BREAKING: Supreme Court Upholds Religious Freedom

Responding to Ben Stepanek (carrying on from comments on July 6th below):

Hi Ben, I am not afraid, I am simply sad that this is touted as a victory for religious freedom, which it is not.

You asked me to, "provide a single cogent reason, using the supreme court's own logic' as to how this will create some awful precident".

This supreme court ruling sets a COMPLETELY NEW precedent, that for-profit corporations should be considered persons who may have religious convictions.  This has NEVER occurred before, and allows that corporations may have religious freedoms which may be in conflict with the religious freedoms of individuals.

Allowing religious freedoms for corporations, necessarily dilutes religious freedoms for individuals, which is why this is an "awful precedent" for those who value individual religious freedoms.  Will it ever affect me, probably not, but it will affect someone, which is why I feel sad about the ruling, now enshrined as a precedent in case law.

The relevant words of dissenting Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg are a matter of public record, pasted below ...

http://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/13pdf/13-354_olp1.pdf
"Until this litigation, no decision of this Court recognized a for-profit corporation’s qualification for a religious exemption from a generally applicable law ...  The absence of such precedent is just what one would expect, for the exercise of religion is characteristic of natural persons, not artificial legal entities."

"Religious organizations exist to foster the interests of persons subscribing to the same religious faith. Not so of for-profit corporations.  Workers who sustain the operations of those corporations commonly are not drawn from one religious community.  Indeed, by law, no religion-based criterion can restrict the work force of for-profit corporations."

"The Court’s determination that RFRA [religious freedom] extends to for-profit corporations is bound to have untoward effects.  Although the Court attempts to cabin its language to closely held corporations, its logic extends to corporations of any size, public or private.  Little doubt that RFRA claims will proliferate, for the Court’s expansive notion of corporate personhood—combined with its other errors in construing RFRA—invites for-profit entities to seek religion-based exemptions from regulations they deem offensive to their faith."

The only reason this was allowed by the courts is because now it opens up the door for all religious groups to qualify for special consideration above the law. This is a victory for Sharia Law and nothing else.

I'm a Christian and I DO NOT feel like this is a victory at all and I'm not alone in that feeling.  Now, any corporation can try to deny ANY form of birth control for women who need it. The morning after bill is NOT an abortion and I have no concerns with it whatsoever. My employer should not have a say in my contraceptive use.  Period.  It's a sad day for America.

What worries me are the women who are being abused at home and want to keep their healthcare private from family inquires. Even though they will have freedom to choose what they do Insurance won't be paying, so this is money they may have to explain to an abusive husband who may want her "barefoot and pregnant". I think legalism can be a too much sometimes, and I am a pro life christian. I think a loving God would want to help these women to be free from bearing many children which could make them sick and even die in some cases.  I am also a healthcare worker so I have seen the seriousness of the other side of this issue. 

Why does a Hobby Lobby chain of more than 570 outlets have more religious freedom than it's thousands of employees.  There is something wrong with this picture.

Religious freedom is meant to protect the religious freedoms of the individual or church, not the religious convictions of a large company to tell it's employees what is right or wrong.

This is a decision in favor of religious conservative ideals, but it is not a decision in favor of religious freedoms for individuals.

I am a devoted Christian, and I hope I never have to work for a big business that has more "religious freedoms" than I do.

"Fundamentally these cases were not about abortion or contraception: they were about whether government can require faith-based groups to violate deeply held beliefs."

Good decision by the Supreme Court. I thank God that He is always in control and will never forsake us. I pray for our government leaders daily that God will bless them as they lead our great country. I believe that government has its place and purpose, but its definitely not in healthcare!

www.christianfamilytoday.com

This is very big and very welcomed news! It's not getting much press on the major news sites...hmmm, I wonder why (wink, wink)? Should we be concerned that the court split 5-4 on what should have been a no-brainer from the start? I think so. 

Praise God.  May all of Christ's church raise up, in love, to be the light that we are
called to be!

Congratulations to Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood!  This is a win for all of us.  Thank you for your dedication and determination to not allow the government to compromise your deeply held religious beliefs.  I applaud both of you and pray for the continued success of your businesses.   

High fives to the 5 justices on this one!  It gives me hope for our country after all.  It challenges me to continue praying and not give up.

This is the best gift we' have been given.     Thank the good Lord.