Those of you who follow the news cycle as much as we do will know that this particular story took place a while ago; the reason we bring it up again is because it highlights a very important message that is going out in politics right now: That the individuals beliefs are subsumed and worth less than the Federal Government’s Agenda.
When free citizens no longer have a choice in how they run their businesses, we have to ask if there is too much State interference. The amazing thing about real Capitalism (not corporatism or cronyism as is so often mistaken for Free Market Capitalism), is that the market will eventually weed out the people who “go against the grain” for selfish reasons. If a business has a set of core values, then employees and customers can decide if they want to “buy into” those values. If those values are so far beyond the pale, then they will lose their staff and customers…This is freedom.
Right now, there are cases taking place across America that involve the large corporations seeking to have laws implemented or enforced in the name of “fairness”, that in reality will fiscally harm small to medium businesses. These mega corporations do not do this out of “goodness”, but to increase regulation and operating costs that their local competitors can’t handle. Corporatism, not Capitalism.
We’ve witnessed this before throughout human history, religious persecution by treacherous regimes, some outwardly showed their contempt for those of faith and came in the dead of night burning down synagogues and destroying churches, while other regimes quietly imposed strict restrictions and mandates, while still other governments sought to denigrate and change the culture from within their own societies, and while the degree of persecution was different, all had one thing in common, to stop and or limit religious freedom.
And Hobby Lobby may be the next victim of this administration’s attempt to impose its secular will on those that follow Christian scripture.
In an open letter the founder and CEO David Green reveled that he may close down all 500 stores in all 41-states, because of religious persecution by the Obama Regime.
The personal and heartfelt letter emotionally chronicles Green’s battle with the government and his commitment to follow God’s teachings, even if it means, that after 40-years of being one of the most recognizable and well received stores in America, he will close down his business.
The move comes in the midst of a lawsuit just filed by the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, asking a federal court to stop the Obama mandate which would force Hobby Lobby to provide birth contraception drugs, in the form of abortion-causing drugs, which goes against Christian doctrine.
It’s a moral stand that I doubt someone like Obama understands, however men like David Green have no problem in sacrificing their business, to him it’s a price that some must pay, if one follows the way of the cross.
Here is Hobby Lobby CEO David Green’s open letter in its entirety:
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.
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 in the liberal media, please pass this on to all your contacts.
Sincerely,
David Green
CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.
(via: FFS)
