Skip to content
Search AI Powered

Latest Stories

Florida Activist Asks To Lead Satanic Prayer After SCOTUS Sides With Christian Football Coach

Florida Activist Asks To Lead Satanic Prayer After SCOTUS Sides With Christian Football Coach
ABC News/YouTube; Win McNamee/Getty Images
Make us preferred on Google

Florida activist Chaz Stevens decided to challenge a recent United States Supreme Court ruling by putting it to the test.

With the help of Satan.


Recently, the SCOTUS ruled in favor of a teacher who led a prayer at the 50 yard line of the football field.

The ruling stated:

"Respect for religious expressions is indispensable to life in a free and diverse Republic—whether those expressions take place in a sanctuary or on a field, and whether they manifest through the spoken word or a bowed head."

Stevens has an interesting brand of activism. He likes to "flip bureaucracy back on itself" by making requests that point out inherent hypocrisy and bias.

This time, he is challenging the recent Supreme Court ruling by asking to express his own sincerely held religious beliefs at his old high school, Deerfield Beach High in South Florida.

Stevens is the founder of the Mount Jab Church of Mars and has asked to lead a Satanic prayer at the 50 yard line, the same way coach Kennedy was allowed to lead an Evangelical Christian prayer as backed by the Supreme Court.

Stevens asked to pray after the game, when people are free to leave, check phones, etc... unlike Coach Kennedy's deliberate spectacle to make certain everyone was part of a captive audience.

Despite not planning to deliberately force his religion on others at a secular school like Coach Kennedy did, Stevens fully expects to be told no.

That's kind of the point.

He explained in a press release:

"I'm old enough to remember when the separation of Church and State was a cherished constitutional concept here."
"Now it seems, 'the hell with facts,' they say—tossing aside our established laws like some dirty laundry in their lustful eagerness for religious expression."

Chaz Stevens says the church and state issue comes up a lot in Florida.

For example, during a 2015 Dania Beach City Commission meeting, a prayer was held that mentioned Jesus 23 times in under two minutes—completely marginalizing any Jewish, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, non-religious, etc... attendees and commission members.

In response to that, Stevens began petitioning cities to allow him to lead a prayer in his faith before city meetings. Only one said yes, a small town called Lauderdale-By-The-Sea. The others, rather than let a non-Christian pray, stopped doing prayers altogether.

Then there's the fact his request to have the Bible removed from classrooms, school libraries and public school teaching materials was completely ignored even though it lines up with state law and the book features far more violence, sex, death and questionable acts than any of the books the state banned.

Not responding is common for Chaz. Places seem to be aware they can't outright deny him without their hypocrisy being obvious, so they pretend the requests never came in or just don't reply.

It's how Bremerton school district, the district at the center of the SCOTUS ruling, has handled Stevens request to pray at their 50 yard line.

Stevens doesn't expect to be allowed to pray and is well aware of the response he would get if he name-dropped Satan 23 times in under two minutes, but that's the entire point of his movement.

Freedom of religious expression at state events, at government meetings, and at state funded schools isn't "free" if the only religion allowed to be expressed or supported by law is Christianity.

Separation of Church and State existed for a reason.

If Coach Kennedy can lead an Evangelical Christian prayer at the 50 yard line of the school football field right after a game, with people still in the stands and students all around—and the Supreme Court says he can because respect for religious expression is indispensable to life in a free and diverse Republic—then anyone of any of our many diverse religions should be free to express themselves by leading a prayer at the 50 yard line of the school football field right after a game, with people still in the stands and students all around.

We've established what he doesn't expect, but when asked what he does expect from his former high school in response to his request to pray this way, Stevens was pretty clear.

"I assume they're going to tell me to kiss off."

Regardless of their response, Stevens seems poised to continue his work exposing bias, flipping bureaucracy on itself and fighting to make space for all people.

More from Trending

Montana Jordan and Emily Osment
Steve Granitz/FilmMagic

'Young Sheldon' Star Explains Why She Asked For An Intimacy Coordinator On The Show—And It Makes Sense

Entertainment journalist and Glamour magazine Senior West Coast Editor Jessica Radloff's new book, Young Sheldon: The (Juicier-Than-Meemaw’s-Brisket) Inside Story of the Hit Comedy, shared a story about actor Emily Osment joining the show in its fifth season that's drawing praise for her consideration for her fellow child star, Montana Jordan.

Osment, who began acting at age five, is one of a rare breed in Hollywood—a child star turned successful adult actor. It's a journey many kids have infamously stumbled on, but that Jordan has also successfully navigated perhaps in part thanks to Osment.

Keep ReadingShow less
Participants at the meeting of the furry scene Eurofurence in the Hotel Estrel in Berlin, Germany
Jens Kalaene/Picture Alliance via Getty Images

Texas GOP's Bizarre Text Warning Voters About 'Weirdo Furry Socialists' Sparks Mockery

A Texas political action committee sparked online mockery after multiple people independently told the San Antonio Current they received a text message urging Texans to vote Republican to keep so-called "furry Socialists" from choosing their leaders.

The message was sent Saturday alongside a photo purportedly showing a man wearing a fox-tail accessory as he left a polling location in Collin County. The message identified its sender as Texans for Common Sense, a political action committee funded entirely by Texans United for a Conservative Majority PAC, a far-right organization backed by West Texas oil billionaire Tim Dunn.

Keep ReadingShow less
Norwegian national flag on flagpole; Donald Trump
Patrick Pleul/Picture Alliance via Getty Images; Aaron Schwartz/Getty Images

Norway Has Pointed Response After Trump Calls Them A 'Sh*thouse Country' For Not Giving Him Nobel Prize

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide responded after President Donald Trump slammed Norway as a "sh*thouse country" for once again passing him over for the Nobel Peace Prize.

This year the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Navanetham Pillay, the former United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights who holds the distinction of being the first non-white female judge of the High Court of South Africa. Pillay received the honor "for her efforts to promote peace and international law."

Keep ReadingShow less
Nicki Minaj
Alex Wong/Getty Images

Nicki Minaj Is Now Being Floated As A Possible White House Press Secretary—And It's Beyond Parody

White House Communications Director Steven Cheung had critics rolling their eyes after he shared a video of himself with rapper Nicki Minaj and floated her as the next press secretary.

Cheung's post comes as the White House continues to hunt for a replacement for Katie Zacharia, who was fired after just five days on the job.

Keep ReadingShow less
Alexander Skarsgård attends the Los Angeles premiere of Black Bear's "Wicker" at Directors Guild Of America.
Maya Dehlin/WireImage

Alexander Skarsgård's Unexpected Confession About Finding The Grinch Hot Sparks Hilarious Reactions

Some people want a man who's tall, dark, and handsome. Alexander Skarsgård prefers green, hairy, and someone who hates Christmas with a passion.

It all went down during a Bustle interview promoting Wicker, when Skarsgård and co-star Olivia Colman got into a “hear me out” discussion that took an unexpectedly naughty turn.

Keep ReadingShow less