Hobby Lobby has won a Court of Appeals ruling that recognizes the religious beliefs of the Christian owners. It is by no means a complete victory over ObamaCare, but it is a start.
In a 165-page decision, a divided 10th Circuit found that Hobby Lobby and its smaller affiliate Mardel, a Christian-oriented bookstore and educational supply company, have a right to religious freedom under federal law.
Five of the nine judges found that the company met at least some of the requirements needed for temporary protection from the mandate while the lawsuit proceeds, and that their religion-based claim is likely to succeed.
“Because the contraceptive-coverage requirement places substantial pressure on Hobby Lobby and Mardel to violate their sincere religious beliefs, their exercise of religion is substantially burdened,” a majority of the judges concluded.
ObamaCare forces people to violate their religious beliefs by helping pay for artificial contraception and abortion-inducing drugs they find to be an affront to human dignity and the sanctity of life. Those who dare to defy government’s mandate are assessed a penalty.
