Well, it has certainly hit the fan.
No, I don’t think Hobby Lobby really hates women, but I have seen people on social media say that.
Within a day, the nation has drawn up lines and split in two (yet again) over the recent Hobby Lobby case before the Supreme Court.
One jokester even put it like this:
Conservative Xians: HOORAY, Hobby Lobby. HOORAY, Jesus!
Liberal Xians: #%!#@ Hobby Lobby. The world is doomed.
It certainly does seem to be how Christians are taking sides. Personally, I just don’t see the left’s side.
Baffled by liberals who are denouncing the #SCOTUS/#HobbyLobby decision as being against woman's freedom. You've had no freedom removed. 😐
— Chris Linzey (@chrislinzey) July 1, 2014
Some points to consider:
1. Hobby Lobby is not denying women access to contraceptives, they ask not to be forced to pay for particular contraceptives (and they do cover others).
2. If women want a particular product they are still allowed to go get it on their own.
A friend recently railed against employers dictating medical decisions to women.
Some workplaces cover things like medical, dental, auto, etc. Other workplaces cover nothing. But we have the freedom to go find what we want if we’re willing to pay the price. No freedom is being restricted. No one is being told, “YOU CAN’T DO THAT!” There is not loss of liberty or freedom.
No religious belief is being imposed on anyone. People are still free to believe and act how they want. Being required to pay for your own decisions is not the same thing as having a religious belief imposed on you.
Coming from a biblical perspective, I’ve seen people say, “The Bible calls us to respect and submit to authority. Shouldn’t we just accept the healthcare law without saying anything about it?”
Biblically, no.
When the Apostle Paul wrote about submitting to authority he was writing to people who lived in a time and place who had only two options: submit or rebel. You couldn’t lawfully change the emperor’s mind. So Paul instructed Christians that rebellion is not the way of Jesus. But we don’t live in that kind of society. In a democratic republic we have the option of participating in forming laws and petitioning to change laws that shouldn’t exist.
Christians can work within the system to make (from our perspective) a positive change in society. There is nothing biblically wrong with that.
“But, Chris, isn’t that forcing our opinions on others?!”
All laws force opinions on others. The question is: who will have the winning opinion?
At the end of the day, I’d rather have laws that reflect a Christian worldview than laws that reflect an Atheist worldview.
The day will come (indeed, it is already fast approaching) when the Christian worldview is completely overturned. When that happens, and we no longer have legal recourse, then Paul’s admonitions once again apply: submit rather than rebel. Rebelliousness is not a quality of Christ.
Until then, there is nothing wrong with Christians using the legal system to protect our beliefs and values.
Follow @chrislinzeyI know this is a hot topic for many people. I welcome all comments as long as you keep it civil and respectful. 🙂
Related Post:
– Hobby Lobby and Taking a Stand for Faith
Chris Linzey 
Even your own insurance company dictates what they will and will not cover, so I don’t understand the issue with this. The Muslims are allowed to not have any insurance and no one fusses. The devil is having a field day, for sure!
LikeLike
Pastor Chris,
I hate how everything has become a “right.” I have doubts that marriage is driving this push for mandatory contraceptives. I can understand that most married women simply don’t want to have a child every time they have sex with their husband. However, I don’t think that’s the majority of women who say we “hate” them. It seems many liberal women have adopted “Sex and the City” mantra: “I can have sex like a man.” They want to pursue illicit relationships without the consequence of pregnancy. This problem has also driven abortion on-demand. Yet, pregnancy is not a “consequence” in marriage, neither is an unborn child merely a “fetus” (or the even worse term, “parasite”). The Hobby Lobby case represents the gross moral decay of American society, of which its worst sinners want us to literally pay them for their evil deeds.
LikeLike
I’ve never been in one of these stores, so my opinion is under-qualified. I think your arguments are well-reasoned. My concern is over a different aspect – a change in the balance of power between the rights of a group affiliated for trade (corporation) vs protections afforded to individual employees.
The central intent of the PPACA is to reduce cost and improve health outcomes. You do that by insuring more people for more time for more health conditions. Every time you add an exemption, it reduces the number of those covered, and increases cost. I’m not really arguing on a moral basis. Just doing the numbers.
LikeLike
Interesting point. Out of the 20 types of contraceptives mandated by the ACA, Hobby Lobby covers 16. They only object to 4. In this particular instance, the objective of the ACA (to provide care) is still met without demanding the owners/operators violate their belief system.
Thanks for the insight.
LikeLike
Exactly. If a patient is advised to use one of the exempted 4 methods by their medical provider, they must bear the cost themselves, a greater amount than if covered by the employer’s insurance plan, which is purchased at a lower cost because it’s a group doing the buying.
You’re welcome 🙂
LikeLike
From what I understand, they objected on grounds of conscience to the four that can or might cause the death of a developing child in the early embryonic stage, if conception has occurred.
LikeLike