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And so it begins.
Get out and support your local Hobby Lobby!
Christian companies can't bow to sinful mandate
By David Green
When my family and I started our company 40 years ago, we were working out of a garage on a $600 bank loan, assembling miniature picture frames. Our first retail store wasn't much bigger than most people's living rooms, but we had faith that we would succeed if we lived and worked according to God's word. From there, Hobby Lobby has become one of the nation's largest arts and crafts retailers, with more than 500 locations in 41 states. Our children grew up into fine business leaders, and today we run Hobby Lobby together, as a family.
We're Christians, and we run our business on Christian principles. I've always said that the first two goals of our business are (1) to run our business in harmony with God's laws, and (2) to focus on people more than money. And that's what we've tried to do. We close early so our employees can see their families at night. We keep our stores closed on Sundays, one of the week's biggest shopping days, so that our workers and their families can enjoy a day of rest. We believe that it is by God's grace that Hobby Lobby has endured, and he has blessed us and our employees. We've not only added jobs in a weak economy, we've raised wages for the past four years in a row. Our full-time employees start at 80% above minimum wage.
But now, our government threatens to change all of that. A new government healthcare mandate says that our family business must provide what I believe are abortion-causing drugs as part of our health insurance. Being Christians, we don't pay for drugs that might cause abortions. Which means that we don't cover emergency contraception, the morning-after pill or the week-after pill. We believe doing so might end a life after the moment of conception, something that is contrary to our most important beliefs. It goes against the Biblical principles on which we have run this company since day one. If we refuse to comply, we could face $1.3 million per day in government fines.
Our government threatens to fine job creators in a bad economy. Our government threatens to fine a company that's raised wages four years running. Our government threatens to fine a family for running its business according to its beliefs. It's not right.
I know people will say we ought to follow the rules; that it's the same for everybody. But that's not true. The government has exempted thousands of companies from this mandate, for reasons of convenience or cost. But it won't exempt them for reasons of religious belief. So, Hobby Lobby — and my family — are forced to make a choice. With great reluctance, we filed a lawsuit today, represented by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, asking a federal court to stop this mandate before it hurts our business. We don't like to go running into court, but we no longer have a choice. We believe people are more important than the bottom line and that honoring God is more important than turning a profit.
My family has lived the American dream. We want to continue growing our company and providing great jobs for thousands of employees, but the government is going to make that much more difficult. The government is forcing us to choose between following our faith and following the law. I say that's a choice no American — and no American business — should have to make.
David Green is the CEO and founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.
The government cannot force you to follow laws that go against your fundamental religious beliefs They have exempted thousands of companies (friends of Obama) but will not except Christian organizations Including the Catholic church.
Since you will not see this covered in any of the liberal media, pass this on to all your contacts.
The Green family respects the religious convictions of all Americans, including those who do not agree with them. All they are asking is for the government to give them the same respect by not forcing them to violate their religious beliefs.
With regards to Christians who live out their faith, I think this summarizes what many want from government.
Last time I checked, Hobby Lobby was not a religious organization. Maybe I should start a religion that absolves it's followers of any government taxes.. could I then not pay my taxes on the grounds of doing so would violate my right to religious freedom?
Also, the mandate only requires companies to provide a health insurance plan that includes coverage of those contraception medications... it doesn't require Hobby Lobby to provide them directly in their employee breakrooms.
Want a theocracy, move to the middle east.
See how well that works.
They want a theocracy. They want their theocracy.
If Hobby Lobby doesn't want to provide coverage for these drugs.... hire celibates. End of problem. They are within the law and no worries about morning after pills. When you get right down to brass tacks what Hobby Lobby wants is to make the decision for their employees on what drugs they can and cannot take.
Last edited by DewDropInn; 12-22-2012 at 07:51 AM..
Last time I checked, Hobby Lobby was not a religious organization. Maybe I should start a religion that absolves it's followers of any government taxes.. could I then not pay my taxes on the grounds of doing so would violate my right to religious freedom?
That's a good point. They are not a 501c3 operation. They operate as a secular business - but the people running the business have their personal religious beliefs and feel the the government are violating those beliefs.
The problem is that if you are for abortion - it is seen as non-religious. If you are against abortion - it is seen as supported by religion. Therefore, those who are for abortion use the religion issue as leverage, saying that such things as separation of church and state. And in the same way, those against abortion claim government is breaking the 1st amendment regarding freedom of religion.
So both sides try to use religion as leverage to win the issue.
The first thing that should happen as that we need to define abortion. Is it a religious issue or not? If we don't define it - nothing will change - it will remain in the gray area and we will never solve the issue.
We have laws against murder. Christianity does not believe in murder. Even though murder is unlawful in the Bible, we seem to be OK with this law existing in our society. We do not consider it a "religious" law. We need to make the same distinction one way or the other regarding abortion.
Last time I checked, Hobby Lobby was not a religious organization. Maybe I should start a religion that absolves it's followers of any government taxes.. could I then not pay my taxes on the grounds of doing so would violate my right to religious freedom?
Also, the mandate only requires companies to provide a health insurance plan that includes coverage of those contraception medications... it doesn't require Hobby Lobby to provide them directly in their employee breakrooms.
Exactly. Hobby Lobby is not a church.
They need to get over themselves.
That's a good point. They are not a 501c3 operation. They operate as a secular business - but the people running the business have their personal religious beliefs and feel the the government are violating those beliefs.
The problem is that if you are for abortion - it is seen as non-religious. If you are against abortion - it is seen as supported by religion. Therefore, those who are for abortion use the religion issue as leverage, saying that such things as separation of church and state. And in the same way, those against abortion claim government is breaking the 1st amendment regarding freedom of religion.
So both sides try to use religion as leverage to win the issue.
The first thing that should happen as that we need to define abortion. Is it a religious issue or not? If we don't define it - nothing will change - it will remain in the gray area and we will never solve the issue.
We have laws against murder. Christianity does not believe in murder. Even though murder is unlawful in the Bible, we seem to be OK with this law existing in our society. We do not consider it a "religious" law. We need to make the same distinction one way or the other regarding abortion.
No one is talking about abortion.
If anything, I believe that Christians should support anything that prevents the need for an abortion, not to mention anything that improves the health of women and their children when they choose to have them.
If the owner of Hobby Lobby truly wanted to do his Christian duty, he would spend more time concerning himself with the working conditions of the people that make the imported stuff he sells in his stores and stop concerning himself.with how his employees conduct their personal lives.
Ultimately, health insurance should not be connected to employment. Then these companies can no longer pull these pathetic stunts and will have to move on to other pathetic stunts (e.g., Chick-Fil-A).
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