Why Rick Warren and 37 Other Christians are Joining the Hobby Lobby Fight

Religion News Service ^ | 1/30/14 | Jonathan Merritt

[marshmallow]

A group of influential Christian theologians and pastors announced on Wednesday their support of businesses like Hobby Lobby who are fighting against the HHS contraception mandate. In a 46-page amicus brief filed with the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS), they argued that the mandate violates the First Amendment rights of Christians who believe that all work is sacred.

The list of 38 signatories includes pastor Rick Warren, Bishop Harry Jackson, theologian Wayne Grudem, author Ravi Zacharias, and other Christian influencers. The convening organizations listed on the brief includes Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Coalition of African American Pastors, and Manhattan Declaration, a movement of conservative Christians fighting “for life, marriage, and religious liberty.”

The brief argues that Christian doctrine requires that faith govern every aspect of a believer’s life, including their God-ordained vocation. Because Christian doctrine prohibits “the enabling, authorizing, or aiding of another” in sinful activities, the document argues, Christian employers and employees should not be required to pay for or provide contraception that includes abortion-causing drugs.

Daniel Akin, president of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, a school with five faculty members listed in support, is concerned that employers are going to be forced by the government to provide medical services “that they have good reason to find morally unconscionable.” Akin told me he believes that the contraception mandate is just another flaw in Obamacare, but he thinks the stakes are much higher than that.

“I am convinced this is a critical issue that if Hobby Lobby loses, a door is open for further infringements on religious liberty and freedom of conscience,” Akin said. “That this is even on the table signals a new day, and not a better one, in matters of religious liberty and matters of faith.”

In a statement provided to Religion News Service on Thursday......

[Repeat Offender]

Rick Warren....the Profit Driven Church

[Greetings_Puny_Humans]

“It was a major contrast to Rev. Billy Graham who took out full page advertisements in the Sunday before the 2012 election to leave no doubt about where he stood. I respect Rev. Graham for that.”

---

I’m not sure how removing Mormonism from the cult page of their site, purely for political reasons, is all that respectable though.

[Shery]

If HL loses this, so does ANYBODY working in a hospital setting (nurses, scrub techs, etc.) where an abortion could be given. When they became legal in 1972 in NYC, I left the OR because we would NOT have the option of declining if we were called to do one and we were on call. If not on call, we could ask to switch places with another nurse, should one come into the OR because the L&D was too busy. However, if on weekend call, we’d have no “conscience” waiver. I left my best-loved job over that! I loved working in the OR.

If one worked at a hospital where they were performed, I’d say that the hospital COULD fire a nurse for refusing to work an abortion case, if the Hobby Lobby case is not favorable. This would destroy the First amendment’s protection of religious rights.

[Gamecock]

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[Mrs. Don-o]

I don't think he endorsed Obama. He was looking to draw him out on subjects like abortion. -- get him to talk about it.

And that in itself is a good thing, since abortion is so repugnant that if you get get the borts to talk about it, normal people are simply disgusted.

[Gamecock]

Not sure if he actually endorsed the dear leader, but Warren certainly schmoozed up to him.