Texas will implement in the coming days a complete overhaul of existing rules regarding the treatment of abortion remains. The upcoming rules will require that the woman who undertake an abortion no matter at what stage of pregnancy, will be required to bury the remains of the operation. However, Satanic Temple representative claims that the rule violates their religious freedom.
Texas has seen a number of attempts from pro-life groups to classify fetal tissues to the status of a human being, as well as various ways to limit women’s access to abortions in safe environments with unnecessary regulations.
The new regulation is at this point only a rule, as the proposed measure has not gone through the legislative process yet, only through a bureaucratic one. However, it will have the same effects for abortions happening in hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare providers. The fetal remains after an abortion will be required to be buried or cremated by the institution which is paid by the abortion patient.
The fetal burial rule won’t apply to abortions or miscarriages which occur at home. Additionally, healthcare providers will not be required to acquire death certificates for the remains because it would have created privacy issues.
Pro-life supporters have welcomed the new rule which will go into effect on December 19th, stating that human and fetal remains should not be disposed of in the same manner as standard medical waste. The rule represents a higher standard of conduct which reflects their respect for the sanctity of life.
However, the new rule will be met with a number of lawsuits from different pro-choice groups. Among the dissidents of the new rule, the Satanic Temple claims that it will violate the group’s religious beliefs and thus must be exempt from them, according to Lucien Greaves, a spokesperson for the religious organization.
Greaves has stated that the Satanic Temple will only file a lawsuit if a member who claims exemption is forced to comply with the upcoming regulation. For Satanists, the human body is inviolate and shouldn’t be subject to any outside influence. As such, it violates their religious freedom.
The Satanic Temple invokes the Religious Freedom Restoration Act as a defense for their stance. The law is also a common defense used by conservatives in support of discrimination based on sexual orientation and other aspects.
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