The Satanic Temple (TST) has opened a second telehealth abortion facility to provide what it describes as “religious abortion services,” describing the killing of unborn babies as part of its “destruction ritual.” After first opening a clinic in New Mexico, TST announced it is expanding into the commonwealth of Virginia with its second 24-hours-a-day, seven-days-a-week location. The organization, it should be noted, is not associated with the Church of Satan, founded in the 1960s by Anton LaVey. TST is not religiously tied to Satanism but is an activist organization seeking to advance political and societal goals. Nevertheless, TST has sought to enshrine abortion as a religious practice and, as a result, has argued it should — in the name of religious liberty — be exempt from abortion restrictions that came in the wake of the overturning of Roe v. Wade. The Virginia-based facility is called “Right to Your Life Satanic Abortion Clinic.” Women who obtain abortions from the new clinic will be charged a fee for the abortion-inducing drugs, but TST has stated it will assist women by aiding with some travel-related expenses.
“As abortion rights continue to be a central issue in the upcoming U.S. presidential election, we remain steadfast in our mission to expand access and protect bodily autonomy,” the group stated. “We know the urgency of this work, and we will not stop until we have made a lasting difference.” According to a TST document, the group describes abortion as part of a “destruction ritual that serves as a protective rite,” noting preparations for the abortion ritual include reading or listening to stories from those who advocate for abortion as a way to “subdue any stigmas” a woman might feel entering the clinic. TST, headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts, calls the Satanic abortion ritual a “spiritual experience designed to instill confidence and self-worth in accordance to TST’s religious beliefs.” Essentially, the Virginia telehealth clinic operates as a dispensary for abortion-inducing pills. Abortion-by-mail became a contentious issue in 2021, when the administration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, did away with restrictions that stopped the distribution of abortion-inducing medications by mail.
Many, it should be noted, have voiced serious concerns about the safety of allowing pregnant women to take such drugs without the strict purview of a medical professional, asserting the use of said drugs can have dangerous and even deadly outcomes. TST Executive Director Erin Helian said, “Our staff virtually meet with each patient over a series of online visits to ensure the safety of each patient, including follow-up meetings. Our staff thoroughly discusses the potential risks with each patient, and for this reason, we urge each patient to know where their closest medical facility may be located in the unlikely event that complications may arise.” “We do not agree with the notion that telehealth care puts patients at risk,” she argued. “Instead, we argue that, by expanding care and access, telehealth clinics, like ours, can save lives.” Expanding abortion access has become a mainstay of TST. In the immediate aftermath of the overturning of Roe in 2022, the group launched its New Mexico location, “Samuel Alito’s Mum’s Satanic Abortion Clinic,” seemingly intended to mock Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who delivered the decision on Roe.
Source: Faithwire
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