Satan Worshipers Could Benefit from Hobby Lobby Ruling

It should have been obvious that the Supreme Court's Hobby Lobby ruling would be a double-edge sword.  As our mothers all used to ask us when we were little, “what if everybody did that?”

If employers can hide behind their religious beliefs and weasel their way out of paying for birth control coverage, then religious beliefs should exempt the Satanic Temple from certain abortion laws. The Satanic Temple describes itself as “facilitating the communication and mobilization of politically aware Satanists, secularists, and advocates for individual liberty.”

The Satanic Temple is campaigning for religious exemption from certain anti-abortion laws.  From the linked article:

“The group says they have deeply held beliefs about bodily autonomy and scientific accuracy, and those beliefs are violated by state-level 'informed consent' laws that rely on misleading information about abortion risks.”

A spokesperson for the Satanic Temple said:

“Because of the respect the Court has given to religious beliefs, and the fact that our beliefs are based on best available knowledge, we expect that our belief in the illegitimacy of state­ mandated ‘informational’ material is enough to exempt us, and those who hold our beliefs, from having to receive them.”

“Them” refers to the thirty-five states that have “informed consent” laws whereby anyone seeking an abortion must first listen to a series of bullshit lectures based on 12th-century prejudices and flat-out lies.  (No, having an abortion will not make your parents hate you,  cause you to get cancer, become infertile or turn you into a pillar of salt.)

The Satanic Temple combines satire, performance art and activism, and their 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.” 

The Satanic Temple has held demonstrations in favor of Florida Governor Rick Scott's decision to allow prayer in public schools, since of course this would allow children to pray to God or Satan or anyone else they worship.  They also commissioned a 7-foot-tall Satanic statue that was right next a monument to the Ten Commandments.

They're also conducting a “Right to Accurate Medical Information” campaign, which includes a sample letter that women can present to their doctors.