Hobby Lobby Pushes Back Against Obamacare....

[Obama 2012 1,714]

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.

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.

The government cannot force you to follow laws that go against your fundamental religious belief. They have exempted thousands of companies 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.

Sincerely,

David Green, CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

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.

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.

The government cannot force you to follow laws that go against your fundamental religious belief. They have exempted thousands of companies 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.

Sincerely,

David Green, CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

.....so basically their entire lawsuit is based on an old conclusion that has been proven scientifically wrong - that emergency contraception causes an abortion.

Originally drug makers believed that in addition to inhibiting fertilization the drugs might stop implantation in the uterus, thus some people considered it an abortion. However, it was later shown to not stop implantation.

Effectively David has just embarrassed himself publicly.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

.....so basically their entire lawsuit is based on an old conclusion that has been proven scientifically wrong - that emergency contraception causes an abortion.

Originally drug makers believed that in addition to inhibiting fertilization the drugs might stop implantation in the uterus, thus some people considered it an abortion. However, it was later shown to not stop implantation.

Effectively David has just embarrassed himself publicly.

Correction. I should have used passed tense.

Oklahoma City — A federal judge Monday rejected Hobby Lobby Stores Inc.'s request to block part of the federal health care overhaul that requires the arts and craft supply company to provide insurance coverage for the morning-after and week-after birth control pills.

In a 28-page ruling, U.S. District Judge Joe Heaton denied a request by Hobby Lobby to prevent the government from enforcing portions of the health care law mandating insurance coverage for contraceptives the company's Christian owners consider objectionable.

The Oklahoma City-based company and a sister company, Mardel Inc., sued the government in September, claiming the mandate violates the owners' religious beliefs. The owners contend the morning-after and week-after birth control pills are tantamount to abortion because they can prevent a fertilized egg from implanting in a woman's womb. They also object to providing coverage for certain kinds of intrauterine devices.

At a hearing earlier this month, a government lawyer said the drugs do not cause abortions and that the U.S. has a compelling interest in mandating insurance coverage for them.

[Darnell 8,478]

yawn.

[Bumbero 130]

We are running in to this issue in WA State too. Many pharmacies are refusing to sell the "Plan B" Contraceptive. The way I look at it is, they have a State License to sell medicine, they cannot dictate what medicine they will or will not fill. Seperate church and state. Keep your beliefs out of business and follow the rules. Pretty straight forward to me.

[Dakine10 5,452]

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.

Therin lies the problem. They are not abortion causing drugs. They are designed to prevent conception from taking place. They can not cause an abortion after conception takes place.

[james&olya 1,121]

This is just someone trying to spin their right-wing politics into a fake religious liberty issue. It is really very simple! If you do not believe in contraception than do not use it!

The problem comes with the attitude that you, as an employer, somehow own your employees right to make their own moral decisions. You don't! So just get over your overblown sense of your own importance and just concentrate on living your own life as you believe morally correct. Don't try to run mine!

[Obama 2012 1,714]

We are running in to this issue in WA State too. Many pharmacies are refusing to sell the "Plan B" Contraceptive. The way I look at it is, they have a State License to sell medicine, they cannot dictate what medicine they will or will not fill. Seperate church and state. Keep your beliefs out of business and follow the rules. Pretty straight forward to me.

There is a difference between Government and "Business."

I know that Obama's 'they didn't build that' makes you think differently, but there is still a huge difference. A business can choose which products to sell/serve/make available.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

There is a difference between Government and "Business."

I know that Obama's 'they didn't build that' makes you think differently, but there is still a huge difference. A business can choose which products to sell/serve/make available.

Regarding Health Insurance and Business, I recently had a thought. Healthcare is a benefit provided as part of a payment package. I wonder how legal it would be if businesses started to dictate how employees use their pay or vacation. For instance, one would think if an employer has an ethical problem paying for contraception that would extend to ones direct pay would it not? IE using the above company's reasoning, they would still be paying for "abortion" if an employee uses his paycheck for contraception. One might even go so far as to conclude if they have a right to dictate where their compensation goes, they may screen all their employees for contraception use and fire any employee who is found to be using it.

Effectively value shifts hands from employers to employees be it hard currency or a broad service. In both cases the employee has the choice not the employer.

All of this being said, I don't quite understand why the healthcare law ever included the free contraception rule. Why is contraception held above other drugs / procedures? Its illogical especially when you consider that there are already avenues for people to get free or low cost solutions from providers.

Edited December 2, 2012 by Sousuke

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Regarding Health Insurance and Business, I recently had a thought. Healthcare is a benefit provided as part of a payment package. I wonder how legal it would be if businesses started to dictate how employees use their pay or vacation. For instance, one would think if an employer has an ethical problem paying for contraception that would extend to ones direct pay would it not? IE using the above company's reasoning, they would still be paying for "abortion" if an employee uses his paycheck for contraception. One might even go so far as to conclude if they have a right to dictate where their compensation goes, they may screen all their employees for contraception use and fire any employee who is found to be using it.

Effectively value shifts hands from employers to employees be it hard currency or a broad service. In both cases the employee has the choice not the employer.

All of this being said, I don't quite understand why the healthcare law ever included the free contraception rule. Why is contraception held above other drugs / procedures? Its illogical especially when you consider that there are already avenues for people to get free or low cost solutions from providers.

Why shouldn't an insurance company pay for contraception? It prevents pregnancy. Which is far costlier to the insurance group.

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Why shouldn't an insurance company pay for contraception? It prevents pregnancy. Which is far costlier to the insurance group.

I've noticed a trend of late where less and less plans actually included maternity coverage. In my area, most of the companies, out of say 30 available plans, will have maybe 2 plans that include that coverage.

For the plans that do cover pregnancy, it does make sense. But has there been a mandate for free coverage of other preventative items like major vaccines that a child might need to enter school (you can probably tell I have no children as this might already have been covered in previous laws etc....I don't really know)?

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

Why shouldn't an insurance company pay for contraception? It prevents pregnancy. Which is far costlier to the insurance group.

Exactly, and women are not being handed out free contraception. The Affordable Care Act just made it so certain preventative care would be provided without co-pays and deductibles. Women still have to pay for their insurance coverage like anyone else, and many plans already included contraception in their prescription drug policies, but now they must provide them in their plans and without any added out of pocket expenses on top of what they pay per month for their insurance plan coverage. http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2011/08/womensprevention08012011a.html

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

I've noticed a trend of late where less and less plans actually included maternity coverage. In my area, most of the companies, out of say 30 available plans, will have maybe 2 plans that include that coverage.

For the plans that do cover pregnancy, it does make sense. But has there been a mandate for free coverage of other preventative items like major vaccines that a child might need to enter school (you can probably tell I have no children as this might already have been covered in previous laws etc....I don't really know)?

Yes, it started a couple years ago: http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2010/09/affordable-care-act-immunization.html

[Usui Takumi 1,562]

Yes, it started a couple years ago: http://www.healthcare.gov/news/factsheets/2010/09/affordable-care-act-immunization.html

What have you done! I just learned something in the P&R forum! The end is near!

[KayDeeCee 4,893]

What have you done! I just learned something in the P&R forum! The end is near!