Technically, A federal appeals court “dismissed” a lawsuit brought by The Satanic Temple against Missouri abortion laws, but “cast out” seems a more fitting description of the judges’ action.
In the way of background, The Satanic Temple claims its mission is to “encourage benevolence and empathy among all people, reject tyrannical authority, advocate practical common sense and justice, and be directed by the human conscience to undertake noble pursuits guided by the individual will.”
Based in Salem, Massachusetts–where else?–the group more or less functions as the diabolical wing of the Democratic Party, the overtly diabolic wing, that is. In addition to its advocacy for egalitarianism, social justice and the separation of church and state, the Satanic Temple works “against laws that unscientifically restrict women’s reproductive autonomy.”
The Missouri law that prompted the Temple to take action requires abortionists to offer women an ultrasound, inform them that “the life of each human being begins at conception,” and enable them to hear the fetal heartbeat.
Although the Satanic Temple alleges to be “nontheistic,” in 2015 the group sued the state over laws that they claimed had “violated their religious beliefs.” The Satanic talking points here seem scarily well aligned with Democratic talking points. The unnamed woman who brought the complaint argued not only that “a woman’s body is inviolable and subject to her will alone,” but also that science was somehow on her side.
A woman should be able to make health decisions, the plaintiff claimed, based on “the best scientific understanding of the world, even if the science does not comport with the religious or political beliefs of others.”
This story would have a better ending if the judges had ruled on more definitive grounds than the woman’s lack of “constitutional standing.” She lacked standing because she was not pregnant at the time she brought suit. This made it rather difficult for her and her Satanic sponsor to claim she was inconvenienced by Missouri’s laws.
Satanic Temple Co-Founder Lucien Greaves–birth name “Douglas Misicko”– said he viewed the suit’s dismissal “as a mere prelude to victory.” Now, if only the Temple could just get that blue wave going in November.
