Hobby Lobby president: 'Christians must fight for religious freedom in America'

Hobby Lobby owners the Green Family claiming that mandated coverage for certain birth control violates their religious freedom rights AP

The president of Hobby Lobby has urged Christians to stand up for religious freedom, insisting that "there are struggles that have never been faced before."

Steve Green, son of the craft shop's founder David Green, said Christians now face greater adversity from the US government than ever before, Raw Story reports.

"There are struggles for religious freedom in America," he said on a video at an event held by First Baptist Church of Charlotte, North Carolina. "Just a few years ago we never would have imagined we would have filed suit against our own government, the government that we love.

"But there are challenges. There are struggles that people of faith are facing today that have never been faced before."

Green urged Christians to "stand up and let their voice be heard through the ballot box, and if need be, to file suit".

"If we don't stand up and fight for the freedoms that our founders fought for then we very well may lose some of those," he warned.

In June, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Green family who had refused to offer employees the morning after and week after pills as part of Hobby Lobby's health insurance plans.

In a landmark decision, justices ruled by a 5-4 majority that closely-held businesses can uphold religious objections which allow them to opt out of contraceptive health law requirements as set out in Obamacare legislation.

A committed evangelical Christian, owner David Green has willingly provided other contraceptives under his healthcare plan, but has refused to be complicit in what his family sees as potential abortion.

"These abortion-causing drugs go against our faith, and our family is now being forced to choose between following the laws of the land that we love or maintaining the religious beliefs that have made our business successful and have supported our family and thousands of our employees and their families," Green said in a statement last year.

"We simply cannot abandon our religious beliefs to comply with this mandate."

On Sunday, Steve Green added: "The bottom line is we believe that life begins at conception, and for us to be a part of taking that life violates what are deeply held beliefs are, and so we just said we didn't want to freely provide those or pay for them for employees.

"That doesn't prevent them from having access to them, but for the government to tell us that we had to provide those to our employees for free was a problem for us and why we decided that we had to file suit.

"We cannot be part of taking life, whether it [the court case] was a win or a loss, we just felt like we were in God's hands and whatever cost he would of have asked us is what we would be willing to pay."

Watch Green's speech below:

related articles
Hobby Lobby and the morning after pill: Supreme Court verdict due
Hobby Lobby and the morning after pill: Supreme Court verdict due

Hobby Lobby and the morning after pill: Supreme Court verdict due

Supreme Court rules in favour of Hobby Lobby in landmark contraceptive case
Supreme Court rules in favour of Hobby Lobby in landmark contraceptive case

Supreme Court rules in favour of Hobby Lobby in landmark contraceptive case

Hobby Lobby and the morning after pill: a victory for religious liberty?
Hobby Lobby and the morning after pill: a victory for religious liberty?

Hobby Lobby and the morning after pill: a victory for religious liberty?

How will Obama and Cameron solve the tolerance vs religious freedom conundrum?
How will Obama and Cameron solve the tolerance vs religious freedom conundrum?

How will Obama and Cameron solve the tolerance vs religious freedom conundrum?

Transgender employee sues Hobby Lobby over restroom use
Transgender employee sues Hobby Lobby over restroom use

Transgender employee sues Hobby Lobby over restroom use

President Obama nominates first non-Christian as ambassador for religious freedom
President Obama nominates first non-Christian as ambassador for religious freedom

President Obama nominates first non-Christian as ambassador for religious freedom

News
Church cautiously welcomes Northern Ireland government programme
Church cautiously welcomes Northern Ireland government programme

The document outlines the governing priorities of Northern Ireland’s government.

Pope looks to Christ during 'period of trial'
Pope looks to Christ during 'period of trial'

In his weekly Angelus address, Pope Francis gave praise to God as the one who never abandons us, even in times of severe trial.

Ukraine imprisons Christian conscientious objector
Ukraine imprisons Christian conscientious objector

Serhy Semchuk was sentenced to five years and has had all appeals rejected

Homeless man charged with terrorism after 'fake' attack threat against Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church
Homeless man charged with terrorism after 'fake' attack threat against Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church

A homeless man alleged to have threatened a deadly gas attack on Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas, on Christmas Eve has been indicted on a federal terrorism charge.