Satanists have filed many constitutional lawsuits in the past. Often, these lawsuits revolve around religion, and some would say that they are “disguised” as religious lawsuits. These critics argue that Satanists are not genuine people of faith, but rather atheists trying to “make a point” by making arguments through the context of an alternative religion. If this is their strategy, it seems unsuccessful based on recent court results. Many of these recent lawsuits involve abortion.
Satanic Temple Loses Lawsuit Regarding Idaho’s Abortion Law
The first of these losses came in November of 2025, when the Satanic Temple had a lawsuit dismissed by a federal judge in Idaho. Judge David Nye dismissed the lawsuit “with prejudice,” permanently ending it and arguing that the suit “lacked merit.”
The lawsuit revolved around Idaho’s so-called “trigger law,” which immediately banned almost all abortions after the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Going one step further, the state made abortion providers subject to civil lawsuits filed by family members of the relevant fetuses.
In its lawsuit, the Satanic Temple argued that these developments were unconstitutional. Specifically, they claimed that the laws violated the First Amendment, religious freedoms, and the equal protection clause. The Temple also argued that these laws represented “involuntary servitude” while diminishing property rights.
The federal district court started by dismissing the lawsuit because members of the Temple could now show that they had been personally affected by the new laws. After an appeal, the federal judge finally determined that the case could not have been saved by any amendment. The Satanic Temple has the option to start over with a new lawsuit.
Satanic Temple Loses Similar Lawsuit in Indiana
In January of 2026, the Satanic Temple suffered a similar loss in Indiana. Although the outcome was the same, the strategy employed by the Temple was markedly distinct. The plaintiffs had attempted to carve out a religious exemption for the state’s abortion ban by proposing an “abortion ritual.” In 2022, the Temple created a telehealth abortion facility to provide abortion drugs without physical appointments. According to the Temple, this digital abortion clinic was part of a larger ritual involving faith-based destruction.
While the Temple attempted a different strategy in this case, the State of Indiana followed the lead set by Idaho months earlier. Once again, the government argued that the Temple had no legal standing because it could not establish that one of its members had been directly affected or harmed by the abortion ban. In addition, the telehealth facility established by the Temple was not headquartered in Idaho.
Although the Temple appealed the initial dismissal, the appellate court simply agreed with the lower court’s decision. The plaintiff had no legal standing to sue.
The Satanic Temple May Try Various Strategies Across Different States
Although the Satanic Temple has lost lawsuits in Indiana and Idaho, there are many states remaining in which to attempt additional lawsuits. The fact that the Temple attempted distinct legal strategies in each of these two states suggests that it might be “experimenting” with different approaches until it finds something that works.