Phoenix City Councilman’s Fury Over Satanic Temple Prompts Social Media Civics Lesson

After local members of The Satanic Temple announced they were chosen to kick off a Phoenix City Council meeting next month by delivering the public invocation, one of the council’s more outspoken conservative members, Sal DiCiccio, began a social media firestorm by blasting off a tweet criticizing the city for decision.

“Another dumb idea by the city of [Phoenix],” he wrote. “Satanists are set to deliver the invocation at the Feb 17th Council meeting.”

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 response by those who believe in religious freedom?

To put it simply: “Game on.”

.@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

“Good thing we have Councilman [Sal DiCiccio] telling us what we mean, and what our intentions really are, despite what we might say or think,” TST spokesman Lucien Greaves wrote in another tweet.

@LucienGreaves @satanicpsalms @Sal_DiCiccio Let's send him to a remedial high school civics class. Think of his poor constituents. #Charity.

— Eileen (@Percysperson) January 29, 2016

While DiCiccio refrained from tweeting back at his critics, other city leaders said they wouldn't (and couldn't) fight the group's plan to deliver the invocation. 

In a written statement, the city's attorney, Brad Holm, explained that "consistent with the U.S. Supreme Court’s direction, the city cannot dictate religious viewpoints or the content of a prayer. In addition, government may not exclude a denomination or a religion from praying under these circumstances."

Mayor Greg Stanton said he wouldn't fight the issue because "the Constitution demands equal treatment under the law," although, he added, he disagrees with the group's message — interestingly, the whole point of the stunt is to "ensure that plurality is respected" because the group says it believes "the City Council’s typical opening prayer constitutes a breach of Church-State separation."

For those not familiar with TST, its members say it isn’t a devil-worshiping cult but rather a civic-minded group dedicated to “[facilitating] the communication and mobilization of politically aware Satanists, secularists, and advocates for individual liberty.”

As the Village Voice wrote in a 2014 cover story about TST, while its “leaders envisioned the Temple as the poison pill in the church-state debate . . .it’s evolved into much more. We're putting forward the notion of our right not to be marginalized and, literally, a demonized group," explains its spokesman.

According to the group’s website, its mission “is to encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will.”

But if social media is any indication, it’s also out to give DiCiccio and other critics a big ol’ — and hilarious — U.S. civics lesson.

There really are just too many great reactions to list them all, but here are a few favorites:

@Sal_DiCiccio @CityofPhoenixAZ Yeah! Freedom of Religion is so silly! What's next, PHX encouraging racial equality??? How ridiculous.

— Jeremy Zarzycki (@jzarzycki) January 29, 2016

@Sal_DiCiccio please publish your list of approved religions to give invocations. thx! @CityofPhoenixAZ

— Cowmix (@Cowmix) January 29, 2016

@Sal_DiCiccio @CityofPhoenixAZ first amendment prevents government from playing favorites. Thanks a lot U.S. Constitution!!!!

— Chris Hedgecock (@whitenoise25) January 28, 2016

@Sal_DiCiccio @CityofPhoenixAZ fortunately the city attorney passed his civics class in 7th grade

— Ringer (@RingerAZ) January 29, 2016

@Sal_DiCiccio @CityofPhoenixAZ You like the smell of sulphur? Get used to it. That's the sweet smell of freedom.

— Insolent Hellion (@HighDudgeonAZ) January 28, 2016

@Sal_DiCiccio @CityofPhoenixAZ Yeah because 'freedom of religion' should only mean freedom of Christianity, right? #letfreedomringbaby

— Gemini De Chant (@DixieComic) January 29, 2016

@Sal_DiCiccio @CityofPhoenixAZ go cry somewhere else about it Sal. There shouldn't be any prayer in politics.

— Paul Nicosia (@Tenor86) January 29, 2016

@Sal_DiCiccio @CityofPhoenixAZ if you don't like it, perhaps you should make a motion to eliminate invocations all together. Now lump it.

— Maria Flores (@FloresforLD30) January 29, 2016

@Sal_DiCiccio @CityofPhoenixAZ Because Freedom of Speech and Freedom of Religion is so dumb.

— Dylan A. Kent (@dylanakent) January 29, 2016

@Sal_DiCiccio @CityofPhoenixAZ Good! Allowing YOUR religion tacit gov inclusion then complaining about others is theocratic assholery

— A²ron (@A2ron42) January 29, 2016

@Sal_DiCiccio @CityofPhoenixAZ Maybe next Council meeting you get lucky and ISIS will deliver invocation. :)

— foreslashdot (@foreslashdot) January 28, 2016

Phoenix AZ supports Satan, brings a whole new audience to local politics: https://t.co/wvWWdLN24H

— Lucien Greaves (@LucienGreaves) January 28, 2016

"There’s certainly no novelty at all to a Christian invocations, and nobody is at a loss to find Christian houses of worship, if they so choose. Satanism, on the other hand, is still largely a mystery to the general public," Greaves says in a written statement.

"When public forums allow for religious displays or performances, they do so to our advantage. We’re grateful for Phoenix’s public platform for Satanists, and I believe the people of Phoenix can expect us to be regular contributors to their religious milieu — thanks, in part, to their City Council.”

Details about attending the invocation can be found here.