Satanic Temple Sues Claiming Texas Law Violated Their ‘Religious Freedom’ Until ‘Abortion Ritual’ Is Stopped By Federal Judge | Gateway Experts | by Cassandra MacDonald

This image was posted on the Satanic Temple Facebook page in 2014. (Satanic Temple/Facebook)

A federal judge in the Southern District of Texas dismissed a lawsuit by The Satanic Temple claiming state abortion laws violated their “religious freedom” to perform “ritual abortions.”

The lawsuit was filed on behalf of Satanic Temple member “Ann Doe,” and argued that Texas’ strict abortion laws violated “their right to the religious accommodation of its members to engage in ritual abortions under the Texas Restoration of Religious Freedom Act.”

The Satanists also claim that “TST has a constitutional right under the Texas Constitution to freely carry out their religious practices, including ritual abortions” and “First Amendment ‘conducts’, including TST’s religious abortion rituals, are not allowed to be the target of the proposed civil action.” based on SB8.”

“The SB8 ban on abortion after six weeks violates our members’ right to engage with the religion of their choice and to participate in religious rites and rituals,” said Satanic Temple Campaign Operations Director Erin Helian in a press release provided to The Gateway Pundit at the time of the filing. “Under our Third Tennet, The Satanic Temple will reject the Texas legislature’s violation of our members’ bodily autonomy and freedom of choice.”

Judge Charles Eskridge disbanded case earlier this month, calling the complaint “back-up and very sketchy”.

“For example, The Satanic Temple is considered ‘a religion,’” Judge Eskridge wrote. “But what his trust structure entails and how Texas law applies to him is not meaningfully explained. Also left unsaid is how the law affected Ann Doe herself, who was included in the statement, but about whom nothing else was said.

The judge also confirmed that the organization was acting in “bad faith” and that “any repetition at this stage would unduly prejudice a number of current and former Defendants who still have little clue as to the true nature of the claims brought in this case.” case. The court also firmly believes that any further attempts to resubmit will be futile, given that Kezhaya’s Attorney’s submissions have become more convincing, reductive and overreaching over time, in line with his performative and stubborn behavior to date.”

Judge Eskridge concluded that “the amended complaint was willfully inadequate and deficient. It failed for jurisdictional reasons and likely will also fail due to inadequate merit defense. Plaintiffs will not be given permission to reapply.”

The temple had previously tried to use religious freedom to fight abortion laws in Missouri but failed there as well.