[CS-FSLUG] OT: Hobby Lobby

[Fred A. Miller]

*Column: Christian companies can't bow to sinful mandate *

*By David Green *

When my family and I started our company 40 years ago 
<http://www.hobbylobby.com/assets/pdf/40years/40years.pdf>, 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 
<http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/Hobby+Lobby> has become one of 
the nation's largest arts and crafts retailers, with more than 500 
locations in 41 states <http://www.hobbylobby.com/stores/stores.cfm>. 
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 
<http://www.hobbylobby.com/stores/store_hours.cfm> so our employees can 
see their families at night. We keep our stores closed on Sundays, one 
of the week's biggest shopping days 
<http://timeuseinstitute.org/Grocery%20White%20Paper%202008.pdf>, 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 
<http://www.shoppingcenterbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=521:hobby-lobby-growing-with-purpose&catid=26:tenant-spotlight&Itemid=461> in 
a weak economy, we've raised wages 
<http://www.shoppingcenterbusiness.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=521:hobby-lobby-growing-with-purpose&catid=26:tenant-spotlight&Itemid=461> for 
the past four years 
<http://www.joplinglobe.com/local/x1236707216/Hobby-Lobby-has-raised-its-own-minimum-wage-by-1-an-hour-for-4-years> in 
a row. Our full-time employees start at 80% 
<http://www.bizjournals.com/sanantonio/news/2012/04/16/hobby-lobby-increasing-the-minimum-pay.html> 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 
<http://www.usccb.org/news/2012/12-021.cfm> 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 
<http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/health/2010-10-07-healthlaw07_ST_N.htm> 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/ 
<http://content.usatoday.com/topics/topic/People/Athletes/Auto+Racing/David+Green>/ is 
the CEO and founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. /

-- 
"Socialized Medicine is the Keystone to the Arch of the Socialist State."
--Vladimir Lenin

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