Satanic Temple fights against Missouri law to have abortion ‘now’ without ‘consent’

The New York-based “Satanic Temple” is filing a federal lawsuit against Missouri, claiming that state laws restricting abortion violate their “free exercise” of Satanism. Their lawsuit identifies abortion as an essential religious duty for Satanists, should be free from limits and “informed consent.”

Missouri’s “informed consent” law educates women about the facts of abortion and what’s going on inside her body, and its 72-hour waiting period between initial contact and the major surgery of abortion is intended to give mothers time to think the information over before having irreversible, elective surgical procedure.

“Mary Doe,” the name represented by the Satanic Temple, went to the St. Louis Planned Parenthood pregnant, and submitted a letter stating that her religious beliefs in Satanism require no informed consent and no waiting period before abortion.

“Right to Deathers” cartoon by Joyce Mary Wallace

She demanded, on religious grounds, “to have an abortion today —now — and without further review of the [informed consent] Booklet.”

Mary Doe’s letter explained her belief that “both as a religious and a scientific matter…an abortion will not terminate the life of a separate, unique, living human being.”

Satanic Temple founder Doug Mesner, using his Satanist name “Lucien Greaves,” released a statement, announcing a lawsuit against Governor Jay Nixon and Attorney General Chris Koster, claiming, “The Informed Consent materials explicitly communicate items of religious opinion that directly contradict the deeply-held beliefs of women within The Satanic Temple.”

The Satanists are arguing that Missouri’s law violates the federal Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA). “The question of when life begins is absolutely a religious opinion, and the state has no business proselytizing religious beliefs,” the sect claims.

The Satanist leader explained, “The mandatory abortion waiting-period is imposed with the rationale that women need that time in which to absorb and comprehend the informed consent materials. As we reject the informed consent materials entirely, the waiting period justification is moot,” he wrote.

Satanic Temple display photo/Satanic Temple