Satanists Say Fetal Burial Rule Violates Religious Freedom

Arguing religious freedom, the Satanic Temple began its fight against the state of Texas’ new burdensome rule that requires women to bury or cremate their aborted or miscarried fetus.

And it’s not all talk – Satanists (and active trolls of anti-choice policies) have threatened to sue the state, as they did in Missouri.

“The Satanic Temple believes burial rites are a well-established component of religious practice […] members of The Satanic Temple believe in the inviolability of the body and, as such, these rules contradict our fundamental beliefs,” the group wrote. Citing the 1993 Religious Freedom Reform Act (RFRA), the Temple asserts the state must “present a compelling reason” for why it can force the temple to adhere to the rules. “Clearly, the state of Texas has no compelling reason because these rules were not enacted to promote health and safety, but rather to harass and burden women who terminate their pregnancies,” they wrote. The Temple says they are ready to trigger a lawsuit as soon as the state refuses to grant a woman in Texas exemption based on religious grounds.

In the meantime, one Satanic activist is promoting a, shall we say, inventive form of protest against the anti-choice regulation. Jex Blackmore started the “Cum Rags for Congress” campaign (unaffiliated with the Temple) to encourage women to send condoms and socks covered in male bodily fluid (or any lotion, frankly) straight to Gov. Greg Abbott’s mailbox. She notes sending the fluid via postal service could get you in trouble, so do so “at your own risk.”

Blackmore’s intention is to highlight the regulation’s hypocrisy: “Fetal tissue has the potential to become human, but it’s not human yet, in [the] same way semen and ova has potential to become human life – but we don’t mourn every ejaculation,” she told the Chronicle. “This is really about the Legislature attempting to establish fetal personhood at the expense of vulnerable women.”

A former Austinite, Blackmore conceded that the tactic is “crass, disgusting, and immature,” but so is a rule forcing women to bury aborted fetuses, she said. “When we have little power and access to resources, sometimes you have to get creative with your activism."

In another creative (and less messy) form of counteraction, pro-choice organizers are calling on women to “play dead” outside the Texas Governor’s Mansion on Dec. 19, the day the rule goes into effect. And, for fans of classic protesting, there’s a separate rally and petition delivery that day.

While the Satanists ponder litigation, pro-choice eyes are on the Center for Reproductive Rights, who has strongly hinted at filing suit to combat the rule. CRR’s Senior Staff Attorney David Brown told the Chronicle today that the center “is carefully studying the regulations and remains committed to taking all necessary legal action to ensure that Texas women can continue to access abortion and other reproductive health care without politically motivated interference.”