Here’s some background as to why Scottsdale is on the verge of setting the world record for hosting the largest satanic conference.
In 2016, The Satanic Temple wanted to deliver an invocation before a Scottsdale city council meeting. Every other religious organization that had applied was permitted the opportunity to share a brief statement that was inspired by their faith. However, Scottsdale Mayor Jim Lane celebrated that he successfully blocked The Satanic Temple from delivering its requested invocation.
The Satanic Temple sued the city for religious discrimination but lost in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals for failing to show that the discrimination was a matter of official policy, as opposed to being a public position of key city officials involved in the decision making. The Satanic Temple disputes the integrity of this ruling, but did not appeal to The Supreme Court.
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Because The Satanic Temple could not utter a brief statement at the City Hall Kiva, they are hosting SatanCon. The three-day satanic convention devoted to Satanists will take place in Scottsdale, Arizona. The Satanic Temple believes this event will be the world’s largest Satanic conference and has reached out to the Guinness Book of World Records for confirmation.
“Regardless of whether Guinness opts to include this among the records they document, Scottsdale, AZ will have the honor of being bestowed with this legacy. As the city is recognized for its contribution to the Satanic community and becomes a spiritual hub for those who venerate a literary interpretation of Satan, residents will have Mayor Jim Lane to thank. As hundreds of Satanists descend on Scottsdale, residents will be able to learn more about our faith than they would have if the city had just accepted our petition to deliver an invocation,” noted The SatanCon organizer Harry Hoofcloppen. “From this day on, when people hear of Scottsdale, they will immediately think of Satan.”
The record-breaking event runs from the 11th to the 13th of February in celebration of the Satanic holiday of Lupercalia and features a variety of presentations on TST’s ongoing projects, from their efforts at protecting abortion rights in Texas to a new Satanic streaming service. SatanCon also features a Satanic Marketplace open to the public and a spicy late-night “Impurity Ball” Satanic ritual.
“As a courtesy, we are reaching out to the Scottsdale Chamber of Commerce. The Satanic Temple has over 550,000 members and Satanism is one of the fastest growing religions. The city should exploit their Satanic connection as a means to promote businesses in Scottsdale,” added Hoofencloppen.
More information about SatanCon, as well as details on how to register, can be found here.
