A US city council meeting descended into chaos after an attendee delivered a Satanic prayer from the podium. Matt Dalbey, a former member of Ottumwa City Council in Iowa, opened up the meeting by addressing the 'dark father' and declaring: 'Hail Satan.' He then went on to call for people to embrace the 'Luciferian impulse' and said individuals should be judged on their actions rather than social conventions.
Outrage and Pledge of Allegiance
The unusual speech prompted outrage from the people in the room, who looked stunned as they turned towards the American flag and recited the Pledge of Allegiance. Pastor Rick Bick from the New Life Center instantly headed for the podium after Dalbey's address and demanded that the council 'reverse this curse that was put on our city'.
'That “Hail Satan” is not welcome here,' Bick said. 'It needs to be done now… that was a curse put on the city. Most of you know that, and we need to just stop and reverse it.'
Mayor's Response and Council Concerns
Mayor Benjamin Foote then called for 30 seconds of silence 'to reflect on whatever it is we need to reflect on at this time'. The meeting eventually continued, but council member Cara Galloway then raised concerns about a policy approved in January which allows prayers or statements from any faith or philosophy to be used to open meetings.
Galloway, who was the only councillor to vote against the policy, said she had warned that it could lead to exactly the sort of controversy that unfolded. 'I think we've opened ourselves up for others to object or respond to others' invocations, and we need to remember that we are up here to be neutral,' she said. 'I think I specifically referenced that having someone from the church of Satan or a prayer about Satan when we talked about that, that this could happen and we would need to allow it.'
Dalbey's Defense
Dalbey later defended his decision, saying he is a member of the Satanic Temple of Iowa, which describes itself as non-theistic and does not worship a literal Satan or Lucifer. Instead, it promotes ideas including individual freedom, personal autonomy and challenging arbitrary authority.
