Written by: Ken McQueary
SALEM, MA- The Satanic Temple released a press release on February 1, 2023 about the launch of their new online health clinic that provides religious medication abortion care. This clinic is available to those residing in New Mexico, and allows them to get screenings, make appointments, and receive medication.
The clinic offers free online medical services as long as those seeking medical attention participate in what is called an “abortion ritual.” This is not the sacrificing of the fetus or anything to that extreme, but actually consists of the patient reciting the seven satanic tenets with a member of TST before completing the abortion process. According to TST’s website, it says an abortion ritual is a “protective rite” that rids “unwanted feelings” they could have from choosing to get an abortion. The online clinic and all its services will officially launch on February 14, 2023.
All patients will receive 100% confidential screening from The Satanic Temple’s licensed medical staff, as well as virtual appointments before the medicine can be sent to the clinic’s pharmacy partner. Everything offered through their services besides prescription medicine, will be free of charge. The fees at the pharmacy for medication will be around $90 to keep it at a minimum so it can remain affordable for everyone.
The packages mailed out from the pharmacy to patients will be packaged discreetly to keep it confidential. The service offers follow-ups to patients after they receive care and even has a patient hotline that is available 24/7. The services provided will be for those who are above the age of 17 years old, up to 11 weeks pregnant and are eligible medically for the abortion. Included in the services is financial assistance, religious and emotional support, chemical abortions and contraceptives.
The clinic was named “The Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic” to mock Catholic Supreme Court Justice, Samuel Alito. They said before 1973, doctors that performed abortions risked losing their license and risked jail time. Samuel Alito was born in 1950 and the joke made was that in the year he was born his mother did not have any choice to get an abortion and “look what happened.”
According to sportskeeda.com “Justice Alito was behind the majority decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which led to Roe v. Wade being overturned and also announced that the Constitution of the United States does not give one the right to an abortion.” The reason The Satanic Temple can open an abortion clinic in a banned state is because the ban violates the first amendment as well as the Religious Freedom Restoration Act. The abortion ritual is an essential religious practice to Satanists, making it exempt from all restrictions and bans. The clinic is planning to launch clinics in several more states, including states where abortion is banned.
Outside of TST launching the online clinic in New Mexico, Texas banned abortions after the reversal of Roe v. Wade, causing TST to petition the state of Texas. Texas has a law that allows citizens to sue anyone who received, performed, or aided in the performance of an abortion, so TST filed a lawsuit against them because it prohibits TST members from performing the religious ritual to remove the fetus up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. Because of all this, “TST is requesting an immediate injunction because the law inhibits TST members’ ability to practice their religion freely” according to their website. Many people believe a fetus is a human life, however members of TST believe that the fetus is a part of the pregnant person and they have the right to keep it or not.
Besides New Mexico and Texas, TST is planning on defending its members in many more states because that is their constitutional right. Almost half of the United States has anti-abortion policies, as well as banned abortion completely. Some places have banned abortion, including rape and incest incidences. If you would like to donate to The Satanic Temple, you can donate to their Religious Reproductive Rights campaign. Every donation is put towards legal work in the entire United States to protect the members’ reproductive care access.