Should companies like Hobby Lobby have the religious freedom to opose elements of ObamaCare?

Wouldn't this mean the board/owners all share the same faith? So what's to stop them from hiring future employees based on their beliefs? You can't tell me a Catholic practices their faith the same way a Methodist does? I'm well aware Mr. Green's faith is based in the Assemblies of God.

I'm troubled to see that the Court offered no legitimate argument as to why a businesses could not also prohibit blood transfusions. Even though Justice Alito said the decision only applies to the birth control mandate, it's opened the door to everything else that an employer can deny coverage on based on religious beliefs.

What's to stop a much larger profit based corporation from using its religious beliefs to opt out of federal law. I guess while I look for employment, I should be aware of the religious beliefs of potential employers. How about this for a recruitment tool for a potential pool of female Soldiers, "Tricare does cover contraception' (HEAVY SARCASM)

I think a lot of people are missing the fact that Insurance Packages are part of a person's compensation at a business, and not some benevolent gift by your employer. You work for your insurance. Money a company pays into insurance is NOT their money, it's YOURS. The only reason it's in a group fund and not your paycheck is because it's more cost effective to pay for plans as a group. Having a business dictate what is covered in your insurance is no different than them dictating what you do with your paycheck.

Now one way to avoid this pitfall is seeking insurance coverage through one of the exchanges(State or Federal). An employer can't tell you what to do know can they. But what's to stop a doctor where you visit from saying they aren't covering this or that based on their religious beliefs.

Ironically, Hobby Lobby has about $73 million invested in the company that makes the Plan B morning-after pill, another that makes a copper IUD, the maker of the abortion-inducing drugs and health companies that cover surgical abortions.

MAJ Carl Ballinger, absolutely correct, it had nothing to do with either. But as Justice Ginsberg stated in her dissenting opinion "Would the exemption…extend to employers with religiously grounded objections to blood transfusions (Jehovah's Witnesses); antidepressants (Scientologists); medications derived from pigs, including anesthesia, intravenous fluids, and pills coated with gelatin (certain Muslims, Jews, and Hindus); and vaccinations[?]…Not much help there for the lower courts bound by today's decision." The door has now been opened.

MAJ Carl Ballinger, that actually made me laugh out loud.

Got to give you a thumbs up for that Sir!

The taxes are with in the power of the government, birth control is not a right or in the powr of anything

If you're forcing beliefs for or against a particular religion, that's a violation of religious freedoms.

Apologies, Sir. It made sense in my head but it got lost from there to my fingers.

You have Hobby Lobby. The owner is a Christian with strong beliefs and values. Along comes the government with this new mandate saying "all businesses have to provide x,y, and z". Well x and y go against the religious beliefs of the owner and the morals that he used to build his company. To force the owner or the company to follow that mandate to the letter is a violation of religious freedoms because it forces the individual into a choice instead of allowing them to make a choice based off of their beliefs.

On the flip side, I'm sure that there are a large number of people out there saying "Well this guy is forcing his beliefs down everyone else's throats" etc, etc. That too could be considered a violation of religious freedoms in a sense, although I'm sure that most of the people that the company employs share a similar set of beliefs.

I don't know if that clarifies anything at all. My ability to articulate is a bit rusty.

MSgt Folsom - I'm liberal on some things, conservative on others. I'm on the right when it comes to gun laws and on the left with most social issues. But I would call myself independent considering I also hold a lot of libertarian views.