In response to the recent Texas law banning abortions after six weeks, the Satanic Temple has taken legal action. The Massachusetts-based organization claims that the law infringes on the religious freedoms of Temple members. In a letter they filed with the Food and Drug Administration, they said abortion is a faith-based right.
They have also addressed another law that has not yet been passed, which may limit access to abortion pills. The letter argues this limitation would go against the FDA guidelines. The Temple said SB 8 “imposes an undue burden on the ability of TST members to undergo the Satanic Abortion Ritual.”
According to The Satanic Temple, access to these pills should be protected under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The Religious Freedom Restoration Act allows Native Americans to possess and use peyote for rituals.
Satanic Temple spokesperson Lucien Greaves released a statement saying, “I am sure Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton – who famously spends a good deal of his time composing press releases about religious liberty issues in other states – will be proud to see that Texas’s robust religious liberty laws, which he so vociferously champions, will prevent future Abortion Rituals from being interrupted by superfluous government restrictions meant only to shame and harass those seeking an abortion.”
In an interview with Fortune, Greaves said abortions are an important part of the group’s bodily autonomy, which is considered sacrosanct. He said, “The battle for abortion rights is largely a battle of competing religious viewpoints, and our viewpoint that the nonviable fetus is part of the impregnated host is fortunately protected under religious liberty laws.”
The Texas law, along with 665 others, went into effect on September 1st. The abortion law is being called the most restrictive in the country. There are exceptions for a woman having a medical emergency that could threaten her life. Those who are survivors of incest or rape don’t qualify under this exception.
In place of criminal penalty, it is enforced through civil lawsuits. These can be filed by anyone who did not impregnate a woman by rape or incest. Anyone else can sue those who perform, attempt to perform, or assist a woman in getting an abortion.
Despite the name, The Satanic Church says they do not believe in a devil or supernatural forces. Instead, they are non-theistic and only use the image of Satan as a symbol. The Temple has been functioning mainly as a group of activists who fight against religious-based policy across the country.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has said the House is going to vote on legislation that will protect abortion rights for women in every state. President Joe Biden said he would support making a woman’s right to an abortion a federal law.
