Government Tramples 1st Amendment in Hobby Lobby Case

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.

–U.S. Bill of Rights, Amendment I

Often we hear of 1st amendment issues related to religion in our country. Rarely do those issues actually fit what the amendment establishes. Notice that the amendment only restricts what Congress (the government) can do. For the people this amendment guarantees the free exercise of religion.

2013 begins with a most egregious trampling on this amendment by our government. The business Hobby Lobby has found itself in the crosshairs of the federal government’s legal assault rifles. Why?

Because the leaders of Hobby Lobby refuse to provide the Obamacare mandated abortion pill coverage in their company’s health care policies. The stance of Hobby Lobby should be no surprise. They are a business established on Christian principles. They find reprehensible that the government would require of them to pay for that which violates their Christian beliefs. The government has responded that since they are a business, they cannot claim a Christian stance.

While Hobby Lobby challenges the government ruling in court, our government has decided to fine Hobby Lobby $1.3 million a day for non-compliance with the Obamacare mandate.

That is $1.3 million a day. Outrageous.

Even if it were $1 a day, that would still be a travesty.

Americans should be raising their collective voice against this trampling of The Bill of Rights.

For a perspective of Hobby Lobby’s culture, watch this video of it’s leaders describing its founding principles (less than 5 minutes). This is the kind of business which should be celebrated, not criminalized.