‘Minion of Satan’

wants to give invocation in Lake County, but commission chairman says he doesn’t have a prayer.

A South Florida man who describes himself as a “minion of Satan” has requested to give a satanic invocation before a Lake County Commission meeting.

Atheist Chaz Stevens, 51, said his request this week is part of his “Satan or Silence Project” aimed at persuading elected officials to either drop prayers before meetings or allow him to lead a prayer and ask for blessings from the devil.

“At best, it [the invocation] is going to be solemn and right to the occasion, but it might very well raise the dead,” he said Thursday. “I mean think about it. We’re talking about Satan.”

But commission Chairman Jimmy Conner said he has no plans to accept the “over-thetop” request.

“There won’t be any satanic prayers while I’m chairman,” Conner said. “The man isn’t going to bully me. If he hates God, he can do that. But we’re not going to spread devil worshipping in our chamber.”

Stevens’ request is the latest to a local board that is making use of a 2014 U.S. Supreme Court ruling advising public bodies to make a reasonable effort to include all community members, regardless of faith — or lack of it — in deciding who can give opening invocations. Since the ruling, members from the Central Florida Freethought Community have given a number of invocations at public meetings throughout the region — including in Lake — in an effort to show religious freedom.

This isn’t the first time Stevens, of Jupiter, has stirred controversy over a satanic prayer. He helped sway several South Florida cities to have a moment of silence before meetings instead of a prayer. He said he will look into suing if Lake denies his request and that his invocation would include other nontraditional elements.

“Well, the Catholics have wafers. We have nachos. They have the blood of Christ. We have cold Mexican cerveza.”