The Satanic Temple has joined Democrats in their battle against the Supreme Court’s ruling on Roe v. Wade, releasing a statement that reveals they will fight in court for the right to “religious abortion.”
According to the Satanic Temple, the killing of an unborn baby as “the ultimate offering to Satan” and Satanists should be allowed religious exemptions to perform abortion rituals in states that have put up barriers to the controversial procedure.
“The Satanic Temple is proud to announce its Religious Abortion Ritual, a ceremony rooted in our deeply-held beliefs,” the group said in a video announcement on YouTube. “Thyself is thy master. Hail Satan!”
It claims its abortion ritual is a “spiritual experience designed to instill confidence and self-worth in accordance to TST’s religious beliefs,” and it compared the “ritual” of killing unborn babies to a baptism or communion for Christians.
“In states that outlaw abortion but grant exceptions for instances of incest and rape,” TST said in a statement, “members should be permitted a religious exception to perform TST’s religious abortion ritual.”
“States that outlaw abortion and do not grant exceptions present more significant challenges, but TST has a number of plans that we will be undertaking quite soon,” TST said. “First, we will be suing the FDA to permit TST access to Mifepristone and Misoprostol for use under medical supervision as part of our religious abortion ritual.”
TST said it is filing the lawsuit under Federal RFRA, adding that “unfettered access” to these drugs – which are taken to terminate a pregnancy – would be a considerable step toward enabling TST to perform its abortion ritual without government interference.
Fox report: The religious organization introduced the “Satanic Abortion Ritual” to argue for a religious exception under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), a 1993 federal law which made it illegal for states to interfere in anyone’s religion without demonstrating a compelling interest.
The abortion ritual, according to TST’s website, involves the recitation of two of its tenets and a personal affirmation that is “ceremoniously intertwined” with the abortion.
“Because prerequisite procedures such as waiting periods, mandatory viewing of sonograms, and compulsory counseling contravene Satanists’ religious convictions, those who perform the religious abortion ritual are exempt from these requirements and can receive first-trimester abortions on demand in states that enacted the Religious Freedom Restoration Act,” TST says on its website.
Newspunch has reached out to TST for further comment and will update this story accordingly.