Rob Rogers for December 03, 2013

The owners of Hobby Lobby are entitled to their personal religious beliefs. They are not entitled to impose their religious beliefs on others whom they deal with in their business, whether it’s employees or customers.Employee benefits like health insurance are part of the compensation for working. Would anyone tolerate an employer who refused to allow their workers to spend their paycheck on pork ribs? Hobby Lobby is trying to tell their employees what the benefits they earned can be used for.If an employer that offered matching money for charitable contributions, refused to match money donated to faith-based charities, the same people arguing for Hobby Lobby would flip-flop.

Word is that Hobby Lobby has removed all coat hangers from the women employee’s rest rooms as well.

Got it backwards. Why are daddy corporations in the bedrooms again?

Let’s extend all this to unions and see what the Democrats say…

FACT: Hobby Lobby’s health plan did pay for birth control — up until when the Affordable Care Act passed.

Not to start an argument, but I would certainly appreciate someone helping me to understand: If you are against abortion, why are you also against access to birth control? I am not meaning to stir discontent, I just cannot understand the “logic”. Please enlighten me.

“you don’t like it, don’t work there! "

Agreed. And I will go one better: I won’t shop there. Nor do I eat Chic-Fil-A. They each have every right to believe what they want, to promote what they want, and to require what they want out of their employees. I have an equal right to support them, or to choose to support their competitors instead. If we’re smart, we can all vote with our feet.

You might want to revisit that Nantucket19. Unions regularly fleece their members for political contributions and causes often without asking them..http://sayanythingblog.com/entry/scotus-rules-against-seiu-forcing-non-members-to-pay-for-union-political-activities/.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/10/huffpost-fundrace——unio_n_1663589.html.http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/10/labor-unions-campaign-finance-wall-street-journal_n_1662427.html

“better be careful you might get your liberal hate card revoked.”

Never had one. I am supposing that you never had a conservative hate card, either.

Lots of people love Chic. More power to them. I personally feel that if you feel that your company has to promote your version of morality, you are not only pandering to those who believe as you do, you are also inviting those who disagree to leave your establishment. I have left many establishments for just that reason.

And it’s not all about religion/morals/values: I will never willingly buy a Firestone tire. They made the 721 radial in the 1970s; they blew out, and people died. Firestone denied for months; then it came out from their employees that they knew all along and continued to make and promote the tires. Then they did it again with their Wilderness ATs. Same story, different decade. I’m worth more than saving a few bucks (maybe) on tires; I won’t buy a product that the producers know ahead of time will kill me.

Also, sodium gives me migraines, so I couldn’t eat Chic-Fil-A even if I wanted to: there’s over 1000 mg of sodium in each of their sandwiches.

“They don’t want to provide it with benifits. So? Can an employee buy it with their own money? Yes? So what is the problem? "

I see your point, but do not accept it. I do not find war to be beneficial. The last war that had a point to it was WW II, and I, ever the pacifist, would have probably joined that effort, because there was a point, and it was just. Viet Nam? Grenada? Gulf Wars 1 through 3000? Not a chance.

So, can I sue the feds through the Supreme Court to ensure that I don’t spend any tax money supporting the war machine? If I can’t choose what my money pays for, what gives Hobby Lobby that right? And since I don’t have that right, neither should Hobby Lobby.

One last thing: how much will it cost taxpayers to defend the feds against this and all the other employer-driven lawsuits? Hobby Lobby wants to challenge the law? Fine; let them pay our attorney’s fees when they lose.

Hmm, for a twist on an older theme: A corporations shall be recognized as a “religious person” , when one can be circumcised?"

“So do you still support Obama and Obamacare?”

You make a very good point, thanks. As you should know by now, I am intensely disappointed in Mr. Obama and his administration. I still think that both Mr. McCain and Mr. Romney would have done far more damage to the country and the world. I can be wrong; I think I was wrong at least once before.

You should also know that I am not thrilled with Obamacare. Most presidents since Mr. Nixon have tried and failed to change a system everyone knew would collapse, so I have to give props for getting SOMETHING done. Too bad that something wasn’t better. I still wish for single payer, both as a doctor and as a patient. Mr. McCain had no announced plans for health care. Mr. Romney’s plan, as I have explained before on these pages, was doomed to sooner and more spectacular failure than is Obamacare. So, I am only a luke-warm supporter. When the Republicans stop sending smart and capable candidates, like John Huntsman, to Siberia for believing in science and for not having a zero-tolerance attitude toward abortion, and stop running candidates who try to out-crazy one another, I’ll be happy to vote for one.

“But that is not what this is. It is a tax/penalty that is being required that a private company has to pay.”

Ah, but if it’s a tax, and corporations are truly people…..my argument stands.

I could put it a different way: I think that if people had more responsibility, our national epidemic of high blood pressure and diabetes would not be nearly so dire. So, why should I, as a healthy-eating, regularly-exercising person, be forced to pay for other peoples’ irresponsibility? Regardless of forum, I see that every law has parts we might like, and parts we don’t. It’s not a la carte. We can’t substitute broccoli for French fries.

Against birth control? Don’t use it.

Against abortion? Don’t have one.

Own a business in America? Comply with American laws.

“The ONLY reason that the powers that be want ALL citizens to pay for it is to make them all APPROVE of it through complicity.”The money being talked about comes from employee benefits, money that those employees earned. Taxpayers don’t pay for any abortions, except in cases of rape, incest or when the mother’s life is at risk. Republicans have tried to remove some of those exemptions, but failed after massive public backlash.I won’t even get started on things like war, spying and corporate subsidies that those opposed to have to pay for, regardless of their approval..

If it is wrong for Hobby Lobby not to sell Jewish decorations, should Kosher delis be required by law to offer pork to employees and customers who want some?It’s sad that non of the conservatives caught that logical fallacy. I knew it wasn’t really relevant when I included it, but felt like it helped highlight Hobby Lobby’s attitude that their beliefs should be valued above others.

That, is a Big Fat Lie. Planned Parenthood can’t use any of the federal money it receives for abortions.

Again, while they are Federal Employees being paid with tax dollars, you are talking about money for benefits that they earned. It’s their money. I suspect even most of the GOP staffers will pick policies that cover abortion & birth control.Would you feel better if we strip employer subsidized insurance out of the system & just give everyone cash to go buy whatever insurance they want? Seems like the easiest solution to the ‘conflict’.