The Satanic Temple (TST) in USA is about to open an abortion clinic in Maine on 14th June. Interestingly, 14th June is also the birthday of President Donald Trump. The clinic will be named as “The President’s Yuge Most Beautiful Tremendous Satanic Abortion Clinic”. This will be the third such abortion clinic to be opened by TST.
Executive director Erin Helian took a dig at the President Trump during a press release, “We hope he receives this clinic’s distinguished title as the magnificent, regal birthday present it is intended to be,”.
As per reports, TST’s Health Network will sell dubious abortion-inducing drugs online and direct women to chant “Satanic Abortion Ritual”. Pro-life activists in the USA have claimed such a ritual is evil and morally repugnant.
The ritual also involves women chanting, ““By my body, my blood; by my will, it is done.” as a form of scientific reasoning and a kind of positive reinforcement. The abortion clinic will provide free medical consultations and prescription for abortion drugs.
What is The Satanic Temple about ?
According to its website, TST is an organization with a mission. “The Mission Of The Satanic Temple Is To Encourage Benevolence And Empathy, Reject Tyrannical Authority, Advocate Practical Common Sense, Oppose Injustice, And Undertake Noble Pursuits.”
As per reports, TST is a non-theistic religious church based in Salem, Massachusetts. It is worth noting that since TST qualifies as a church, it is exempted from paying tax.
About worshipping Satan, TST says, “No, nor do we believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural. The Satanic Temple believes that religion can, and should, be divorced from superstition. As such, we do not promote a belief in a personal Satan. To embrace the name Satan is to embrace rational inquiry removed from supernaturalism and archaic tradition-based superstitions. Satanists should actively work to hone critical thinking and exercise reasonable agnosticism in all things. Our beliefs must be malleable to the best current scientific understandings of the material world — never the reverse.”
But on the other hand, TST wants to remove the Ten Commandments Monument in the Arkansas State Capitol. In 2018, it raised a statue of Baphomet in Arkansas. Baphomet is a goat-headed deity worshipped in the Satanist culture. TST unveiled the Baphomet Statue in Arkansas Capitol building in protest against the Ten Commandments Monument. According to TST, the public space should be religious free.
Why does TST promote Abortion ?
Because promoting abortion is embedded in its religion under body autonomy. TST has seven fundamental tenets. Under the third Tenet, TST says, “One’s body is inviolable, subject to one’s own will alone.” Hence it has set up Abortion clinics specifically to help women with abortion.
Last year, the Satanic Temple challenged the Boston traditions of inviting religious leaders to deliver sermons and recite prayers before city council meetings. TST filed a complaint because its own religious leaders were not invited at the meetings. However, the 1st US Circuit Court of Appeals rejected the challenge. It said that the TST failed to prove their claim. Instead, the religious leaders were invited because of their contribution to the society.
Recently, the Satanic Temple Iowa was denied permission to organize a public display event in the Capitol building. The event was to take place in December. Hence, the TST Iowa filed a complaint against the state officials citing religious discrimination.
In 2023, the TST had organized a public display in Iowa promoting the Baphomet statue along with Christmas Tree. The Baphomet statue was later vandalized. So apparently, the State administration in Iowa decided against holding such Satanic display again. They said the Satanic event specifically targeted children and not suitable for public display.
Iowa Governor Kim Reynolds said, “This satanic event, which specifically targeted children, would have been harmful to minors and so it was denied,”
