In a statement, the Satanic Temple said that it will use the Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby decision to exempt its believers from state-mandated informed consent laws that require women considering abortions to read pro-life material.
Informed consent or “right to know” laws state that women seeking elective abortions be provided with information about alternatives to the procedure, often couched in language that attempts to personify the fetus. According to the Guttmacher Institute, 35 states currently have informed consent laws, and of those, 33 require that the woman be told the gestational age of the fetus.
In some states, that information consists of pro-life propaganda that links abortion to a higher incidence of breast and ovarian cancers, or discusses “post-abortion syndrome,” a mental condition not recognized by any major medical or psychiatric organization.
Because the Satanic Temple bases its belief “regarding personal health…on the best scientific understanding of the world, regardless of the religious or political beliefs of others,” it claims that state-mandated information with no basis in scientific fact violates its “religious” beliefs.
Spokesperson Lucien Greaves said that the Supreme Court’s recent Hobby Lobby decision bolsters their case. “While we feel we have a strong case for an exemption regardless of the Hobby Lobby ruling,” he said, “the Supreme Court has decided that religious beliefs are so sacrosanct that they can even trump scientific fact. This was made clear when they allowed Hobby Lobby to claim certain contraceptives were abortifacients, which in fact they are not.”
Seems fair to me. Not to mention fairly brilliant.
I wonder if this kind of thing might lead to a substantial increase in the number of women turning to Satanism? And just imagine how fundamentalist heads will start exploding if it does!
Brilliant – every single religion in the U.S. should be petitioning for all kinds of freedoms based on these various rulings that have been happening lately from the federal level to state levels – prayer in school, controlling women’s bodies, etc – the courts should be flooded, and take the cases all the way to the Supreme court – and show these knuckleheaded bible thumbers (who don’t actually read or comprehend the book but only thump on it to justify their meanness, hatred, and greed) that this is NOT a Christian nation – it is a melting pot and there is NO room for religion in politics – ethics, compassion, truth, fairness, etc YES, but NOT religion.
ReplyDeleteWhile in theory I agree with what you say, I seriously doubt things would come about as you believe. At least, not with the current Court!
DeleteLeland, yes but perhaps the back up and cost for such ridiculousness will piss off enough critical thinking US citizens with their heads up their asses to do stuff..like vote and get involved in stopping the madness.
Delete@6:53
DeleteOh! You mean like how people reacted to all the millions wasted on House votes to repeal the ACA?
I can see the Mormons petitioning for tax exemptions for all their members. They believe in tithing. So instead of using the state and federal tax tables and filling out those forms, they'll petition that all of their members only pay a flat 10% of their income. Tithing to the government.
DeleteI'm sure some smart Mormon lawyer is going to jump on this if they haven't already.
Here's why it won't work:
ReplyDeleteThe recent Hobby Lobby decision was not based on a Constitutional right, but rather a federal law called the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993.
That law was supposed to make government - both federal and state governments - take the elast restrictive means of doing something when it infringed on religious practice.
However, the law as it applies to the states was struck down.
This means that it only applies to federal laws now.
But, since the Supremes ruled that religious beliefs trump all, then it doesn't have to use the same case for the basis for their claim of religious persecution. Just as in any court case where other cases are cited. Now I don't claim to be an atty, but I certainly have a few siblings who are. So yes it can work.
DeleteHowever, the Pastafarian guy in LA(?) won the right to wear his colander in his DL photo - and the BMV is certainly a state agency.
ReplyDeleteIt's a good chess move.
ReplyDeleteHowever, aren't satanists as bad as any religious person as far as believing in a boogey man that doesn't exist?.
But I absolutely support freedom of religion as long as it doesn't affect me.
I am an ordained minister of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.
Where does one get ordained? Can one marry people as an ordained minister?
DeleteI can't think of any wars that were fought in the name of Satan.
DeleteYou are partly correct, one cult is as bad as another.
DeleteBut, I have met a few satanists throughout my life and the basis for their religion, which is worshiping one of those Christian angels, one of those Archangels that was tired of not being let make his own choices. It's all about making choices to ensure personal enjoyment is how it was explained to me. Maybe someone else can explain it better, I was never interested enough to look into it more.
A otto Katz:
DeleteAll you have to do is pay 12$ or 20$ (not sure, it was a gift from my teenage son) and you get an official certificate . Yes, I can officiate at marriage ceremonies as well as qualify for clergy parking...
I'm ordained as a Universalist. That was free.
DeleteBut I plan on buying the certificate and passes for parking, et al. In my state, I can perform marriages too.
According to Answers in Genesis, it took Noah around 120 years to construct his ark. And while he had a variety of tools, there’s one tool I’m sure that Noah didn’t have: tax money.
ReplyDeleteOf course, that’s not stopping Ken Ham, who is desperately trying to prove Genesis is literal by constructing an exact replica of the Ark using an army of people and taxpayer money. That’s what he wants, anyway, since he’s convinced the state of Kentucky to approve his request to use taxpayer money on his “Ark Encounter.”
The final tab for this project, passed off to the taxpayers of the Bluegrass State, comes to about $73 million.
http://aattp.org/creationists-asking-for-taxpayer-money-to-fund-historically-themed-noahs-ark-museum/
Its a fun story, but they are making a media splash, not filing any case, lacking an actual injured party with standing, etc. I'm also doubting this is a serious group. I have the feeling it was just recently formed to make this point.
ReplyDeleteThey've been around for quite some time and have been filing suits for equal treatment. For instance at Christmas they have their displays right next to the nativities.
DeleteAs soon as they have grounds, a suit will be filed.
You forgot to mention, that they make some form available for women to download - no matter what their religious convictions are, that will claim the women are exempt from that type of prosyletizing and having to listen to bogus claims...
ReplyDeleteI definitely love this development!
It can be taken further.
ReplyDeleteFor instance, Hindus and Jews forbidding employees from being treated for burns using pig skin. Or using pig valves for heart surgery.
I'll bet the Muslims could come up with something too.
Let them all jump on the bandwagon to get talibangelicals' heads to explode.
I think it's a brilliant move and a great idea. I remember reading up on the Satanic Temple when Christine O'Donnell, a fixture in three bars in center city philly to this day, claimed to have dated one, they sat on and altar and there was blood================> "over there". I may not agree with their beliefs, but I'll defend their rights to believe what they want.
ReplyDeleteI think this'll scare the bejeeebus out of rwnj crafters, but the door's been open, Thank You Scalia, et al!!!
Humanists, Jews, Rastafarians, Pastafarians, zooastroarianists, Gagaism and Beiberists everywhere can follow their lead.
Question - Has anyone heard what happened in the Hobby Lobby case regarding the issue of putting restrictions on what doctors are permitted to say during medical counseling sessions?
ReplyDeleteI had read that one of the least-known points of the lawsuit was the objection of Hobby Lobby to paying for any doctor's visits that include ANY kind of reproductive counseling. Not only were they fighting their obligations to cover contraceptives, but they wanted to have control over what the doctor could even discuss with the patient.
I haven't heard anything about that part of the lawsuit and what the decision was regarding that aspect.