The Supreme Court’s decision on Monday ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby, Conestoga Wood, and Mardel and their right to refuse provision of certain forms of contraception as part of their employee health care programs caused a firestorm of responses from Christian denominations. With the exception of the first statement, which is presented in its entirety, the quotes below are excerpts from the various press releases issued today. Click on the denomination name for links to the full statements.
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of the United States Council of Catholic Bishops:
“We welcome the Supreme Court’s decision to recognize that Americans can continue to follow their faith when they run a family business. In this case, justice has prevailed, with the Court respecting the rights of the Green and Hahn families to continue to abide by their faith in how they seek their livelihood, without facing devastating fines. Now is the time to redouble our efforts to build a culture that fully respects religious freedom. The Court clearly did not decide whether the so-called ‘accommodation’ violates RFRA when applied to our charities, hospitals and schools, so many of which have challenged it as a burden on their religious exercise. We continue to hope that these great ministries of service, like the Little Sisters of the Poor and so many others, will prevail in their cases as well.”
From Rev. Matthew C. Harrison, President of The Lutheran Church – Missouri Synod:
“While we rejoice in this strong upholding of religious freedom, this decision does not signal an end to this discussion. It simply emboldens us carry on, doing what we do best as Christians: praying, confessing the faith and living it out in our daily callings.”
Video of Russell Moore, President of the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) of the Southern Baptist Convention:
More information on the case from the ERLC found here.
From Leith Anderson, President of the National Association of Evangelicals:
“This is a big step toward preserving and deepening America’s religious pluralism. RFRA creates a level playing field for people from every faith, ensuring that Americans need not abandon their convictions when they open a school, charity or family business.”
From Dr. Jerry A. Johnson, President & CEO of National Religious Broadcasters:
“We rejoice with Hobby Lobby and Conestoga Wood Specialties today. This is a significant victory honoring Americans’ First Amendment freedom to live their faith in everyday life.”
From Rev. Harry Knox, President/CEO of the Religious Coalition for Reproductive Choice (RCRC), which represents the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, and the Presbyterian Church (USA) among other groups:
“No matter how closely-held, a corporation is still not a spiritual being – it does not pray or sit in the pews or bring casseroles to the congregational picnic like my family and I do. It is an insult to the uniquely sacred community cultivated by congregations to consider for-profit corporations legally synonymous with a religious institution.
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Soli Deo Gloria
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