Posted on 09/12/2012 3:21:24 PM PDT by NYer
Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., a privately held retail chain with more than 500 arts and crafts stores in 41 states, filed a lawsuit today against the Obama administration over its HHS mandate.
The company says it would face $1.3 million in fines on a daily basis starting in January if it fails to comply with the mandate, which requires religious employers to pay for or refer women for abortion-cause drugs that violate their conscience or religious beliefs.
The lawsuit was filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Oklahoma and the business says it is opposing the Health and Human Services “preventive services” mandate, which it says forces the Christian-owned-and-operated business to provide, without co-pay, the “morning after pill” and “week after pill” in their health insurance plan, or face crippling fines up to 1.3 million dollars per day.
“By being required to make a choice between sacrificing our faith or paying millions of dollars in fines, we essentially must choose which poison pill to swallow,” said David Green, Hobby Lobby CEO and founder. “We simply cannot abandon our religious beliefs to comply with this mandate.”
Hobby Lobby is the largest and only non-Catholic-owned business to file a lawsuit against the HHS mandate, focusing sharp criticism on the administration’s regulation that forces all companies, regardless of religious conviction, to cover abortion-inducing drugs.
“Washington politicians cannot force families to abandon their faith just to earn a living,” said Lori Windham, Senior Counsel, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, which is handling the lawsuit for Hobby Lobby. “Every American, including family business owners like the Greens, should be free to live and do business according to their religious beliefs.”
Founded in an Oklahoma City garage in 1972, the Green family has grown Hobby Lobby from one 300-square-foot retail space into more than 500 stores in 41 states.
“It is by God’s grace and provision that Hobby Lobby has endured,” said Green. “Therefore we seek to honor God by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles. The conflict for me is that our family is being forced to choose between following the laws of the country that we love or maintaining the religious beliefs that have made our business successful and have supported our family and thousands of our employees and their families.”
The business’s lawsuit acts to preserve its right to carry out its mission free from government coercion.
I have two left thumbs and no crafting skills whatsoever, but I may begin shopping at the local Hobby Lobby, out of solidarity.
Try the plastic model kits they sell. Quite easy for ‘two thumbed people.’ :-)
GOD BLESS THEM!!
But God forbid we offend islam with a cartoon.
I love the fighters.
There are 70M Catholics in the U.S. I’m willing to bet that a significant number of them will not vote for Obama because of this issue. And I’m guessing that Obama will lose the election, in large part, because of the loss of Catholics. In fact, it may be the primary reason he loses.
I can ONLY pray so!!!
Go Hobby Lobby! Love that store.
Good for them.....I go there on a regular basis!
No president has ever won an election without a majority of Catholics.
That depends on who you are calling "Catholic." If you use the loosest, most liberal definition, the vast majority of these calling themselves, and claimed by the Catholic Church as, Catholic, don't count on it. The vast majority of nominal Catholics are strongly liberal on almost every issue.
It will be the Evangelicals which will save the day.
Not trying to throw ice water on this discussion, and I really do hope you are correct. But the numbers don't bear that out about "Catholics." After all, the most liberal states in the country are also the most Catholic states.
Hobby Lobby has lots of nice home decorating items, both for seasonal/holidays as well regular stuff - stop shopping at Target and check out Hobby Lobby.
They have plenty of non-craft items, definitely worth a trip! And craft supplies make great gifts for your crafty friends and family!
I love Hobby Lobby and I wish there were one near me. I may have to make a long trek so I can shop there and support them.
God Bless you, Hobby Lobby!
Laura Ingraham this week referred to a poll of Catholics that showed a majority of Catholics plan to vote for Obama.
Sorry, but confessing catholics and Prots have done major damage to this country voting their pockets instead of what they claim to believe. According to the poll, nothing will be any different this year.
I was on an estimate last night with a lack man who is a pastor of a church. He had a vote for Louise Slaughter sign in his yard. I questioned him on it and his response was;”the hospital union his wife works for told her to place it on her lawn.” She is also part of his church. Great way to stand up for your beliefs
HL sells a lot more than just craft items. You can shop there and find something to buy for your house without having to make or paint anything. I just discovered them recently and am thrilled. I don’t do crafts either, and most of their furniture and decorative stuff isn’t my taste, but they have some good fabrics (Waverly, P Kauffman, etc.) for very low prices. I saw $25/yd decorative fabrics for $7 for a 54-wide yard. I was excited, believe me. The place is HUGE—you can find something there if you’re female. And to realize that they’re owned by Christians—!
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