The Satanic Temple has taken legal action against Texas’s controversial, pro-life law, “The Texas Heartbeat Act”.
CW: abortion, rape, incest
The Texas Heartbeat Act is a new law put in place to ban abortions after six weeks in the US state of Texas. This also covers pregnancies that are the result of “rape or incest”, but exempts abortions that are needed during “certified medical emergencies”.
Anyone who is caught performing or assisting in an abortion is liable to be fined $10,000 USD (approximately $13,500 AUD).
The Satanic Temple – based in Salem, Massachusetts – has “filed a letter with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration” stating that the group’s Texan members should be allowed access to the abortion pills, “Misoprostol and Mifepristone”.
Reportedly, the Temple used the “Religious Freedom Restoration Act” as a foundation for their argument. This law “allows Native Americans to use drugs [peyote] in religious ceremonies”.
In this way, the Temple hopes “that its status as a non-theistic religious organization” will allow its members to continue having abortions on the grounds that it is “a faith-based right”.
The Satanic Temple is bringing a case to the supreme court that under religious freedom, their members must be allowed the right to abortion, and that the Texas abortion law undermines this right.
If Satanists end up saving Texas from Christian tyranny, I’m gonna lose my mind.
— Aaron D. (@MrBrownEyes2020) September 3, 2021
According to the Satanic Temple’s website, “bodily autonomy” and scientific evidence are fundamental values. To them, anti-abortion laws “do not promote the health and safety of patients” and are in direct violation of their beliefs.
The Temple’s co-founder Lucien Greaves had this to say regarding the recent developments:
“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.”
“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.”
Upon its installation on September 1, the Texas Heartbeat Act has resulted in a mass exodus of people leaving Texas to seek abortions in neighbouring states.
VICE is reporting that some abortion clinics are still running, but are only “providing abortions to people whose pregnancies are less than six weeks along”. According to the online publication, approximately “85 percent of Texas abortions take place after that benchmark”.
You mean to tell me The Satanic Temple in Massachusetts may save the women of Texas?
The Satanic Temple will be challenging the Texas abortion law citing religious freedom.
I didn’t see that one coming…I love it!
Signed,
A Catholic
Much ❤️ and keep fighting!
— Ryan Shead (@RyanShead) September 5, 2021
It’s a chilling situation weighing heavily upon the shoulders of healthcare providers.
Rebecca Tong, co-executive director of Trust Women (an organisation dedicated to providing abortion services in poorer communities), has said that Trust Women’s Oklahoma City clinic is “attempting to see up to 10 times the number of patients” than before – just to keep up with demand.
“We’re in, simultaneously, such an unbelievable position and yet completely believable,” Tong said.
On September 2, abortion clinics took the law to the US Supreme Court to ban it. However, in a 5-4 vote, their challenge was shut down.
