Posted on 10/07/2026 11:40:15 AM PDT by DFG
An Ottumwa, Iowa, city council meeting was opened with a Satanic prayer delivered by a member of The Satanic Temple. The incident prompted a local pastor to interrupt the meeting and condemn the prayer.
Former council member Matt Dalbey delivered the Satanic prayer during the invocation at the beginning of the meeting. He started the prayer by saying, “Dear dark father,” before saying, “let us embrace the Luciferian impulse to eat of the tree of knowledge.”
After reciting the rest of the prayer, Dalbey ended by saying, “Hail Satan.”
According to The Ottumwa Courier, Dalbey said in a private meeting that the prayer is used by The Satanic Temple of Iowa, of which he is a member, though he said it “has nothing to do with the belief in a satanic deity."
After Dalbey left the podium and the council recited the Pledge of Allegiance, New Life Center pastor Rick Bick spoke out of turn to comment on the prayer.
"Let's just reverse this curse that was put on our city. That 'Hail Satan' is not welcome here," Bick said.
Council member Cara Galloway told Bick that he should speak during the portion of the meeting that is designated for citizens to raise concerns.
"It needs to be done now," he said. "I appreciate what Ms. Galloway is saying, but that was a curse put on the city. Most of you know that, and we need to just stop and reverse it."
The contention prompted Mayor Benjamin Foote to call for a 30-second moment of silence to “reflect on whatever it is we need to reflect on at this time.” Galloway attempted to say that “it was time to move forward,” but Foote overruled her and proceeded with the moment of silence.
The incident comes after the city approved its invocation policy in January, which allows any resident to voluntarily deliver a prayer regardless of religious affiliation. The policy states that the invocation is intended to “acknowledge and express the City Council's respect for the diversity of both organized and unorganized religious denominations, as well as other faiths, belief systems, or the lack thereof, represented and practiced among the citizens of the City of Ottumwa."
Galloway returned to the issue at the end of the meeting, criticizing the policy.
"Opening with an invocation means allowing viewpoints that may not reflect our own, and responding to someone's invocation is a slippery slope to putting a financial liability on the taxpayers and allowing for others to object or respond," Galloway said. "And this is exactly why I had concerns about having an invocation when we first talked about it, and 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."
"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 added.
In December of 2023, a Satanic altar was erected in the Iowa Capitol building by members of the Satanic Temple of Iowa. The display was subsequently destroyed by a Christian veteran.
No council members objected or stood up for Christianity? Jesus will remember that.
I hope this is the bee.
Radar would not be happy!
Needed to dump Grape Nehi on this guy.
Federal lawsuit accuses Iowa of religious discrimination against Satanic Temple
Lawsuit alleges state officials violated free speech and religious-exercise rights
I would have expected he would have been beat into sensibility.
Big time.
This is the point in which a dozen respected decent citizens show Satan’s advocate the way out of town, along with the large 10X4X8 hole dug in the woods, should he not accept option “A”.
When you’re so open-minded that your brains fall out.
I hope every one there had their fingers plugging their ears.
“Former council member Matt Dalbey”
Needs to become a “former citizen” then perhaps a “former carbon-based life form.”
As an Iowan, for a so-called “Red” state, I believe Iowa has turned into a liberal shiitehole state. Satanists, LGBT, and leftists run our schools and universities. Homosexual marriage and homosexual adoption of children are protected and even favored. We kill babies up to 6 weeks. Longer if day after drugs are used. We have the highest cancer rates on earth. Our taxes are among the highest. Only the corrupt and morally bankrupt get elected. A man goes to prison for 17 years for burning an LGBT flag. Meanwhile, the US flag is burned in the streets every day. Islam is growing in popularity…ALLUAH FUBAR!
At least “New Life Center Pastor Rick Bick” spoke up, especially with some urgency, to remove the Satanic curse put on the town
Indeed, the goats and the sheep will be separated.....
We're not going to like what follows.
MAYBE TRUMP NEEDS TO RECONSIDER THE LOCATION OF THAT NEW MULTI-BILLION STEEL PLANT HE ANNOUNCED WAS GOING TO IOWA.
“When you’re so open-minded that your brains fall out.”
.
Gonna use that one myself!
.
My oh my just look how tolerant Iowa has become. Guess it gives them moral authority on decisions for the Community.
“If you dance with the Devil, the Devil don’t change. The Devil changes you.” Scary
That was most definitely a curse. I would not be surprised if the city falls into a deep decline and members of that council start dropping dead.
Cowards all. They should have all walked out.
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