Hobby Lobby CEO to sue over Obamacare, cites religious beliefs

[TheMightyFavog]

http://beforeitsnews.com/election-2012/2012/11/a-letter-from-hobby-lobby-stores-ceo-2447310.html

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 health care 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 it’s business according to it’s 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.




Well, guess I won't be shopping there ever.

[msongs]

1. does he stone the adulterers on his staff? put to death the pork eaters? selective religionists nt

[Arkana]

2. What a fucking asshole.

"My religion gives me the right to be a giant cock! You can't infringe on that A BLOO BLOO BLOO"

[atreides1]

3. I can see this going nowhere

&quot 1) to run our business in harmony with God’s laws"

Based on that statement wouldn't their lawyers have to show where contraception is against God's laws?

Also, they are going to be very hard put to show actual proof of this statement!

[bunnies]

4. Im so tired of this shit.

I dont hear these assholes complaining about their tax dollars going to fund WARS. Thou shall not kill. Bullshit.

[safeinOhio]

5. Mine says to...

"render unto Caesar..."

[RomneyLies]

6. Hobby Lobby is a secular corporation

As such, it has no first amendment right to freedom of religion.

It also sells REALLY CRAPPY merchandise.

[Brother Buzz]

9. Hobby Lobby Partners with organizations working to share the Good News of Jesus Christ

In order to effectively serve our owners, employees, and customers the Board of Directors is committed to:

Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with Biblical principles.

Offering our customers an exceptional selection and value.

Serving our employees and their families by establishing a work environment and company policies that build character, strengthen individuals, and nurture families.

Providing a return on the owners' investment, sharing the Lord's blessings with our employees, and investing in our community.

We believe that it is by God's grace and provision that Hobby Lobby has endured. He has been faithful in the past, and we trust Him for our future.

[RomneyLies]

15. None of that shit matters one whit, all for profit corporations are secular. This includes

Catholic Hospitals, too.

What Hobby Lobby is desiring to do is to discriminate based upon religion, which is illegal for secular corporations.

Bottom line, they wish to impose the religious beliefs of the upper management on all employees. Big time violation of the law right there.

Secular corporations do not have a freedom of religion.

[tridim]

7. "Focus on people" by denying them good healthcare? Who the hell is this guy's gawd?

[Avalux]

8. Well, I won't be shopping there anymore. Sigh.

Art supplies will now be purchased at a local store, although a bit more expensive. At least I can do that.

[Walk away]

10. I intend to sue Hobby Lobby! My beliefs eschew dried flowers and stickers!

My family has a box of old photos that we never take down from the attic and things have been great! Hobby Lobby's insidious spread of scrap booking is a threat to people all over the country who just want to forget about Uncle Jerry wearing a bathing suit or that embarrassing high school graduation photo!

Until Hobby Lobby stops forcing wire ribbon and glue gun sticks on unsuspecting Americans, I will be happy to pay any fines but refuse to bedazzle any more sweat shirts!

[tridim]

11. Hehe, it's the bedazzler superstore!

I used to go there to buy model building supplies (most balsa wood), but they don't carry it any more. Maybe the CEO's gawd told his stores to stop selling it because I'm an atheist?

[Initech]

12. Why are businesses run on "Biblical principles" more likely to be run by total sociopaths??

[bongbong]

13. The religious self-rightousness is most likely just a front

Like a lot of "religious" people who love money, it's just a front.

Probably runs a meth lab to keep his profits up.

[safeinOhio]

14. I'm still looking the that loop-hole

in the new testament for being rich.

[gollygee]

16. This is the problem with linking insurance to employment

My access to birth control shouldn't be based on my employer's religion.

Either employers need to not be able to force their religious beliefs on their employees through what they allow (or not) in insurance, or insurance needs to be separate from employment.

What if my employer was a Christian Scientist? Or didn't believe in blood tranfusions?

[GoCubsGo]

17. I didn't realize that overcharging for crap was a "Christian principle".

I hate going to Walmart, but they are the lesser of the two evils when it comes to craft supplies.

And, you don't "cover" any of that stuff, you fucking moron. Your insurance carrier does.

[OneGrassRoot]

18. Why do I read comments at links...

They always disturb me more than the news itself. I'm hoping it's a fairly small group of people being paid to troll a bunch of news sites using various screen names though spouting the same bigoted BS.

[bluethruandthru]

19. He says "Being Christians, we don't pay for drugs that might cause abortions"... but

there are many drugs that might cause abortions/miscarriages. They may not be prescribed as a 'morning after" type pill...but they 'might' cause miscarriages just the same. Accutane is the first one that comes to mind.

I wonder why he hasn't bitched about that until now?

[JaneyVee]

20. BULLSHIT. They're being "threatened" or are they just paranoid. Did they even attempt exemption?

More RW BS.

[intaglio]

21. Fundamentalist nonsense

Why does he not insist that no women in his employ use birth control and blood test them? He could do the same with the men getting round God's restrictions on their muscle mass and or His righteous restriction of erectile function. What about alcohol testing?