by Daniel Gardner

I can see why the Obama administration opposes Hobby Lobby in the latest round of cases before the Supreme Court. Hobby Lobby is an American success story about an evangelical family who has endeavored to serve customers and employees in God honoring ways.

According to their website, "Hobby Lobby officially began operation on August 3, 1972 with a mere 300 square feet of retail space, and has been growing ever since." David Green is the founder and CEO of the Oklahoma City-based business.

Today the privately owned company has 602 stores that average 55,000 square feet, and offers more than 67,000 craft and home décor products. That's a lot of growth in 42 years!

To what does the Green family attribute their success? They would answer not 'to what' but 'to Whom.' Read the values the family and company have maintained from the beginning as iterated on their website:

"At Hobby Lobby, we value our customers and employees and are committed to:

· Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with biblical principles.

· Offering our customers exceptional selection and value in the crafts and home décor market.

· Serving our employees and their families by establishing a work environment and company policies that build character, strengthen individuals and nurture families.

· Provide a return on the owner's investment, sharing the Lord's blessings with our employees, and investing in our community.

"We believe that it is by God's grace and provision that Hobby Lobby has endured. He has been faithful in the past, and we trust him for our future."

So, what does the Obama administration find so odious about this thriving, privately owned and family run business? Hobby Lobby refuses to pay for abortion-inducing drugs because the owners believe life begins at conception, a belief founded on numerous passages in the Bible accepted by hundreds of millions of believers around the world.

The Green family has said they believe paying for abortifacients would dishonor God. The Obama administration argues that Hobby Lobby must pay for abortifacients for their employees because the Affordable Care Act requires this, and paying for abortifacients is more important than a family honoring God in their own privately owned business.

Please understand, the Green family has provided health insurance for all their employees from the beginning, and has no problem covering contraception products that are not abortifacients. In other words, the Obama administration is prohibiting the Green's free exercise of religion and faith, and is literally forcing the family to commit murder (as myriad believers see abortion) or be driven into bankruptcy by tyrannical federal fines.

Also note the government has made many exceptions from laws for a variety of religious beliefs, including George Washington's exempting Quakers from fighting in the Revolutionary War. Other exceptions include exempting Muslims from having to transport alcohol, and allowing Catholics and Jews to drink wine during prohibition. The federal government has exemptions for believers and unbelievers alike that conscientiously object to participating in wars, assisted suicide, abortion, and prisoner executions.

President Obama promised to transform America, and he's kept that promise largely by ignoring or defying the Constitution and the God-given rights of all Americans. The Supreme Court should school President Obama on the Constitution.

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