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Man Pushes To Invoke Satan During County Meeting

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TAVARES (CBSMiami/AP) — A South Florida man is pushing to be allowed to invoke Satan during a county meeting.

He is now threatening to sue if during the Lake County meeting, they are allowed to pray but not allowed to invoke the devil.

Chaz Stevens, a self-described atheist, tells local news outlets his request this week is part of his "Satan or Silence Project." His goal is to persuade elected officials to either drop prayers before meetings or allow him to lead a satanic prayer.

Commission Chairman Jimmy Conner says he won't allow the request.

In the past, Stevens has helped sway several cities to have a moment of silence before meetings instead of a prayer. He says he will consider filing a lawsuit if Lake County denies his request.

Conner says he'll rally churches to raise money for a defense, should he need to. He has no plans to forgo the invocation.

(TM and © Copyright 2015 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2015 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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