Satanic Temple to open ‘religious’ abortion clinic to promote ‘destruction ritual’ terminations

The Satanic Temple has announced the opening of a second abortion clinic that it says will offer a “religious” approach to reproductive rights.

The initiative aims to challenge strict state abortion bans by framing the procedure as a spiritual necessity.

Founded in 2013 and headquartered in Salem, Massachusetts, the Satanic Temple was founded in response to the “intrusion of Christian values ​​into American politics.”

The new clinic, called the “Right to Your Life Satanic Abortion Clinic,” is based in Virginia and aims to provide free medical abortions through telehealth screenings and appointments to participants who participate in what the temple describes as a “ritual of destruction.”

The “Satanic Abortion Ritual,” which the temple claims is a deeply held religious belief, allows women to receive abortion services while “asserting their right to bodily autonomy as a religious practice.”

The new clinic, called the ‘Right to Your Life Satanic Abortion Clinic’, will be located in Virginia with the aim of offering free medical abortions under the guise of spiritual necessity

The temple specifies the steps to be performed before, during and after the abortion.

To properly perform the ritual, participants will need a copy of the Third and Fifth Tenants of the Satanic Temple and the personal confirmation, according to the Abortion Ritual Procedure.

By undergoing the ritual, one is believed to “cast off the notions of guilt, shame and mental discomfort that a patient may experience as a result of choosing a legal and medically safe abortion,” the organization said. website reads.

By invoking religious freedom, the temple seeks to test the limits of the law and oppose what they consider oppressive legislation, under the motto: ‘Abortion is a religious right.’

The “Satanic Abortion Ritual,” which the temple claims is a deeply held religious belief, allows women to receive abortion services while “asserting their right to bodily autonomy as a religious practice.” Pictured: A flyer created to promote the new clinic in Virginia

An abortion table with a model fetus on it in the Abortrait Room of the Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts, designed as part of a parody of a Christian conversion center

Objects, including small model fetuses, meant to represent an evangelical Sunday school and conversion school, adorn the tables at the Satanic Temple in Salem, Massachusetts

Erin Helian, the executive director of the Satanic Temple, told the Christian post that the group received funding from donors, allowing it to open the pharmacy in Virginia.

The Temple has said it has not partnered with any outside organizations to operate its two telehealth clinics, although the group does work with online pharmacy Honey Bee Health.

“Our staff meets with each patient virtually during a series of online visits to ensure the safety of each patient, including follow-up meetings,” Helian said.

‘Our staff thoroughly discusses the potential risks with each patient, and for this reason we urge each patient to know where the nearest medical facility may be located in the unlikely event that complications arise.’

The Temple has said it has not partnered with any outside organizations to operate its telehealth clinics, although the group does work with online pharmacy Honey Bee Health. “Our staff meets with each patient virtually to ensure their safety,” the report said.

She continued, “We disagree with the idea that telehealth puts patients at risk. Instead, we argue that telehealth clinics like ours can save lives by expanding care and access.”

Abortion is one of the temple’s many advocacy campaigns, as the organization argues that abortion is a religious right and conflicts with traditional Christian beliefs.

Following the June 2022 overturn of Roe v. Wade, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, the Satanic Temple opened its first “religious abortion clinic” in New Mexico in February 2023.

The facility, called “Samuel Alito’s Mom’s Satanic Abortion Clinic” after Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who handed down the ruling that overturned Roe, has offered 100 abortions to New Mexico women since it opened.

The average cost of an abortion through the temple’s offered services is $91, according to the Satanic Temple.