The controversy with Hobby Lobby began in 2012 when the US Supreme Court ruled that family-owned businesses could opt out of providing contraception coverage to employees if it violated the owners’ religious beliefs. This ruling was a victory for Hobby Lobby, a chain of craft stores owned by evangelical Christians, which had challenged the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate.
The problem with the ruling, however, is that it creates a double standard when it comes to religious freedom. While Hobby Lobby and other businesses are allowed to discriminate against employees based on religious beliefs, employees themselves are not given the same protections.
For instance, an employee who is a devout Christian could be fired for refusing to work on Sundays, even though their religion prohibits them from working on that day.
What’s more, the Hobby Lobby ruling is based on a narrow definition of religious freedom that only applies to certain types of businesses. The court ruled that “closely held” businesses – those owned by a small number of people – can opt out of providing contraception coverage if it violates the owners’ religious beliefs.
But “publicly held” businesses – those owned by shareholders – are not given the same protections.
This means that large corporations like Walmart and Coca-Cola can continue to discriminate against employees based on religious beliefs, while smaller businesses are given a free pass. This double standard is unfair and unjust, and it needs to be addressed.
The controversy with Hobby Lobby began in 2012 when the US Supreme Court ruled that family-owned businesses could opt out of providing contraception coverage to employees if it violated the owners’ religious beliefs.
The problem with the ruling, however, is that it creates a double standard when it comes to religious freedom. For instance, an employee who is a devout Christian could be fired for refusing to work on Sundays, even though their religion prohibits them from working on that day.
What’s more, the Hobby Lobby ruling is based on a narrow definition of religious freedom that only applies to certain types of businesses. But “publicly held” businesses – those owned by shareholders – are not given the same protections.
This means that large corporations like Walmart and Coca-Cola can continue to discriminate against employees based on religious beliefs, while smaller businesses are given a free pass.What was the controversy with Hobby Lobby? The controversy with Hobby Lobby began in 2012 when the US Supreme Court ruled that family-owned businesses could opt out of providing contraception coverage to employees if it violated the owners’ religious beliefs.
