Washoe County commissioners voted unanimously last August to start hosting an invocation at the start of their meetings. It’s a practice commonly associated with a faith leader giving an opening prayer. However, for legal compliance, anyone – religious or not – can speak, and that’s exactly what Reno Satanic founder Jason Miller did at Tuesday’s meeting.
“In the spirit of the unconquerable son, the bringer of light and knowledge, we say, Shemhamforash. Hail Satan!” he announced.
His praised freedom of expression, intellectual inquiry, and the beauty of the natural world in his invocation, but some public commenters didn’t appreciate his remarks.
“We are one nation under God. We said that in the Pledge. We are not one nation under Satan, the evil one,” said Penny Brock, echoing the words of other public commenters. Some went as far to address the commissioners as “public serpents.”
A few dissenters said the comments were ironic.
“There’s all these people coming up to the mic, claiming to be religious, and then acting in a very non-Christ-like manner,” said Rich Bissett. “And it’s very interesting – I don’t think they’re going to get many converts.”
Commissioner Clara Andriola pitched the idea of an opening invocation in summer 2023. In early discussions, she and commissioner Mike Clark agreed that it should be open to any faith group. Though, she said at Wednesday’s meeting that she wasn’t pleased to host Reno Satanic.
“I totally disagreed with the invocation presenter today,” she told the public. She went on to add, “I would like to encourage our entire faith-based community to contact the county manager’s office to be considered for an invocation.”
Commission Chair Alexis Hill says the intention in creating an invocation was to set a positive tone for commission meetings, and Miller’s invocation followed the guidelines put forth by the county.
“I think that was the hope, is that it would center people, get people to think about the bigger world around us and how these decisions affect our community,” she told 2 News Wednesday.
She later added, “As long as you don’t say anything profane or inappropriate or disruptive, then you certainly can speak … and he followed those rules.”
Find the application to give an invocation at a county meeting here.
