Hobby Lobby Challenges Obamacare Mandate and Faces Boycott

Hobby Lobby Stores Inc., a Christian-oriented hobby and craft store, filed a federal lawsuit on Wednesday. The company is challenging a mandate in the nation’s healthcare law, dubbed “Obamacare”, that would require the Christian company to pay for the morning-after pill. The hobby and craft chain, based out of Oklahoma City, claims in the lawsuit that the government mandate is forcing them to “to violate their deeply held religious beliefs under threat of heavy fines, penalties and lawsuits”. If Hobby Lobby stores do not provide the drugs in their company health insurance plans, they could be fined up to $1.3 million a day. Hobby Lobby is self-insured. The company will be forced to comply with the mandate by Jan. 1, which is the start of its insurance year.

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.

Read more at The Examiner.