Hobby Lobby Wins !: Where Do We Go from Here?

Christianity Today ^ | 06/30/2014 | Ed Stetzer

[SeekAndFind]

The U.S. Supreme Court has given the Obama administration (and, hopefully the world) a lesson in the first freedom. I'm sorry it was necessary, but it was—the government cannot (and must not) require people of faith to violate their sincerely-held beliefs.

The High Court's Ruling

The ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties underscores religious liberty as our "first freedom." The freedom to exercise religion, enshrined in our Constitution's Bill of Rights, has been called "the cornerstone of the American experiment" because it is from our religious freedom all of our other freedoms flow.

Below is a graphic from a LifeWay Research study conducted in November of 2012, showing that most Americans support mandatory contraception coverage through ObamaCare.

Before the ruling, former U.S. Solicitor General Ken Starr pointed out that religious liberty was certainly at stake behind the legalese of the arguments being made by the U.S. government:

If the Supreme Court accepts the government's formalistic argument (that a corporation cannot exercise a right to free exercise of religion), it will deal an unnecessary blow to the cause of religious liberty and simply create incentives for families of conscience to carry on their business enterprise in another form. The Greens will, win or lose, be able to carry on and continue their admirable mission to serve a cause higher and nobler than their own commercial success. But something very valuable—the nation's historic commitment to religious freedom—will have been needlessly compromised.

[TexasRedeye]

Does anyone know how or if this affects the Little Sisters of the Poor’s case?

According to FOX, there are over 100 cases like Hobby Lobby pending in various lower courts. The decision today was a bell weather for other courts and only led the way for the other cases. If the other filings are substantially like the Hobby Lobby, the other cases will be summarily thrown out in favor of the litigants. The government will have no appeal.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks.

I was not aware of John.

[livius]

I’m going to have to wait for a smarter legal mind than mine to decipher this, but it seems that one of the very reasons they considered it unconstitutional in this particular case was because of the corporate structure of Hobby Lobby. So I’m not sure it does apply to different types of businesses or non profits.

[don-o]

Hayward writes for Human events

[ZX12R]

And, as is my usual, I volunteer to construct, sharpen and man the guillotine when the libs and RINOs are led up the stairs.

Don't sharpen it. If it gets dull, just add more weight, please.

[Maurice Tift]

  Not a lot of businesspeople these days have the courage to stand up for their convictions even when their living is on the line.

  Exactly! Threatened with 1.3 million in fines per day and they still said no. That's inspirational.

[don-o]

There is, of course, a danger in posting Tweets. Let’s see what Roberts actually says. Of course, also, he is under a great cloud of suspicion for his previous decision.

[Grampa Dave]

Thanks.

[11th_VA]

The decision was narrowly written, and they had to throw the 'Bend-Over Clause'(probably to get Kennedy to go along):

"does [not] provide a shield for employers who might cloak illegal discriminationas a religious practice."

[demshateGod]

“Where Do We Go from Here?”

Pitchforks, torches, tar, feathers. I know this decisions is favorable, but there’s no reason why we should be sitting on pins and needles waiting to see which liberty Kennedy thinks we should have.

[NonValueAdded]

>>RE: Evidently Kennedy is very troubled that this mandate/reg came from HHS/Sebelius and not a duly elected branch of government.

>Well, this is something that we should be concerned about. WHAT IF it came from Congress, is he then going to side with the liberals?

Yes, excellent point. The Kennedy statement at first holds promise but there is the concern that Congress can squeak one by, 5-4.

[don-o]

http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/hobby-lobby-wins-contraceptive-ruling-supreme-court/story?id=24364311

Here is the story that Drudge’s lurid headkine links to. I cannot find Roberts’ name at all. Lesson learned (by me)

[koanhead]

Unlikely. The decision specifically said it applied to one narrow issue (e.g. companies run by Jehovah’s Witnesses can’t decide to exclude blood transfusions).

[fatima]

From what I understand that was said.This is for a closely held corporation that is not traded.Best to incorporate.

[SoCalTransplant]

The butthurt on MSNBC is heartwarmingly epic.

[PghBaldy]

So am I reading what this means correctly: So only churches and closely-held private corporations have religious freedom. Ordinary Americans and other corporations do not?

[livius]

That’s the thing I don’t like about Drudge. I’ve felt my blood pressure rise many a time only to find out that the headline was, at best, an exaggeration.

[SZonian]

"Not to mention, there is also a judicial precedence from 2000 where the Boy Scouts of America were ruled in favor of having the First Amendment right, as a private organization, to exclude people from membership."

True, however, with the help of politically correct National Board members intent on instilling "diversity" at all costs, the BSA caved completely on their own...the BSA committed suicide.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: So only churches and closely-held private corporations have religious freedom. Ordinary Americans and other corporations do not?

You would read it correctly. But ALAS, that’s what’s happening to our country today. Justice Roberts essentially opened up this can of worms when he refused to declare Obamacare’s mandate unconstitutional.

We wouldn’t need to go the Hobby Lobby or Sister of the Poor route had Roberts done is job rightly.

[Gadsden1st]

“Can we please enjoy a win here? “

Sure, as the surfer said when he saw the tusami:
“Surf’s UP!”

Cartoon is clever.

I think some Jews in Germany might have said: Gee, this star is well made and I won, I don’t have to ride in the boxcar, I can ride on the open flat car.

Yep, a great day in America, I only have to pay for some contraceptives!

I just find it amazing that this is considered a Win.