Huge Supreme Court Victory for Religious Freedom in Hobby Lobby Case
Posted by John Jansen (June 30, 2014 at 10:03 am)
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a stunning decision today affirming the religious freedom rights of business owners, ruling in a 5-4 decision ruling that “closely held corporations” cannot be forced by the Obamacare HHS Mandate to provide contraception, sterilization, and abortion-causing drugs to their employees.
In its opinion [PDF], the Court stated that the federal government failed to demonstrate that forcing private corporations to provide these drugs and procedures to employees—even if their owners have strong conscientious objections to them—is the “least restrictive means” of providing free access to them.
The decision in these cases, Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties v. Sebelius, was the very last decision issued by the Court this term, and it was surely the most anticipated decision all year. That being said, it’s hard to underestimate the significance of this ruling affirming the First Amendment rights of business owners.
“This ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby is a victory for all who cherish religious freedom,” said Eric Scheidler, executive director of the Pro-Life Action League and one of the national directors of the Stand Up for Religious Freedom rallies. “The movement that began with hundreds of protest rallies outside federal court buildings has just won a great victory inside the nation’s highest court.”
But the struggle to safeguard religious freedom is far from over, Scheidler notes. “The court will soon be reviewing other challenges to the HHS Mandate and other provisions of Obamacare that trample religious liberty and freedom of conscience. Today’s victory is a tremendous encouragement as these battles continue.”
Celebrate This Victory for Religious Freedom!
A victory rally will be held in Chicago’s Federal Plaza [map] at 12 noon today to celebrate this court victory, and celebration rallies are being planned in many other cities across the country as well.
Why not hold a victory rally in your town to celebrate the Supreme Court’s ruling? If you do, you’ll want to do it by tomorrow evening at the latest.
The victory rally will have to be a fairly simple event, with so little time to plan. We suggest a half-hour rally with the the following format:
- Opening prayer of thanksgiving
- Brief explanation of the Hobby Lobby case and ruling
- Statements from guest speakers (optional)
- Singing of Hymns
- Final prayer
- Close with “The Battle Hymn of the Republic”
As for guest speakers, a clergyman would be a good choice, as would an elected official or candidate dedicated to the cause of religious freedom. But it you’re not able to find any special guests with such late notice, that’s okay.
If you do plan to hold celebration rally in the event of a Hobby Lobby victory, send out an email to all your contacts immediately so they’ll be prepared. Here’s a sample rally invitation email you can use.
You should also prepare a press release in advance about the victory rally. Here’s a press release template for you.
Can’t Hold a Rally? Then Celebrate Online!
Join in the Tweet Storm going on right now using the hashtag #religiousfreedom.
Here are some sample tweets you can use:
#SCOTUS ruling in @HobbyLobbyCase: a great victory for#religiousfreedom
Supreme Court victory in @HobbyLobbyCase! Employers don’t have to check their #religiousfreedom at the office door
Victory in @HobbyLobbyCase! #SCOTUS rules that #religiousfreedom means MORE than just freedom of worship
#SCOTUS decision in @HobbyLobbyCase: There is no loophole in the First Amendment that excludes people running a business #religiousfreedom
And click the image below to share on Facebook:
This is a good first effort; we still have to work to overcome the Griswold decision from 1965 that set things like this and abortion into motion. The truth is the contraceptive mentality from which this springs, always leads to the abortion, infanticide and euthanasia mentality. Protestants need to learn those truths, and that contraception is ALWAYS intrinsically evil, as Pope Paul VI stated with his magisterial authority in 1968.
June 30th, 2014 at 10:43 am
Thank you ,Dear Blessed Mother for you answered all your
Children’s prayers.We will continue praying for our freedom
and peace to our world.
June 30th, 2014 at 10:53 am
PRAISE GOD!!! THANK YOU, LORD JESUS CHRIST FOR CRUSHING ANTI-WOMAN, ANTI-CHRISTIAN, ANTI-LIFE legislation!
June 30th, 2014 at 11:45 am
Thank the good Lord & his Blessed Mother for this victory. I am afraid if this one would have been lost, that slippery slope every one refers to would have gotten a lot a lot more slippery.
June 30th, 2014 at 12:27 pm
Thank the good Lord & his Blessed Mother for this victory. I am afraid if this one would have gotten away, that slippery slope every one refers to would have gotten a lot more slippery.
June 30th, 2014 at 12:29 pm
Praise our Lord and Savior for answering our most fervent prayers! To Him be the Kingdom and the glory! But this is far from over as we must continue to work and pray on anything that threatens our God-given right to religious liberties/freedoms. While we must remain peaceful and respectful in our actions, we must be painfully cautious of those who will find other ways of bringing further sin and offense to our beloved nation, in the misguided concerns for women’s health. We do not demand that those who disagree with us, be forced to accept our ways; God has given all of us free will; they must follow their own path. Accordingly, we will all answer for our actions come Judgement Day. But we must never be forced to follow anything that keeps us from our religious convictions………otherwise it will become the stepping stone from democracy to Socialism/Marxism. God bless America! To You be the glory and honor, almighty Lord, as we thank you for hearing our prayers!
June 30th, 2014 at 2:39 pm
Dishonest packaging of contraception and abortion-causing drugs as “preventive health care” relies for its success on convincing women that healthy pregnancy (the epitome of a healthy reproductive system) is fundamentally dangerous and damaging to their reproductive health. It’s ironic that so many women have been gulled into believing that women’s bodies must be reprogrammed to incapacitate exactly what a healthy reproductive system is designed specifically to do. To render dysfunctional a healthy functioning system and call it health care is just ideologically driven nonsense.
June 30th, 2014 at 4:41 pm
Praise The Lord and Blessed mother for this
Great victory. We should keep praying the Holy
Rosary it is the best weapon against the Devil forces. Until
abortion be defeted all over around the world.
June 30th, 2014 at 7:35 pm