Hobby Lobby: How the Hobby Lobby Lawsuit is Firing Up Christian Conservatives

The latest Obamacare lawsuit regarding the law's contraception mandate might be galvanizing the American Christian right, at a time when the religious group that helped elect former President George W. Bush is being counted out amid a post-2012 election liberal awakening.  

According to Christianity Today, the Obama administration might be helping Oklahoma City-based retail chain of arts and crafts stores Hobby Lobby become "the first martyr under Obamacare."

The store, which Christian owners oppose a provision in the health care legislation that requires them to pay for birth control methods, was refused judicial relief from the Affordable Care Act on December 26 — St. Stephen's Day, the day that honors Christendom's first martyr.

Though non-Christians might consider this as just a coincidence, Hobby Lobby's owners seized the opportunity to issued the following statement:

"The company will continue to provide health insurance to all qualified employees. To remain true to their faith, it is not their intention, as a company, to pay for abortion-inducing drugs."

If Hobby Lobby fails to comply with the law, the company could be fined with as much as $1.3 million per day  — which experts say would be "the death knell" for Hobby Lobby.

Unfortunately for the company, and its Christian owners, under the Affordable Care Act, Hobby Lobby is required to provide insurance coverage including "all Food and Drug Administration approved contraceptive methods, sterilization procedures, and patient education and counseling for all women with reproductive capacity."

And since Hobby Lobby believes some of these contraceptive methods may actually induce "early abortion," they sued the federal government for violating their "religious freedom." 

The lawsuit, and subsequent denial of judicial relief, has prompted support for the Christian-owned store with a "Hobby Lobby Appreciation Day," were reportedly thousands of store supporters shopped on and offline "in a show of solidarity with the owners' pro-life stand."