Will the Supreme Court Ruling Slay the Real Giant?
The Hobby Lobby case unfolds like a modern-day David versus Goliath: David Green, the evangelical conservative founder of this arts and craft chain, challenges the powerful Obama Administration over a facet of the unpopular Affordable Care Act (ACA) that requires all employers to cover the costs of contraceptives and abortifacients, which business owners of faith find morally reprehensible. Under the ACA, refusal to comply brings a daily fine that could threaten their very existence. Now, in the temple of the Supreme Court–today's culture battlefield–Hobby Lobby confronts the Obama Administration, arguing that they should not be forced to violate their principles just to stay in business.
Undoubtedly, religious freedom advocates would claim a ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby as a huge victory. It would expand the rights of employers of faith and create a precedent to fight other forms of government coercion and compulsion.
But would a win for this David be a victory for what really matters?
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Consider this: most religious people believe abortion is abhorrent. Many have access to benefits that they find offensive, yet they choose not to use them. In fact, for most Americans with medical insurance from nonreligious employers, their coverage and access to prescriptions and procedures will continue as usual regardless of the outcome of this court case. And sadly, a ruling for Hobby Lobby will likely neither reduce the number of abortifacients sold nor the number of abortions performed. That's because this court case overlooks the real issue: demand.
And that's the real opportunity for David's everywhere.
Remember, ancient Christians succeeded in using their personal influence to change the hearts and minds of their neighbors. Hobby Lobby and other religious employers could do the same, discovering the greatest way to use their influence is not to win legal battles over employers' freedoms, but spiritual battles over employees' souls. That means believers today must be more concerned about defending their ability to share their religious convictions with others than they are about what prescription drug coverage their employer-sponsored medical plan currently provides.
Will God help David slay the Obamacare giant so that employers avoid offending their consciences? Perhaps. But I think He's more interested in how we exercise our religious freedom: Are we using it to show love and compassion to our neighbors? Do we take advantage of our liberties to help others? Have we used our free speech rights to promote a culture of life and affirm the value of all of God's children regardless of gender, race, ethnicity, or creed?
This is the battle for religious freedom that really matters.
