The Satanic Temple Challenges Texas Over Fetus Burial Law, Hail The Satanic Temple

The Satanic Temple is stepping in to challenge the horrific anti-choice Texas law requiring burials or cremation for aborted fetuses.

They say the new law violates one of the 7 tenets of The Satanic Temple: “one’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.”

In a statement, the Satanic Temple says that “burial rites are a well-established component of religious practice” and therefore the law violates religious freedom under the First Amendment and the Religious Freedom Reform Act.

They write: “Clearly, the State of Texas has no compelling reason because these rules were not enacted to promote health and safety, but rather to harass and burden women who terminate their pregnancies.”

Furthermore, Satanic Temple spokesman and co-founder Lucien Greaves told Snopes, “If one of our members claims exemption from this upon terminating a pregnancy, and the state insists that the burial fee must be paid, we will immediately file an injunction. We will sue, and we will win.”

We are definitely on the side of the Satanic Temple here.

As reported by Broadly earlier this year, the Satanic Temple actually has a history of pro-choice activism, “staging Satanic counter-protests at anti-abortion rallies and filing a lawsuit against the state of Missouri on behalf of one of their members who was forced to wait 72 hours to get an abortion due to the state’s waiting period law.”

Read the full statement on Instagram below:

 

TEXAS RULE ON FETAL REMAINS THE SATANIC TEMPLE RELIGIOUS DEFENSE OF REPRODUCTIVE RIGHTS The Texas Department of Health and Human Services plans to enforce new rules that require that fetal tissue must be buried or cremated and can no longer be disposed of in sanitary landfills as they are in every other state. The Satanic Temple believes burial rites are a well-established component of religious practice. This is undisputed in the entirety of US legal history. In addition, members of The Satanic Temple believe in the inviolability of the body and, as such, these rules contradict our fundamental beliefs. The First Amendment protects our right to practice our beliefs, and under the Religious Freedom Reform Act (RFRA), the State must present a compelling reason for why they want to enforce rules that inhibit adherence to our religious practices. Clearly, the State of Texas has no compelling reason because these rules were not enacted to promote health and safety, but rather to harass and burden women who terminate their pregnancies. For these reasons, members of The Satanic Temple are not required to comply with the Texas rule on fetal remains. Nevertheless, we will require legal support to protect the rights of our members. Read more at thesatanictemple.com and religiousreproductiverights.com #thesatanictemple #religiousreproductiverights

A photo posted by The Satanic Temple (@thesatanictemple) on Dec 2, 2016 at 4:53pm PST

Photos via satanictemple.com

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