Satanic Temple opens 'religious' abortion clinic, promotes 'abortion ritual'
The Satanic Temple opened a second telehealth abortion facility to provide what it describes as “religious abortion services,” and sees the killing of pre-born babies as part of its “destruction ritual.”
Despite its name, TST is not affiliated with the Church of Satan, an organization founded by Anton Szandor LaVey in the 1960s. TST also has its headquarters in Salem, Massachusetts, where it holds two virtual satanic Temple services each week.
TST announced in a press release provided to The Christian Post that its new 24/7 telehealth abortion facility, “Right to Your Life Satanic Abortion Clinic,” will open in Virginia. Women will be charged a fee to obtain abortion-inducing drugs, but the group claims it will help pay for some travel-related expenses.
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In a TST document shared with CP, the group claims that abortion is part of its "destruction ritual that serves as a protective rite."
The document adds that preparations for the ritual include reading or listening to the stories of people who advocated for legal abortion to "subdue any stigmas" one might feel.
Erin Helian, the executive director of TST, told CP that the group has received funding from donors, which enabled it to open the Virginia dispensary. While TST said it hasn't partnered with any outside organizations to operate its telehealth clinics, the group does work with the online pharmacy Honey Bee Health.
“Our staff virtually meet with each patient over a series of online visits to ensure the safety of each patient, including follow up meetings,” Helian stated. “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."
She continued, “We do not agree with the notion that telehealth care puts patients at risk. Instead, we argue that by expanding care and access, telehealth clinics, like ours, can save lives.”
Regarding the disposal of a baby's remains following a chemical abortion, which induces a miscarriage, Helian did not specifically answer what they advise women to do. Instead, she asserted that most chemical abortions occur before 11 to 12 weeks, which she said results in “heavy bleeding” that she likened to a period. She added that most women will take time to recover by wearing a pad.
Miscarriages, however, even at three to five weeks, often last hours and are accompanied by severe, painful cramping and excessive hemorrhaging.
Abortion is among TST’s many advocacy campaigns, and argues that it's a religious right. Following the overturning of Roe v. Wade in June 2022, the 1973 Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion nationwide, TST opened a “religious abortion clinic” in New Mexico in February 2023.
The facility, named the Samuel Alito's Mom's Satanic Abortion Clinic — named after the Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito, who delivered the ruling that overturned Roe — has offered 100 abortions to New Mexico women since its opening. The average cost is $91, according to TST.
Multiple pro-life advocates and abortionists have expressed concern that ordering abortion drugs online puts the health and safety of women at risk. Among their concerns is the lack of an in-person consultation with a doctor to learn how far along they are or determine if the woman's pregnancy is ectopic.
Women who undergo the abortion pill regimen might also experience several side effects. According to the Mayo Clinic, side effects of the abortion pill regimen can include vaginal bleeding, sweating, vomiting and pain in various parts of the body.
In a March interview with CP, Elizabeth Gillette told the outlet she ended up on the bathroom floor in a pool of blood after taking abortion-inducing drugs. The woman had shared her abortion story outside the U.S. Supreme Court during oral arguments for a case centered around abortion pill regulations.
She experienced an unexpected pregnancy around 14 years ago and obtained the drugs from a Planned Parenthood facility in Oregon that has since closed. The staff assured her that any bleeding from the drugs would be like a “double period,” and while she might have cramps, it wouldn’t be anything that would prevent her from going to work the next day.
According to Gillette, what she experienced was “far different” from what Planned Parenthood told her would happen.
"I ended up in a pool of blood on the bathroom floor, and I ended up holding the transparent amniotic sac with a recognizable baby inside, and I had to flush my baby," Gillette said. "Nobody told me that that was even a possibility. They told me that there would be some clotting."
"I thought I was going to die, and nobody cared," she added. "And because of what I went through, no woman should ever have to go through that. Women deserve the truth. And when people are only hearing half of the story, somebody has to stand up."
Samantha Kamman is a reporter for The Christian Post. She can be reached at: samantha.kamman@christianpost.com. Follow her on Twitter: @Samantha_Kamman
