How The Satanic Church Is Protecting Abortion Laws In 2022
The Satanic Church is one of the most divisive religious organizations out there. Personally, I’m all for it as it isn’t hurting anybody. I am an atheist, but what the Satanic Church is doing right now to fight against anti-abortion laws is making me a big fan of their work.
Abortions rights have been challenged, and the future of Roe V Wade is uncertain now more than ever. So, without further ado, let’s dive further into this blog and learn how the satanic church is protecting people with uterus’ (because not everyone with a uterus identifies as female) right to have an abortion.
What is the Church of Satan?
It is a religious movement based on the figure of Satan found in the Bible, in which he is seen as the embodiment of evil. The Satanic Church has adopted this image and based the religion around it. It is not really about the figure of Satan but rather what he stands for, which is freedom and the freedom to do as one pleases.
This is underscored by the quote from Milton’s Paradise Lost, in which his description of Satan is: “It is better to reign in hell than to serve in heaven.” Historically, Satanism was a practice based on the Judeo-Christian devil and his worship and absolute rejection of his antagonist, God. Based on the Black Mass, a corrupted interpretation of the Christian Eucharist is a means of invoking Satan.
However, more spiritual and theistic Satanists rewrite this narrative and now recognize Satan as an independent, non-Judeo-Christian deity. The Church of Satan does not celebrate Satan as a god but rather endorses him as a symbol and what he represents in terms of anti-Christian moral values and lifestyles. Satanism can therefore be associated with atheism and agnosticism rather than a monotheistic religion.
Its teachings do not preach the practice of evil but rather profess extreme forms of individualism, pride, and enlightenment that are contrary to Abrahamic teachings. Now before we look into what the Satanic church is doing for abortion rights, we have to first look at the heartbeat bill and the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
The heartbeat bill
Roe v. Wade is one of the most monumental cases in American history, especially when it pertains to reproductive health. It was followed by the 1992’s Planned Parenthood v. Casey, where the Supreme Court established that abortion was a people’s constitutional right. However, Texas and other conservative states are trying their darnedest to go against this.
It first started with the bills that banned abortions after sex week; it is when the heartbeat of a fetus can be heard, thus aptly named the heartbeat bill. However, what’s ridiculous with this bill is that most people with uteruses aren’t aware that they are pregnant prior to six weeks. Texan abortion providers estimate that a whopping 85% of people who get an abortion do so after the 6 weeks period.
People accused of “aiding and abetting” an abortion can be sued for up to 10 000 dollars. This tactic is only there to scare hospitals and clinics to be scared of providing safe and sanitary abortion solutions. Yes, this is a witch hunt all over again, and white men are once again at the forefront of this and on the wrong side of history.
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA)
Another landmark case in use is the 1990’s Employment Division v. Smith, where the Supreme Court decided that the Native American Church had a religious right to use peyote. The rules that freedom of religion was no excuse from compliance with generally applicable laws. However, this got some backlash, and in 1993, Congress wrote the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
Under RFRA, the government may not interfere with the free exercise of religion unless: 1) it has a compelling reason to do so, and 2) the government acts in the least restrictive manner possible to achieve its purpose. This meant that people were protected, and their religious practices were protected under the constitution.
The Satanic Temple and the RFRA
Texas is one of the four congregations of the Satanic Temple in the United States. Although followers of this specific religion don’t worship or believe in a literal devil or Satan. The Satanic Temple began in early 2010 and has launched several political actions and lawsuits which relate to the separation of church and state.
They see it more as a powerful symbol of rebellion against established authorities. One of the church’s seven tenets is that “one’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.” This could mean that state-enforced anti-abortion laws can be against their religious beliefs. In 2021, The Satanic Temple Field a new lawsuit against Texas and argued that the state is violating its religious liberty.
Abortion Ritual
Under the Satanic Church, you can still have an abortion under the RFRA, which will be referred to as the abortion ritual (where you just take an abortion pill). This shouldn’t be frowned upon as it is their constitutional right under the RFRA to do what they want as long as it is part of their religious practice.
They are using more creative ways to protect people with uterus’ right to choose, and we are all for this. Because for me, abortion is a human right, and we can’t dictate to a person with a uterus what they can and can’t do with their body. We should all follow body autonomy, and we should let these people decide what they want to do with their bodies.
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