Rahul Sharma (Editor)

David Suhor

Updated on
Edit
Like
Comment
Share on FacebookTweet on TwitterShare on LinkedInShare on Reddit
Nationality
  
American

Website
  
www.davidsuhor.com

David Suhor Pagan Invocation Makes Waves in the Florida Panhandle The Wild Hunt

Born
  
April 29, 1968 (age 48) (
1968-04-29
)

Residence
  
Pensacola, Florida, U.S.

David suhor s nothing fails like prayer winning invocation


David Suhor (born 29 April 1968) is an American church-state activist living in Pensacola, Florida. He is a plaintiff in a lawsuit seeking removal of the Bayview Latin Cross in the city-owned Bayview Park in Pensacola. Suhor is the co-founder of a local Satanic temple and has presented many times to local government organizations that include religious invocations as a part of their meetings. The controversy over Suhor's non-Christian invocations and his criticisms of the Florida school boards, County Commission and City Council have attracted local television and print articles in The Washington Post and The Washington Times. Suhor's actions are supported by the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the American Humanist Association's Appignani Humanist Legal Center.

Contents

David Suhor Will Isern on Twitter quotDavid Suhor has arrived httpstco

Boosterism

David Suhor httpspbstwimgcomprofileimages2206764300ca

During the BP oil spill in 2010, Suhor dressed as Elvis and carried a sign outside a local BP gas-station in Pensacola reminding protesters that the station was locally owned. The Wall Street Journal included a photo of Suhor as the main photo on their article on anti-BP resentment among Pensacola residents.

Secular activism

David Suhor City council seeks to thwart Satanist39s invocation with silent

Suhor has been described as not believing in any god or gods, and opposes religious invocations as he feels that they represent government favoritism of religion, especially Christianity.

David Suhor David Suhor YouTube

In an interview with The Washington Post Suhor explained that his goal is to end religious invocations, though he would not dispute "an inclusive moment of silence". He wants people to understand that it is uncomfortable to sit through a religious ritual that "they believe is bunk". In order to make his point, Suhor uses many different religious invocations drawing on Satanism, Islam, Paganism, Judaism as well as others.

Pensacola City Council

On February 13, 2014 Suhor was granted the opportunity to deliver an invocation before the Pensacola Florida City Council. Instead of a traditional prayer, Suhor asked the public not to bow their heads, but to look around at others in the chamber and to dedicate their energy to the task of creating "a fairer, more loving community" and he used the remainder of his time to call for an end to religious invocations. Despite this request, the next City Council meeting had a Christian invocation.

The Pensacola City Council agreed to allow Suhor to deliver another invocation at the commencement of their meeting on July 14, 2016. The council came under pressure to cancel that invocation once it became known that he planned to deliver a Satanic invocation. The City Council President Charles Bare, who had agreed to the invitation, held an hour-long meeting to review that decision on July 7, 2016 but nothing was changed. On July 14, 2016 Suhor (now recognized as the co-founder of the local chapter of the Satanic Temple) delivered a Satanic invocation before the City Council. Council President Bare told Suhor "If you deviate away from what I feel is proper invocation speech, I will have you removed from the chamber." As Suhor delivered the invocation, audience members stood and loudly recited The Lord's Prayer and held crosses and signs. Bare told audience members that if they were not able to keep quiet then they needed to leave the room while the invocation was happening, and the police escorted many audience members out. The Washington Times estimated that one third of the audience left, either voluntarily or under escort. Council member Gerald Wingate walked out just before Suhor began.

During the comment portion of the meeting, Suhor spoke before the Council to suggest that they should do away with the invocation ritual altogether, since religious people object to invocations that do not reflect their personal beliefs. He recommended the option of a moment of silence, allowing people to pray or not during that time of reflection, and that the council "quit pushing Christian privilege." He said that the Satanic invocation was brought on by actions of the City Council themselves. Atheist blogger Hemant Mehta reiterated Suhor by saying that this all would be avoided if the City Council would remove the invocations or allow real diversity of religion on a rotating basis. According to Mehta, Suhor is good at getting "people to think twice" about their actions. During the public comments, Suhor criticized the Council for making non-Christians feel like they are not represented by the local government, stating that "prayer doesn’t properly belong in politics." Suhor advised the council to quit pandering for votes and move to a moment of silence.

Escambia Board of County Commissioners

In June 2014, Suhor spoke before the Escambia Board of County Commissioners about Christian Invocations during the comment period of the meeting. He states that Christians would be uncomfortable if the meeting started by asking the audience to turn "to Mecca and asking the room to pray-along to Allah". He states that this is how non-religious people feel each time they have to sit though a Christian invocation. In July 2014 the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to the Board of Commissioners informing them that their refusal to allow minority religions a chance to give the invocation is an infringement of the First Amendment and Escambia County "must open its prayers to all comers".

September 2014, Suhor was granted permission to give a Pagan invocation before the County Commissioners. Mehta states that the invocation was "brilliant" and Suhor is making the Commissioners feel as uncomfortable as a non-Christian feels when a Christian is giving an invocation. Mehta mentions that one of the commissioners, Wilson Robertson walked out stating that he was not going to allow a pagan to pray for him.

Escambia County School Board

On August 19, 2014 Suhor addressed the Escambia County School Board and advised them that their continued endorsement of prayer before a School Board is illegal according to Galloway v Greece. He also explained that the ECSB Student Handbook states "No person and no employee or agent of the District shall coerce, advocate, or encourage in any way whatsoever prayer or any other religious activity by students". Suhor advises the Board to move to a moment of silence. Hemant Mehta writes about the reaction Suhor received a few days after this when board member Jeff Bergosh described on his personal blog what his thoughts were concerning allowing non-Christians to give the invocation. Bergosh considered maybe allowing someone to deliver a Jewish invocation when it is his turn to select someone in January 2015. Mehta responded, "Well, isn’t he Mr. Generous… expanding his base from Christians to Christians and one Jew." Also Mehta was appalled that Bergosh wrote that if Suhor were to deliver a "'Wiccan, Atheist, or Klingon invocation — I’ll politely excuse myself from the room and simultaneously invite anyone in the audience who wants to join me in a Christian invocation out back.'" Bergosh on his personal blog states that if they allow non-Christian invocations then they will have to allow witch doctors also. He states that other counties in Florida have been dealing with the issue of atheists wanting to give invocations also. In Brevard County the atheist group is considering suing and Bergosh writes that with a written policy the county lawyer will be able to deflect the lawsuit. Bergosh states that he does not discriminate and only worries that if the wrong person is allowed to give the invocation they might "intentionally make a mockery of this solemn point in a meeting". He states that in his 8 years on the School Board he has given the invocation himself and allowed various members of the Christian faith as well as the district staff and he is not interested in changing the system. Suhor published an email exchange with Bergosh that includes Bergosh stating that he will excuse himself from the room and take others with him and pray outside until Suhor is done.

Suhor staged a protest before the School Board at a January 2015 meeting. The Council had invited a Jewish rabbi to give the invocation to show diversity. During the rabbi's invocation Suhor sat on a prayer rug chanting "Hare Krishna.” A criticism that Mehta called actions of a "petulant child" and possibly the Board will be able to claim that he is a public nuisance, and ignore his arguments. During the three-minute comment section of the meeting, Suhor chastised the Board for ignoring his repeated requests over the past six-months to perform the invocation. Instead he stated that they had chosen a "token" to look like the Board is showing diversity when it is actually disingenuous. During his remaining time at the podium Suhor recited his Satanic Prayer. Council member Jeff Bergosh walked out while Suhor was addressing the Board. Bergosh later stated on his personal blog that in the future he will not remain quiet, calling Suhor a disruptive person.

Okaloosa County School Board

The Okaloosa County School Board in June 2015 received a letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) asking the board to refrain from praying at the meetings as it was unconstitutional. Crestview Freethinkers member Brandi Ficking addressed concerns that if the School Board were allowed to pray it would set the precedent that teachers would also be able to pray with students. Various attendees of the meeting stated that freedom of religion gives the School Board the right to begin with religious invocations. The School Board changed to a moment of silence for a few months until the city attorney, Jeff McInnis could advise them. McInnis advised the invocations to be held during the '"ceremonial part of the meeting'" and rotate the various faiths leading the prayers. He also suggested that the prayers be addressed to the board and not the audience.

In October the board met to vote on the suggestions of the city attorney, a group of over 100 people attended one of which was David Suhor who with an accompanying woman took turns holding up a sign in the audience with "Matthew 6:5–6" on it. Before the start of the meeting various local pastors moved to the front of the room to pray out loud in turn, with Suhor moving to the front also. When the first Reverend began to pray, Suhor began to pray as well commencing with "Mother/Father Gods of all people, we come today in our humble way…". The Christian pastors combined with a substantial portion of the audience began to pray out loud which had the effect of drowning out Suhor who continued his prayers to The Flying Spaghetti Monster, Krishna and various other gods in turn. The members of the audience reacted by singing "Amazing Grace", speaking in tongues, with one member later shouting confrontational-style in Suhor's face, "In the Name of Jesus", holding up signs saying "Support the Invocation" and some patiently sitting quietly.

Once the School Board meeting started the members discussed McInnis's recommendations. One Board member wanted to make only 501(c)(3) and residents only allowed to give future invocations. One Board member Rodney Walker stated that allowing invocations will probably lead to more challenges, but "Hell will freeze over be-fore I give another inch. If that doesn’t satisfy them, I say let ’em come on." The Board's final vote was 3 to 2 in favor of invocations. Over 30 people addressed the Board during comments. Local Christian group appealed to other Christians to attend the Board meeting in order to unify and protect religious freedoms. The School Board will vote on a resolution at its December 2015 meeting. WEAR TV an ABC affiliate reported that the public comment portion of the meeting lasted over two hours. WEAR interviewed several residents, one saying that she was happy that the invocations were staying, "hopefully they will always be Christian", another stated that she wants to make sure that God is in charge making the decisions and not people. A council member spoke on camera about how important prayer has always been for her and it helps her make decisions.

In January 2016 the Okaloosa County School Board approved a resolution with the rules for religious invocations before the Board. The Freedom From Religion Foundation sent their fourth letter within six months to the OCSB stating that the resolution is still not addressing the issue of religious invocations before the Board. According to NWF Daily News, the disagreement lies in one side saying that the School Board is a "public school event" and therefore religion in the meeting is not Constitutional. The School Board views itself as a legislative body and believes that it is within their rights to allow religious invocations. On March 16, 2016 the lawyers representing the OCSB sent a letter to the FFRF assuring them that the School Board will not be itself conducting prayers or invocations and has researched fully the law concerning legislative prayer and quotes Atheists of Florida vs City of Lakeland as well as Galloway v Greece.

Bayview Cross

The Bayview Cross is a 25-foot white Latin cross that has resided on public city property for over fifty years, during the last fifteen years several requests from local citizens have asked for its removal as its presence is an endorsement by the city of the Christian faith. Suhor and co-plaintiffs Amanda Kondrat’Yev, Andreiy Kondrat’Yev and Andre Ryland are being represented by the American Humanist Association's Appignani Humanist Legal Center and the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Suhor expressed his concerns to the Parks Department in June 2015 before he asked for legal help. The AHA sent a 13-page letter to the city, citing several court cases proving that the City has no standing. The AHA asked for removal of the cross otherwise it would force "litigation in federal court". The City responded that it did not want to remove the cross, yet '"We want to respect all religions without showing preference to any"' they have referred the AHA's letter to the city attorneys.

The City of Pensacola responded to the FFRF and AHA July 11 by saying that they will not remove the cross and consider it a memorial to war veterans. Their filing states that a "reasonable observer aware of the history of the cross would not view it as an endorsement of religion". Suhor believes that the City is being disingenuous to veterans and Christians, and thinks the city should remove the cross to a more visible location on private property where Christians can continue the Easter services that are normally held at the cross. Hemant Mehta responded by saying that the plaque that accompanies the cross "has nothing to do with fallen soldiers" as well as saying that "Somehow, a memorial to our veterans just happened to be built in the shape of a Christian cross. Don’t connect the dots because this is totally not about Jesus."

References

David Suhor Wikipedia