Update: Hobby Lobby Will Not Be Closing Any Stores
Four Winds 10 – by David Green, Founder and CEO Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.
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.
http://voicesunborn.blogspot.com/2013/09/hobby-lobby-may-close-all-500-stores-in.html
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.
———-
http://www.fourwinds10.net/siterun_data/religion_cults/news.php?q=1379949539
I have been saying for years that we are NOT a christian nation. This is unadulterated PROOF that it is so. I never dreamed I would see this kind of draconian behavior in my life time.
We are modern Babylon. Home base of the Talmud. It has been this way for a long time, but more apparent since the internet as the ponzi debt scam nears its end. The phoenix will be to recycle the method on a global scale.
Atlas will shrug.
Heartbreaking. I wonder the percentage
of employees arw going to choke down
the red pill now? Sheep are involuntarily
being woken up.
You can fool some people sometimes,
But you can’t fool all the people all the time.
So now we see the light,
We gonna stand up for our rights!
Even if it means the ruin of many.
Remember the Patriots of 1776
many were ruined themselves.
DON’T GIVE UP THE FIGHT!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q7iXcKKpdx0
🙂
It use to be the employer controlled what the insurance policy entailed.
This is purely ludicrous. The gov doesn’t care if your poor, jobless, and
downtrodden; easier to fence you in.
This little story was dreamed up by a cleaver GOP shill who gave the CEO of Hobby Lobby a few bucks if he agreed that the reason he’s going out of business is a little red pill and his Christian beliefs. I can smell a bull shiet story a mile away. The real reason Hobby Horse is going out of business is simple…the internet. I paint and I recently bought all my supplies on line and had them shipped to my door, no problem. It’s amazing the level Republicans will stoop to destroy The Affordable Care Act.
So…you’re then saying all of THESE companies….are pretty much doing the very same ? I think I know WHO it is who smells like BS….it’s you.
http://news.investors.com/politics-obamacare/092513-669013-obamacare-employer-mandate-a-list-of-cuts-to-work-hours-jobs.htm?fromcampaign=1
WTF? Joe in jt your tin foil hat is a little too tight. I know a few Christian business owners that are deliberating this very difficult option. None of them are as big as Hobby Lobby but are facing the same situation.
THE BOTTOM LINE STAND UP FOR ALL YOUR BELIEFS AND CONVICTIONS AT ALL COST OR SHOW YOURSELF TO BE AS FRAUDULENT AS THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT.
Save all you want buying online, just remember your neighbor who is now unemployed by your actions in refusing to support your LOCAL economy. Yes, I do make online purchases but 90% of my money is spent right here in local stores. If I have to shop in a chain store I beligerently go to Kmart/Sears. But you go right on buying your direct from China no American involved artsy fartsy shit. In the end I hope you realize that YOU cut your own throat!
One more thing Joe in jt, your last sentence exposed you for the TROLL you in fact are!
“It’s amazing the level Republicans will stoop to destroy The Affordable Care Act.”
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Joe in JT : I hope your head rolls.
You are a fool, have you seen their profits? We’ve all been shopping online for over a decade…
It’s happening to more of the smaller businesses also. The ones that employ 10-100 people are shutting down due to their religious convictions being violated. I don’t see any of the Zioturd run businesses having a problem except their customer base being eroded away due to customer unemployment. Most likely then they’ll be bailed out by gubberment.
Someone needs a good hard ass whoopin. I’m so freaking sick of seeing the destruction of our country fall apart on this computer screen. Just think of the many businesses whom are being chastised and aren’t speaking out about it. This is just a drop in a bucket.
The socialist puppet drawing the number 666 on the Chicago lottery, the very day he was placed into office. I knew then that it was going to be a long road for all whom believe in the Almighty. So far, the writing is clearly on the wall.
What they’re not saying here is if they plan on taking their operations overseas.
I’m sure “Hobby Lobby” is also suffering from the fact that day-to-day survival has become most Americans’ new hobby, and very few have time for model airplanes and basket weaving.
Exactly Jolly R., my thoughts exactly.
Makes me wonder if “Chick -Fil-A” is next since they are a Christian fast food business chain that strictly follows Christian values and is closed on Sundays as well.
Looks like Christians are the new jews …
Christian persecution will soon be outdistancing Muslim persecution by a huge margin.
They will be/are the # 1 target of the NWO.
Certainly they are aware that most of what their government does probably goes against their Christian beliefs. If they sit down and start picking things apart, they are going to find a hundred reasons to close their business based on those beliefs. Shutting down this company over one issue while ignoring all the others, and leaving hundreds of employees out of work is hardly the Christian thing to do. They need to be realistic.
The pill this fellow is discussing does not cause abortions. It prevents women from becoming pregnant. It does not do anything to a woman who is already pregnant.
If you are talking about plan B it absolutely does not cause an abortion.
Even if it does cause the embryo to discharge at this point, think about it for a second.
At this stage of development the embryo could become one people or six. It doesn’t hold a soul yet because its not even possible to determine how many would be there.
Insurance is compensation. The employees money, not yours.
Not withstanding that point how does firing all your employees and leaving them jobless seem more Christian to you?
How about Romans 13:1-7
http://www.gotquestions.org/laws-land.html
Business are forced to provide insurance that has thing against their beliefs!
Apparently you are not, you said it yourself…what their goverment does. It is not what they do. They do not want to! Thus they will close before they do. Closing a business versus keeping it open does not have anything to do with being a good christian. Operations outside of their beliefs does. Keep drinking your kool aid! One day NSA will see something you are doing and come get you!
We hope you win your lawsuit but it would be so wrong of you to close. As a company you are walking your belief of God by closing on Sunday and playing your music. If you close so many of your coworkers will be unemployed. You bring such beauty and happiness to craft people who love to create beautiful things.
If you don’t succeed in your lawsuit please do not close your great company that brings such pleasure to people.
I think of myself as an independent. Some people may consider me liberal.
There are so many different religious beliefs. I myself don’t belive in abortion. My belief is not base on religion rather my own spiritual belief. How can healthcare needs or wants be based on religious beliefs ? What would happen to employees that worked for a company owned by someone who belives in Scientology ? Would we tell them it’s ok to offer no healthcare at all? Just because it’s included in a healthcare plan doesn’t mean you have made the choice to use the pill.
I love your stores. It’s a long drive for me, but i can easily spend hours walking the aisles full of inspiration. I would be very saddened if your stores were to close. Almost as sad as the remote possibility of one of your employees using their healthcare to purchase a “morning after pill” would have you see them all unemployed with no healthcare at all. Christianity – the root word – Christ. I don’t believe Christ would react the same way. He would probably spend a little extra to offer family planning education and teach love instead, I think.
Christ went into the temple with a rod and smashed it literally to hell when it did something it was not supposed to. Interesting to see how many of the left try to force us to drink their kool ade. We know better! We are much more educated than that and the laws, first and second amendments are just that, laws! You hate them enough to ignore them. But we are not! I believe in them and am pushing back. Drink your own kool ade!
Please stop this it will but so many good people out of work. May God bless you all. I will say many rosaries for you all.
Good. Learn to follow the law and realize Christianity is not the only religion. Our country was founded because of differences in religion, so respect everyone.
My larger problem with your stance is how many people you will put out on the streets with NO JOBS!! How moral is that?? People are smarter than you are giving them credit for!! They can think for themselves!
Tax money has been funding things like Planned Parenthood for years, but I don’t recall seeing Hobby Lobby saying they were going to close up shop because paying taxes violates their rights as Christians. Just more posturing by overzealous conservative religious fanatics. I think Jesus said something about rendering unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s and unto God, that which is God’s. Maybe I’m missing the meaning between the lines, but I don’t see anything that says “as long as you agree with it.” If you want to protest, fine, but at least be consistent.
Are all of your employees Christian? If they are, then I am sure they will not use this birth control option, even if it is available to them. Right?
Employers should NOT be able to dictate health care choices/options for their employees. Do you cover vasectomies? Viagra?
This article is b.s. for one very simple reason
I am sure the very first time a customer doesn’t have enough
To pay for their purchases your Christian principle
Is thrown out the window, how any millionaire can
Call themselves a Christian is beyond me I am a college student
I survive by debt yet I would be willing to bet a higher percentage of my
Refund check has went to charity then your millions lately
While being against funding abortion is admirable the truth you
Won’t tell us is your fat cat @$$ doesn’t want to fund healthcare
Before calling yourself a Christian or portraying yourself as one
Again PLEASE find where Christ says millionaires are welcome in
Heaven I missed that part.
I have a question. Let’s say that you and I go into a fast food restaurant, and decide to share a meal. The burger costs $2.50 the drink costs $1.50, and the fries are $1.00. Then we notice that there’s a value meal that is $2.99. The only problem is, the value meal comes with fries. You don’t like fries, maybe you even have a religious objection to fries. Does that give you the right to demand that I pay more for my half of the burger and drink, AND buy my fries separately, because you don’t like fries?
That’s pretty much what you’re talking about here. Group insurance plans that cover birth control cost less, they have done since long before the ACA. I don’t see how you can argue that you’re PAYING for them at all when the overall cost will go down for both you and your employees.
I’m sick of people getting mad about the way a man wants to run his business. If he wants to shut it down, sure you can be mad, but its his right to shut it down. We as a nation have truly lost our way. We were supposed to be a free nation but are told what we can/cannot do with our own property. I am truly saddened by the amount of people who think that all of these laws that are passed are good for our country. I am afraid we are truly lost.
this is a very sad day for us and the people who work for your company..we love your company..i hope you never closes..it a great and wonderful company…with the help of GOD,will pray it stays open..good luck..
My wife and I commend you for standing for Christian beliefs. We shop at Hobby Lobby and hope it does not close. Our prayers are with you.
You make your profit from China bought merchandise. China has forced abortion and sweatshop working conditions. Maybe you need to rethink those so called “Christian principles”.
Do they pay for viagra?
Its is a terrible thing that the country of “land of the free; home of the brave” and freedom of religion could or would force a company to go against their religious beliefs or be fined excessive amounts of money. They should back down but if they don’t, just remember “your never wrong to do the right thing.” And although Christians may seem to lose here at times; there will some day come a day we will be rewarded for anything we lost for the good of GOD.
This is definitely a tragedy…
What is this world coming to.
Besides that…
Where in the hell am I gonna get parts for my RC plane that has two meat cleavers for landing gear to chase off intruders off my land from my laptop.
A very very sad day indeed.