religious freedom

A lawsuit challenging Indiana’s near-total abortion ban on religious freedom grounds will go through the normal appeals process and not directly to the Indiana Supreme Court.

Critics of religious freedoms laws argue they are used to discriminate against LGBTQ people. But following the Supreme Court overturning of Roe v. Wade, abortion-rights supporters are using these laws to protect access to abortion.

The Indiana attorney general’s office asked the state’s highest court to review a county judge’s ruling that the abortion ban violates the state’s 2015 religious freedom law.

The state of Indiana and the ACLU of Indiana faced off in Marion County court on Friday over a lawsuit that challenges the state's near-total abortion ban on religious freedom grounds.

Attorneys for the plaintiffs ask the federal judge to bar the new law from being enforced against members of The Satanic Temple. Court records show there are more than 11,000 members in Indiana.

The lawsuit said Jewish, Muslim, Unitarian Universalist, Episcopal and pagan faiths all recognize a right to abortions that would be banned under Indiana law.