The faithful showed up on Friday to express their opposition to the Satanic Temple’s first religious convention, dubbed “SatanCon.” The three-day event began Friday and runs through Sunday in Scottsdale, Arizona.
The crowd of over 100 peacefully prayed the rosary as they lined the street in front of the Saguaro Hotel located near Old Town Scottsdale. Attendees were primarily from two Catholic Church associated groups and were joined by members of a grassroots Christian organization.
The prayerful protestors carried signs reading “Satan Has No Rights,” in response to the Satanic Temple’s unsuccessful lawsuit against the City of Scottsdale that ended in the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.
In that case, the Satanic Temple sued the City of Scottsdale for refusing to allow the organization the opportunity to deliver “an invocation” before its City Council meetings.
As previously reported by the Arizona Daily Independent, Lucien Greaves, co-founder and spokesperson for The Satanic Temple, said, “In addition to creating a community for our members, SatanCon serves as an expression of our good will toward the city of Scottsdale, despite the perplexing and unfortunate ruling against us which defied precedent and common sense. In the course of litigation, Scottsdale officials desperately made clear that they are, in fact, accepting and inclusive regarding Satanists. We heard you, Scottsdale, and we accepted that as an invitation to turn Scottsdale into the Happy Satanic Fun Capital of the World.”
According to organizers, the event is sold out. Tickets to Friday’s Impurity Ball were sold out weeks ago. The Impurity Ball is described as a “raucous night of music, ritual, and debauchery mocking the gross and weird “Purity Balls” of evangelical origin in what will be a display of bodily autonomy, personal growth, and the joys of sinning with abandon.”
The theme of the convention is “Lupercalia in Scottsdale.” According to the event’s website, “attendees will enjoy lectures and panels presented by our campaigns and congregations as well as entertainment and a Satanic Marketplace. The pro-abortion group will also focus on “psychiatric abuse, addiction recovery, and build support for TST’s after-school club.” There will be vendors and entertainment as well, including a keynote presentation by Lucien Greaves.
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