Satanic Temple members look to use SCOTUS’ Hobby Lobby decision to claim exemption from state mandated anti-abortion materials.
A decision by the Supreme Court to protect a company’s religious views on abortion has encouraged a different religious group to claim their own exemption. Hobby Lobby, a company that is owned by a Christian group, challenged the law that required them to cover the cost of employees’ abortions, saying that it was in direct opposition to their religious beliefs. The Supreme Court agreed with them, and permitted them exemption. However, the Satanic Temple has taken matters into their own hands, and petitioned the Supreme Court for a similar exemption – although they want their members to be exempt from having to read anti-abortion literature.
There are currently laws in over 35 states that require all people who are considering having an abortion to read through literature which attempts to discourage them. For example, in the state of South Dakota, doctors are by law required to tell any potential patient seeking an abortion that it could cause “increased risk of suicide ideation and suicide,” Many members of the scientific community contest that claim, and have refuted the study on which that statement is based on.
This is particularly important to Satanic Temple members, whose religious beliefs are based on the body, and the scientific knowledge that we hold of it. To speak or write falsehoods about the body is, for them, against their beliefs – and so they are ready to bring their case to the Supreme Court in the hope that their members, as well as other people who hold to medical knowledge, will not be forced to listen to or read any incorrect medical information when seeking an abortion.
It is not known how long it will take for the Supreme Court to reach a decision.
This is an interesting challenge, if only because in the opinion of many, the SCOTUS ruling is essentially saying that when an individual has enough money / power – that they should be able to demand that women in their employ be discriminated against by the CEO. This grandstanding is indeed creating a 2 tiered system – and women, regardless of stance on birth control need to be attentive to this loss of equality.