Florida pastor: First Amendment doesn’t apply to ‘malevolent, evil’ faiths like Satanism

A conservative Christian pastor in Boca Raton, Florida says that the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution only applies to traditional, accepted religions like Christianity, not “malevolent and evil” faiths like Satanism.

NBC Channel 12 News reported Wednesday that Pastor Mark D. Boykin of the Church of All Nations is furious that the Lake Worth, Florida City Commission has allowed opening prayers to deities other than the Christian God. Now the legislative body is contemplating allowing a Satanist to lead an invocation, which Boykin says crosses a dangerous line.

Earlier this year, the Commission’s opening prayer was given by a self-described atheist named Preston Smith. Smith named a number of deities in his prayer, including Satan, which left Boykin incensed and caused some council members and Lake Worth Mayor Pam Triolo to get up and leave the room.

The pastor believes that people like Smith are using the First Amendment to make a mockery of religion. Someone in the community, he said, has to stand up for what’s right.

Florida pastor: First Amendment doesn’t apply to ‘malevolent, evil’ faiths like Satanism

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Mr Syms Types who has written a good breakdown of the issue at hand; "Boykin isn’t interested in constitutional law except where it benefits himself.  His opinion is that any person not subscribing to his religion isn’t welcome to those rights.  This type of thinking is exactly why these laws are in place, to stop people like him from oppressing others."

Florida School Board Member Tells Pagan He Can’t Deliver an Invocation Because It Might Offend the Audience

Long story short, what you have here are a bunch of school board members doing anything they can to keep religious prayers in their meetings.

It won’t work. They can’t exclude beliefs they don’t like. And they have every intention of excluding beliefs they don’t like.

Florida School Board Member Tells Pagan He Can’t Deliver an Invocation Because It Might Offend the Audience

Dan Courtney's Secular Invocation Before the Town Board of Greece, NY - YouTube

Atheist Dan Courtney delivers a historic secular invocation before a meeting of the Town Board of Greece, NY on July 15, 2014. Greece is the town at the center of the Greece v. Galloway Supreme Court case, which cleared the way for sectarian prayers at government meetings.

According to the Democrat & Chronicle:

Quoting philosopher Immanuel Kant and drawing on the words of the Declaration of Independence, Dan Courtney made history on Tuesday speaking before the Greece Town Board.

Courtney, past president of the Free Thinkers of Upstate New York, delivered the first atheist invocation at a town board meeting, following the May U.S. Supreme Court decision that said Greece's practice of allowing sectarian prayer was permissible, as long as the town didn't discriminate.

Noting the Declaration's assertion that "Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed," Courtney said this central premise of the Founding Fathers "is today, more than ever, under assault. This central pillar of free society; this notion that is deeply heretical to authoritarian culture, proclaims that it is from the people that moral authority is derived."

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Outside, on the lawn of the Town Hall, free thinkers, atheists, non-religious, supportive religious and others gathered to decry the Supreme Court decision, and pledge that they will hold the court and governments to the decision's edict against discrimination.

"There is prejudice based on the misguided belief that belief in God is the only path to morality," said Ronald Lindsay, president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry. "And we need to overcome that prejudice."

Dan Courtney's Secular Invocation Before the Town Board of Greece, NY - YouTube

Atheists to city of Rowlett: Let us give council invocations, too | Dallas Morning News

"As long as I’m mayor, we are going to pray.”
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A Supreme Court decision in May about invocations at City Council meetings left the city of Rowlett claiming victory, but Metroplex Atheists members say they instead are to benefit.

The organization, backed by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, is giving the city 10 business days to respond to a request to add two of its Rowlett members to the list of those who can give the invocation at council meetings.

“We would still rather see no invocation at all in government meetings, but if they’re going to have them, we want to push for equal time,” said Randy Word, president of the area group, which has been battling the city for four years.

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In light of the same ruling, the national Freedom From Religion Foundation asked the city in a June 24 letter to revisit its policy for selecting who gives the invocation.

“Specifically, we ask that you ensure that nonbelievers are given equal opportunity to deliver invocations at council meetings,” wrote Sam Grover, attorney for the foundation.

Metroplex Atheists Rowlett established as a subsidiary to the area group 18 months ago and took a post office box address within the city. It meets in Rowlett and names two Rowlett residents as its directors. One is registered with the American Humanist Association to give secular invocations.

City leaders say it’s another shift in the group’s direction over the years, driven by a desire for publicity.

Word said Metroplex Atheists is in Rowlett because it has members living there, one of whom in 2010 made the original request for the council invocations to cease. Word describes Metroplex Atheists as a community and points to the group’s recent adopt-a-street commitment in Rowlett as community involvement.

City Attorney David Berman said Tuesday that Rowlett’s position was unchanged and that the city probably wouldn’t respond to the letter. Mayor Todd Gottel also reaffirmed his stance.

Atheists to city of Rowlett: Let us give council invocations, too | Dallas Morning News

Prompted by U.S. Supreme Court Ruling, Florida Satanist Wants to Open Meeting With Prayer | New Times Broward-Palm Beach

This request for a non-Christian invocation may sound insincere at first but Stevens does have a legitimate point, "“I just want equal billing."

Chaz Stevens, an activist and longtime annoyance to elected officials -- the same man who last Christmas successfully installed his "Festivus Pole" made of Pabst beer cans in the rotunda of the Florida State Capitol -- has written to the City of Deerfield Beach, asking that he be allowed to open a meeting with a Satanic prayer.

Asked about his change of religion, Stevens says, "At Christmas, I was a Pabstfestidian. It's legitimate -- it's based in as much reality as the Catholics. But unlike Catholic priests, we don't rape little boys."

He said he converted to Satanism because "Satan is a cool dude. Think of all the people he's in charge of. Do you want to be stuck listening to harp music in the afterlife? Hell no. I want to drink beer and hang with hookers."

In all seriousness, he says, "I just want equal billing. We allow various religious nutjobs to give a prayer. They pray to Jesus, who is make-believe; God, who is make-believe; why not Satan, who is make-believe? Why discriminate against one make-believe god over another? Satan and I are being circumvented. The City of Deerfield Beach has once again declared war on religion -- and this time it's Satanism."

No word yet as to whether his request has been approved or denied.

Prompted by U.S. Supreme Court Ruling, Florida Satanist Wants to Open Meeting With Prayer | New Times Broward-Palm Beach

Atheist to Deliver Invocation at Greece, NY Town Meeting July 15 | Center for Inquiry

Atheist Dan Courtney will deliver an invocation at the July 15 board meeting of the Town of Greece, New York, the municipality involved in the recent case of Town of Greece v. Galloway, in which the Supreme Court ruled in favor of sectarian prayer at government meetings. The president of the Center for Inquiry, a secular advocacy group based in Western New York, will speak at a press conference immediately following the meeting.

CFI will be represented at the press conference by Ronald A. Lindsay, president and CEO of the Center for Inquiry (CFI), an attorney, and author of the upcoming book The Necessity of Secularism. Last year CFI – an internationally renowned organization whose headquarters is in Amherst, NY – submitted an amicus brief to the Court in Greece v. Galloway urging them to rule against sectarian prayer at government meetings, on the grounds that they are exclusionary and discriminatory to those who do not share the majority faith.

Atheist to Deliver Invocation at Greece, NY Town Meeting July 15 | Center for Inquiry

Secular Invocation Delivered in Osceola County, Florida

"First" Justin Vacula and now Central Florida Freethought Community,,,

Last night, David Williamson of the Central Florida Freethought Community delivered a secular invocation to open up a meeting of the Osceola County Board of County Commissioners (in Florida,,,

Why they are doing this: "We maintain the position that religious prayer has no place at local government meetings since the public attend and participate. However, in light of the recent Supreme Court decision in Town of Greece v. Galloway, we have decided the best possible action we can take, for now, is to ensure the decision is fully enforced. This includes providing opportunities for ALL faith traditions and NON-believers seeking the opportunity to participate and ensuring that no pattern of prayer exists which denigrates, proselytizes, or advances any one, or to disparage any other.

Also check out their "Secular Reflection" page which showcases "every secular invocation/reflection we could find along with links to videos when available."

Secular Invocation Delivered in Osceola County, Florida

Secular Invocation Delivered at Wheaton City Council Meeting

Last night, at a meeting of the Wheaton City Council (the city that’s home to evangelical hotspot Wheaton College), Ted Utchen delivered a secular invocation just before the start of the meeting (which is now when invocations are usually held).

Secular Invocation Delivered at Wheaton City Council Meeting