Hobby Lobby Faces Liberal Boycott After Suing Over HHS Mandate

National   |   Steven Ertelt   |   Sep 17, 2012   |   12:50PM   |   Washington, DC

The Christian crafting store company Hobby Lobby drew praise from pro-life advocates last week for filing a lawsuit against the Obama administration over its HHS mandate that forces religious employers to pay heavy fines for not funding abortion-causing drugs and birth control for employees.

Now, a new report indicates liberals are organizing a boycott of the company in response, making wild-eyed claims that Hobby Lobby somehow wants to deny basic health care or even cancer treatments for women. As the Examiner reports:

Hobby Lobby and Mardel, Inc. are currently fighting a boycott by those who claim the company will next try to stop from providing cancer treatments.

“They could do such things as not cover cancer treatment because it’s “playing God”. Hobby Lobby has NO right to deny certain procedures or medications that are LEGAL to their employees based on their own beliefs.”

The company’s Facebook page is currently filled with both inflammatory and insulting comments and others who show the company their support. It seems that in this matter, many have claimed that Hobby Lobby has no right to interfere with their employees lives in such a manner.

Many others claim that not only does the government not have a right to force people to engage in activities that go against their religious beliefs, but also that no one is forced to work at Hobby Lobby. If an employee does not like the health care plan at a job, they have the option to quit.

One boycott web site features a circle and cross out of the Hobby Lobby logo and the following statement:

Even if you’re pro-life this kind of action stinks to high heaven! If things like this can be allowed then what’s next?! They could do such things as not cover cancer treatment because it’s “playing God”. Hobby Lobby has NO right to deny certain procedures or medications that are LEGAL to their employees based on their own beliefs. Specifically denying a women the morning after pill could potentially force a rape victim to have her rapists child. I find this whole thing to be revolting and I cannot and will not support this company anymore.

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.

CLICK LIKE IF YOU’RE PRO-LIFE!

 

“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.