begin a city council meeting this week sparked a national outcry. Ottumwa resident and former city councilman Matt Dalbey opened the October 6th Ottumwa City Council meeting with an invocation addressing a “Dark Father” and ended […]
FFRF urges Iowa city to end divisive prayer after satanic controversy
The Freedom From Religion Foundation is calling on an Iowa city council to end its practice of opening meetings with religion after its mayor allowed a pastor to counter a ... More » from FFRF urges Iowa city to end divisive prayer after satanic controversy
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