Hobby Lobby
Gay groups pull support for anti-discrimination bill over religious exemption
By Heather Adams — July 9, 2014
WASHINGTON (RNS) The American Civil Liberties Union and four gay rights groups said they can no longer support the Employment Non-Discrimination Act in the wake of the Supreme Court's decision in the Hobby Lobby case over contraception coverage, which allowed some businesses to claim a religious exemption in following federal law.
COMMENTARY: Why a religious exemption would not open the floodgates
By Kirsten Powers — July 9, 2014
(RNS) Religious exemption opponents claim it would relegate gays to second-class citizens. But religious institutions in the U.S. already enjoy exemptions to discriminate in hiring, including refusing to hire women in senior leadership.
Wheaton College gets a pass from Supreme Court on contraception mandate
By Richard Wolf — July 7, 2014
WASHINGTON (RNS) "Those who are bound by our decisions usually believe they can take us at our word. Not so today," Justice Sonia Sotomayor said after the Supreme Court granted an exemption from the contraception mandate to Wheaton College.
Should Congress repeal the law behind the Hobby Lobby case?
By Lauren Markoe — July 3, 2014
WASHINGTON (RNS) The Hobby Lobby case revolved around the question of whether an employer had to cover all types of birth control, including ones that their religious convictions held out as morally objectionable. But it hinged on little-known RFRA.
Questions remain on contraception coverage after ruling
By Jayne O'Donnell — July 3, 2014
(RNS) Observers remain divided over just how broadly Monday's Supreme Court decision in the case brought by crafts retailer Hobby Lobby and cabinet maker Conestoga Wood Specialties should be read and whether it could also apply to businesses that aren't closely held.
LGBT workers may feel impact of Hobby Lobby ruling
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — July 1, 2014
(RNS) The next religious liberties faceoff may be between LGBT workers and private business owners who, the Supreme Court says, have religious rights.
ANALYSIS: Hobby Lobby beat the contraception mandate. Here’s why the nuns may not
By David Gibson — July 1, 2014
(RNS) The Health and Human Services Department has already offered an accommodation to faith-based nonprofits that allows them to sign a waiver giving a third-party administrator permission to take care of the birth control coverage.
Supreme Court Rules for Hobby Lobby
By Lauren Markoe — June 30, 2014
(RNS) The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that Hobby Lobby, as a closely held private company, has religious rights and does not have to provide employees insurance that covers all birth control methods mandated by the Affordable Care Act.
The ‘Splainer: RFRA and the Hobby Lobby case
By Kimberly Winston — June 30, 2014
(RNS) What is this RFRA of which the Supremes speak? Stay with us and there’s ice cream, cake, a puppy and even hallucinogenic drugs in it for you.
Five takeaways from the Hobby Lobby case
By Lauren Markoe — June 30, 2014
(RNS) Corporations can't pray, but they do have religious rights -- and other takeaways from the Supreme Court decision in Burwell v. Hobby Lobby.
Awaiting Supreme Court’s Hobby Lobby ruling, public favors contraception mandate
By Cathy Lynn Grossman — June 23, 2014
WASHINGTON (RNS) In showdown of business owners vs individual choice on free contraception, the public has made its call. Soon the Supreme Court will weigh in.
Southern Baptists pray for ‘favorable’ Hobby Lobby ruling
By Adelle M. Banks — June 11, 2014
BALTIMORE (RNS) “God, we ask for a favorable, favorable ruling by the Supreme Court of the United States for the cause of religious liberty,” prayed the Rev. Ronnie Floyd, incoming president of the Southern Baptist Convention.
COMMENTARY: An honest assessment of the Southern Baptist Convention
By Jacob Lupfer — June 10, 2014
BALTIMORE (RNS) I once assumed the worst of Southern Baptists: anti-intellectual, homophobic and possibly even racist authoritarians who cared mostly about their own power. Then I got to know some of them.
Survey: Majorities support requiring companies to abide by controversial contraception mandate
By Sarah Pulliam Bailey — June 2, 2014
(RNS) The poll from Public Religion Research Institute comes as the Supreme Court prepares to issue its decision in a challenge to the contraception mandate filed by the evangelical owners of the Hobby Lobby arts and crafts chain.
COMMENTARY: Is the Hobby Lobby Bible elective objective?
By Stephen Prothero — May 13, 2014
(RNS) I do not doubt that Steve Green wants to produce a non-sectarian Bible textbook. I am skeptical, however, that the scholars that Green has assembled for this job are capable of producing a textbook beholden to facts rather than faith.
