Whoa, Satanic worshipers are taking on Missouri’s Governor and Attorney General. Why? It seems that Missouri’s abortion laws violate their religious beliefs.
Who Is Mary Doe?
A woman named “Mary Doe” filed a lawsuit in federal court on behalf of The Satanic Temple where she is a member.
Mary lives in rural Missouri, is nearly 12 weeks pregnant, and needs an abortion. She can afford the abortion, but she can’t afford the extra $800 for travel expenses to the only abortion clinic in the state, which is located in St. Louis. The state abortion laws concerning informed consent would extend her trip for days.
She told the?Riverfront Times,?
?I personally would have liked to have the procedure done as soon as possible.?But with all the difficulties, how hard it is do this, it’s been put off for several weeks.”?
Missouri Abortion Laws
Missouri law states that those who perform abortions must give women seeking an abortion what they call “informed consent.” This includes written information showing what a fetus looks like.
This information packet also states that a fetus can feel pain by 22 weeks, although the medical community has expressed some doubt on the accuracy of this fact. The woman must then wait 72 hours, during which time she can look at the ultrasound and hear the heartbeat.
Satanic Tenets
The Satanic group believes Missouri’s regulation of abortion is wrong, on the grounds that it will,
?…promote some, but not all, religious beliefs that human tissue is, from conception, a separate and unique human being whose destruction is morally?wrong.”
So what exactly do these Satanists believe? In the lawsuit, Mary Doe tells us that the followers of the Satanic Tenets believe that:
- Their association is comprised of politically aware Satanists, secularists, and advocates for individual liberty
- Life does not begin at conception
- Having an abortion is not morally wrong
- A follower makes decisions regarding her health based on the best scientific understanding of the world, even if the science does not comport with the religious or political beliefs of others
- She alone decides whether to remove human tissue from her?body
The lawsuit claims that their religion believes the portion of Missouri’s abortion law that includes informed consent, any counseling (physical, emotional, or educational), and the waiting period, is unnecessary.
The Lawsuit
Mary Doe had an abortion at a Planned Parenthood Clinic in Missouri. If she or any other members of The Satanic Temple should decide to have another pregnancy, they would be forced to submit to ?delay, doubt, guilt, and shame”. This is true even though they are well within their own religious beliefs.
According to the lawsuit,
“All women who are contemplating getting an abortion in Missouri have the right, pursuant to the First Amendment, to exercise their freedom to believe when human life begins and act upon their belief without interference or influence by the state of Missouri.”
Missouri Governor Jay Nixon?s office referred reporters? to Attorney General?Chris Koster. At this time there has been no response.
If Men Had Babies
I have to wonder why any woman seeking an abortion within her belief system should be beaten up with the delay, doubt, guilt, and shame? Why should ultra-conservative white men impose their religious beliefs upon the rest of the state?
If these men were themselves capable of giving birth, would they appreciate people shaming them? I doubt it.?If these men had to give birth, I (and many other women) suspect there would be an abortion clinic on every corner.
h/t Jim Suhr, Associated Press
