Friday, April 12, 2013

HOBBY LOBBY MAY CLOSE




By David Green, the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

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 healthcare 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 its
business according to its 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.

The government cannot force you to follow laws that go against your
fundamental religious belief. They have exempted thousands of companies
but will not except Christian organizations including the Catholic
church.

Since you will not see this in the liberal media, please pass this on
to all your contacts.

Sincerely,

David Green

CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.

I am thankful for Christian business leaders who will actually stand on their faith. This is a real issue in USA!
Hal
  
<Fwd: HOBBY LOBBY MAY CLOSE>


5 comments:

Anonymous said...

David Green, with all due respect. You are nobody's God. You are subject to the same rules God has placed on any man. If a man wants to cut off his hand, or poke out his eye or kill another man, they have to deal with God, not you.

One thing you must remember, 'Judge not that you are not judged'.

So here you are, can't discriminate against the people you hire, and yet, you are deciding that the people you hire, in their private time are going to fornicate or in the act of sex in their marriage and conceive a child that you won't know about because they will use your insurance policy to go get a pill to kill.

Somehow you think it has to do with you.
It's not about you.
These people whoever they are and working for you may NEVER do that. May never go out and buy anything that will kill in the womb but may go out and buy a gun that will kill outside of the womb.

You can't push 'your beliefs' on someone else.
You may believe that when it's your time to go, it's your time to go, and someone else may believe that they want to be kept alive even artificially for as long as possible. Your insurance will pay for that.

You may believe the body is a temple and should not be used for ungodly or blasphemous things, and someone may not be able to pay a bill and have sex with a friend who'll pay their rent. If they get an STD, they are going to use your insurance to treat it.

So stating your beliefs so strongly
"But now, our government threatens to change all of that. A new
government healthcare 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. "

Means nothing as you cannot decides someones right to life, liberty, property, speech, religion, or any other decision they make when they have to answer to the same God for what they do.

Anonymous said...

equal for all. If you do not feel you like the idea of conception, easy don't use it. But don't tell me that you will think for me, and tell me what you think I should do. If your beliefs are strong enough, that's great for you.

Anonymous said...

if you dont like the company beliefs or what they stand for don't work there. plain and simple. christian company.

Anonymous said...

David Green. you and your greedy family should go out of business...I hope that you lose millions on the law suit...any company that hides behind religion as a way of not doing "the right thing" for employees. You don't eliminate "dick jackers" and "fix a flat" pills for men-----but you have a problem paying contraceptives for your female employees. Where are your female managers.. Maybe you want need any soon...BECAUSE MANY AMERICAN WOMEN WILL NO LONGER BUY ANYTHING IN YOUR STORES...WE ARE SICK OF CRYING COMPANIES...WE CAN SPEND OUR MONEY ELSE WHERE..AND WILL..........................

Anonymous said...

Here's a novel idea....pay for YOUR OWN birth control, stop trying to force taxpayers or employers to pay for it, freakin lazy and obviously liberal.