While I can understand a genuine desire to be allowed to practice one's own religious beliefs, I'm concerned about how that has translated into this latest legal action involving Hobby Lobby and the Affordable Care Act.
It looks as though Hobby Lobby is attempting to impose their religious beliefs upon their employees. Even though the employees may not share Hobby Lobby executives' religious beliefs, there is an attempt to trap them into making choices as though they share those beliefs. This seems controlling and oppressive to me. Hobby Lobby could allow employees to have access to birth control, then do what they can to influence employees not to use it.
In general, humans have a tendency to rail against control (rebel) and be attracted to influence. A teenage girl may devise a plan to wear a makeup to a party because she's moving away from the angry control of her parents and towards the relaxed influence of her friends. She was forbidden to EVER wear makeup by our parents (control). Her friends casually let her know that they will be wearing makeup to the party (influence). We're drawn to fall in line with the influence (All my friends will be wearing makeup at the party and I'll be the only one who isn't! That can't happen!). We rebel against the control (I can't wear makeup? We'll see about that!).
A wife may go out with her friends once a week--more often than her husband is comfortable with. He tells her he doesn't want her going out with them any more than once a month. Beyond the possible disrespect, belittlement, and resentment she may feel, she may have an urge to now go out twice a week, just to spite her husband's attempts at control and to continue to enjoy the pull of the influence of her friends. The husband tells her what she is and is not allowed to do, the friends simply invite her out to a movie (with no attempt at controlling her).
If Hobby Lobby really were interested in changing the kinds of reproductive choices their employees were making, it would seem that they would take a more influential approach, as opposed to attempting to wield their power over employees in the form of control. Then again, I suppose the issue could be more about saving money than actually helping employees make specific decisions.
What are your thoughts?
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