The Satanic Temple begins legal maneuver to skirt Texas' new aborti

[douglas9]

The Satanic Temple has joined the legal wrangling to block or overturn Texas' severe new abortion law. That law, which the U.S. Supreme Court refused to block this week, bans the medical procedure after six weeks, including in cases of rape and incest.

The Salem, Massachusetts-based Temple filed a letter with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration arguing that its Texas members should have legal access to abortion pills. The group's attorneys contend that its status as a non-theistic religious organization should ensure access to abortion as a faith-based right.

In the letter, the Temple argues that abortion pills Misoprostol and Mifepristone should be available for its use through the the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, which protects Native Americans' use of peyote in religious rituals. The Temple says those the same rights should apply to the drugs it uses for its own rituals.

“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," said Lucien Greaves, the Temple's spokesman and co-founder, in an emailed statement.


https://www.sacurrent.com/the-daily/archives/2021/09/04/the-satanic-temple-begins-legal-maneuver-to-skirt-texas-new-abortion-ban

[calimary]

1. Good stuff!

More creative workarounds needed!

That side seems to do this shit all the time. Why can’t we?

[Wednesdays]

2. These Hail Mary end-around plays are futile

The only thing that will turn things around is the hard work in GOTV!

[FoxNewsSucks]

4. GOTV won't matter if republicons

can simply ignore election results they don't like. Or when they gerrymander such that the House will never be blue again. Or when they suppress voters and millions are denied a ballot or given a placebo provisional ballot. And republicons are doing all that and more. GOTV is important, but it's far from a miracle solution to the problem.

In any case, I love seeing this group using those asshole RFRA and other "religious freedom" laws against them.

[niyad]

5. And in the meantime? What, exactly, is the problem with trying something that might

have immediate results? Even if we are successful in November 2022, we will not see legislative corrections until 2023. So what do you suggest in the meantime?

[RussellCattle]

7. Exactly right. We need a "everything and the kitchen sink" approach to this battle.

[wackadoo wabbit]

12. Yes, you're totally right /nt

[niyad]

3. Blessings to the Satanic Temple.

[2naSalit]

6. +1

I appreciate their input.

[niyad]

8. I love that they are using the xian-crafted "religious freedom" laws in ways those

hypocrites never imagined.

[2naSalit]

9. That...

To me, seems like karmic justice. Some really are terrified of Satanic observers and I hope this shakes some of them up, they deserve it.

[SarcasticSatyr]

10. Why Satanism ... why not Judaism?

Abortion is allowed in most circumstances under Judaism ... Israel has very liberal abortion laws, and it's generally covered by insurance.

[niyad]

11. Perhaps you could acquaint yourself with the activities of the Satanic Temple to

understand this latest salvo.

[wackadoo wabbit]

14. "Allowed" is not the same as actually being a sacrament

According to Wikipedia, a sacrament is a "rite recognized as of particular importance and significance." It's a BFD. For all its pomp and ceremonies, the Catholic Church has only seven sacraments. The Episcopal Church, if memory serves me, has only a paltry two. None of the branches of Judaism have any.

The Satanic Temple is a federally-recognized religion that has made abortion a sacrament. That means that for members of The Satanic Temple, the right to abortion is protected under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. (It's the same as how peyote use is protected for members of certain Native American religions.)

By making abortion a sacrament, The Satanic Temple stands above all other religions, in that it's taken an action that the others haven't.

[meadowlander]

15. Why choose?

If there are Jewish organisations that want to try the same thing go for it.

What I like about TST's approach is its a two-fer - either scrap the neanderthal abortion laws or scrap the hypocritical "religious freedom" bullshit that really only applies to Christians. You can't have both.

[LetMyPeopleVote]

13. This will be fun to watch

Link to tweet

[wackadoo wabbit]

16. Way to go!

Please make this its own post so it'll get more visibility.