Friday, January 04, 2013

Hobby Lobby Shopping Day

Hobby Lobby Shopping Day 

Saturday, January 5th! 

Please shop in-store or online to show your support for this company and the stand David Green and his family are taking for freedom.



The following letter was written by David Green, the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. Let this be a wake-up call to those who have yet to grasp how the threat to individual freedom and religious liberty makes its way into our lives. 






Screenshot from www.becketfund.org/support-hobby-lobby/


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 health care 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. 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 it’s business according to it’s 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.



David Green, CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

It's doubtful you will see this in the liberal media, so please pass it along and don't forget to show your appreciation by shopping Saturday, January 5th, online or in-store at Hobby Lobby.

See also: Articles: Hobby Lobby and the Loss of America's Soul

11 comments:

  1. Thank you, Liz. I shared this on my facebook page.

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  2. I was reading about this earlier this morning in the news. I will be at Hobby Lobby tomorrow to show my support!

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  3. makes me sick that we are forced to do what they tell us! I believe that people can choose for themselves, even if that means they have a different opinion...what makes me sick is that the want to force down out throat what they believe...

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  4. Good for them. Way to take a stand. I hope and pray they win!

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  5. On the contrary,I will NOT shop at Hobby Lobby anymore. I liked the fact that they seemed to care about their employees by giving them time to be with their families but a line has to be drawn about them forcing their beliefs onto others. This is a free country. We have the right to choose for ourselves. My name is Kathy (no blog).

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    1. How are they forcing their beliefs on others? You still have the right to believe whatever you want if you work for them. Are they insisting you attend their church? Pray with them? You can still have an abortion & they will not fire you. You can take the morning after pill. They are not interfering in your rights whatsoever! Abortion inducing drugs are not your right. If you want an abortion or pills, you can still get them, but an employer should not have to pay for your CHOICE!

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  6. They probably won't be the only corporation filing a law suit. They're a good company and I love their store. We don't have one around here, but I must have spent at least an hour in there when I was out of town shopping last weekend. Thanks for sharing Liz.

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  7. . GOOD FOR THEM. I AGREE STANDING BEHIND YOU 100%. I WILL BE SHOPPING TODAY.

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  8. I agree with Hobby Lobby. Thank you for standing up to the governemtn.

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