The Salem, Massachussettes-based Satanic Temple is expanding its lawsuits against states enacting near or full abortion bans, following the Roe v. Wade overturning, claiming the restrictions violate the civil rights of Satanic Temple members in those states. The Satanic Temple previously sued Texas over its abortion restrictions and has subsequently filed similar lawsuits against Idaho and Indiana, as reported by Axios.

In reference to its suit against Texas, the Satanic Temple said in a statement:

While legal scholars wring their hands over Texas lawmakers’ attack on Roe v. Wade, Satanists are using [a] creative approach to allow women in Texas access to abortions: religious freedom.

“Religious freedom” to murder unborn babies right up until the moment of birth? Wait— we’re talking about the Satanic Temple. Never mind.

TST stands ready to assist any member who shares our deeply-held religious convictions regarding the right to reproductive freedom. Accordingly, we encourage any member who resides in TX and wishes to undergo the Satanic Abortion Ritual within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy(1/3)

— The Satanic Temple (@satanic_temple_) September 3, 2021

In the Idaho case, the Satanic Temple is suing Governor Brad Little, claiming he violated the religious freedom of its Idaho members, with Idaho’s new restrictive abortion law. Wrong. (See: Roe overturn, majority opinion.)

The Temple claims abortion restrictions violate TST members’ freedom of religion because “terminating a pregnancy is a central part of a religious ritual that encourages self-empowerment and affirms bodily autonomy.” Make sense, so far? It gets worse.

The Satanic Temple website states the following about its “abortion ritual”:

The ritual is not intended to convince a person to have an abortion. Instead, it sanctifies the abortion process by instilling confidence and protecting bodily rights when undergoing the safe and scientific procedure.

Sanctifies the abortion process?

Why that’s right up there (down there) with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who claims she’s a  “very Catholic person,” but has referred to late-term on-demand abortion as “sacred ground.”

While the Satanic Temple —a nontheist group, often confused with the Church of Satan — uses the religious argument in its lawsuits, a spokesperson for Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita told the Indy Star that the Supreme Court overturn of Roe v. Wade made clear that abortion isn’t protected by the U.S. Constitution: “This new lawsuit merely offers weaker arguments for the same discredited right.”

Still, the notion of a Satanic temple claiming religious freedom protects on-demand abortion smacks of unparalleled oxymoronic irony, does it not? Notwithstanding the pro-abortion advocacy of “very Catholic person” Nancy Pelosi and “devout Catholic” Joe Biden, of course.

The Bottom Line

The irony is profound on multiple levels.

In the aftermath of the 2015 Supreme Court ruling making same-sex marriage legal in all 50 states, several same-sex couples made national headlines by demanding to be married in Christian churches, vs. simply tying the knot at the closest courthouse. Now we have the Satanic Temple embracing on-demand abortion as religious freedom, and suing states where it’s now severely restricted or illegal in most cases.

I’m not sure how many dots are connected here, but I do know the continuing madness makes my head spin.