At issue in the Hobby Lobby and Conestoga
cases, will be First Amendment arguments that the
contraceptive mandate violates the owners’ Free
Exercise rights as well as their rights under the Re-
ligious Freedom Restoration Act.
Specifically, Hobby Lobby said that the govern-
ment is mandating the company cover abortifacient
drugs and devices -- such as the morning-after pill
and Plan B -- in violation of their religious beliefs,
even as it concedes that doing so will violate the
Green family’s beliefs.
The Greens have said they have no moral ob-
jection to providing 16 of the 20 FDA-approved
contraceptives under the Department of Health and
Human Services mandate. The company provides a
broad range of contraceptives at no additional cost
to employees under their self-insured health plan.
Hobby Lobby’s brief calls on previous high
court rulings to counter the government’s reason-
ing that the Greens’ rights as individuals cannot be
exercised through their family-owned corporation.
The brief noted that this freedom does not “turn
on (the company’s) tax status,” adding that federal
administration cannot “divide and conquer” the
Greens’ religious liberties from those of Hobby
Lobby to make those rights “simply vanish.”
“Hobby Lobby’s latest brief brings into even
sharper focus the issue at the heart of this landmark
case: No one should be forced to give up their con-
stitutionally protected civil rights just to go into
business,” Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the
Becket Fund, said in a statement.
The filing demonstrates in no uncertain terms
that the government’s efforts to strip this family
business of its religious rights represent a gross
violation of the Religious Freedom Restoration Act
and the First Amendment,” he said. “We are hope-
ful that the Supreme Court will uphold the 10th
Circuit’s strong affirmation of the Greens’ rights to
live out their deeply held beliefs in every aspect of
their business.”
In a June 2013 ruling, the U.S. Court of Appeals
for the 10th Circuit found merit in Hobby Lobby’s
challenge of the mandate.
Brinker is a staff writer for the St. Louis Review,
newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.
Three diocesan schools bring home state soccer
championships
H
obby
L
obby
From page 17
The Sacred Heart Varsity Girls Soccer Team captured the MHSAA 1A/2A/3A State Championship on
Saturday, February 8th defeating South Pontotoc 3-0. This win gives the Sacred Heart team its second State
Championship title. Sacred Heart had wins over Resurrection Catholic School (6-0), St. Andrew’s School (3-
2) and Our Lady Academy (2-1) in playoff games leading to the State Championships. The team is coached
by Joe Falla, Sr., head coach, Jeff Flathau, assistant and Fr. Godfrey Andoh, team chaplain.
The St. Patrick Fighting Irish routed the Forrest Bearcats 6-0 on Feb. 8 to win the 1A/2A/3A boys soccer
state championship. The Fighting Irish are coached by Mario Camps. This was St. Patrick’s first state
championship.
The St. Stanislaus Rockachaws captured the school’s sixth state 4A championship with a 5-0 shutout of
Florence. St, Stanislaus finished the year at 17-1. The Rockachaws are coached by Ryan Joiner.
18
Gulf Pine Catholic
•
February 28, 2014
