Hobby Lobby’s secret agenda: How it’s quietly funding a vast right-wing movement

[undeterred]

Exclusive: How entities related to the company are quietly pumping tens of millions into a mélange of fringe causes
Eli Clifton

David and Barbara Green, co-founders of Hobby Lobby Stores Inc. (Credit: AP/Hobby Lobby/Tony Gutierrez)

Hobby Lobby says it’s just trying to protect its religious freedom. The family-founded and -run company is closed on Sundays, has an employee manual that includes biblical references, and announces on its website its commitment to “Honoring the Lord in all we do by operating the company in a manner consistent with biblical principles.” The company got in hot water last year when an employee told a blogger that no Hanukkah decorations were stocked "because Mr. Green is the owner of the company, he’s a Christian, and those are his values.”

Though the company went on to apologize, the battle for its Christian identity was revived this week when lawyers for the company argued before the Supreme Court that the company should not have to comply with the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate. The issue, says Hobby Lobby co-founder Barbara Green, isn’t that the company wants to meddle with women’s rights to take contraceptive drugs. “We’re not trying to control that,” she said. “We’re just trying to control our participation in it.”

But a document published here for the first time reveals Hobby Lobby appears to be going much further than protecting freedom, providing funding for a group that backs a political network of activist groups deeply engaged in pushing a Christian agenda into American law. The document shows entities related to the company to be two of the largest donors to the organization funding a right-wing Christian agenda, investing tens, if not hundreds, of millions of dollars into a vast network of organizations working in concert to advance an agenda that would allow businesses to discriminate against gays and lesbians and deny their employees contraceptives under a maximalist interpretation of the Free Exercise Clause of the United States Constitution.

That network of activist groups has succeeded in passing legislation in Arizona requiring women to undergo an ultrasound before an abortion, banning taxpayer-funded insurance paying for government employees’ abortions, defining marriage as a union between a man and woman, and funding abstinence education. And there’s evidence that its efforts go well beyond the borders of the Copper State.

http://www.salon.com/2014/03/27/hobby_lobbys_secret_agenda_how_its_secretly_funding_a_vast_right_wing_movement/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=socialflow

[Jacoby365]

1. With this latest revelation

I predict Hobby Lobby sales will plummet. Within the last week, I needed a specific product that the store carries, but I went out of my way to find another retailer that had the same product. I doubt I am the only one.

[undeterred]

2. Now everyone knows what THEIR hobby is.

And that they are LOBBYing for it.

[SunSeeker]

4. LOL. Exactly. nt

[nykym]

3. After I learned that

Hobby Lobby had provided provide 16 of the 20 different types of contraceptives in the mandate – just not the four drugs and devices that can allegedly cause abortions.
I started to wonder what this was really all about.
If they win it just lays the groundwork to challenge Roe vs Wade, Being able to discriminate against groups you do not like, Basically anything the religious right wants to change for their benefit.

[charmay]

5. Dangerous people with a dangerous agenda.

[pansypoo53219]

6. VAST rite wing conspiracy exists.

[undeterred]

7. Read the google reviews about my local store:

I really like Hobby Lobby as a store in general. The people at this location are absolutely terrible. Their customer service is terrible, they always have an attitude even when you trying to be friendly. When I went in there one time the employees were talking behind another employees back right in front of me. SO RUDE. They need to hire new employees!! I will not return to this location.

Very low-quality craft goods, toxic smelling store. Everything in the store is made in China. The smell of plastic outgassing & fake cinnamon is overpowering. The chain discriminates against non-fundamentalists in hiring - numerous complaints have been brought against them by wiccans, lesbians, & trans people. They are major financial contributors to Jerry Falwell's "university" dominionist "Liberty University" - so if you shop here and re not a neo-con, you might want to re-think that.

the positives for the store are its reasonably clean and stocked with just about any craft project you could need.The cons are customer service is TERRIBLE the emplooyees are rude and not customer friendly at all and the prices are fairly high on some products I needed embroidery thread the price for one skein of thread was 4 times the price of the very same thread at JoAnns sorry Hobby Lobby I will only buy from you if I have no choice .

An excellent source for crafts & hobbies. Prices are reasonable, and 40% off one item coupons are found in the Sunday newspaper and in promotional emails sent to you if you sign-up to receive. They offer a wide variety of merchandise of various quality and price so families of all income levels can enjoy a craft or hobby. The owners' Christian beliefs and values has influenced some of the merchandise they offer or don't offer, and store hours, but that's the extent of it. I am bothered by all the Made in China products, and checking out can be a wait, but if they were located closer to East Towne I'd shop there all the time.

Not a very knowledgeable staff. I was told to use a the wrong type of glue on a photography project. After debating with a couple of the staff telling them I was sure rubber cement is the best product to use and they insisted they were avid scrap bookers and that this other glue was the best choice, since they didn't carry a rubber cement in any containers larger than 8 ounces. I purchase their glue...it ruined over $200 of my art. I should of went with what I learned and KNEW in art school and have used for 20 years..I could kick myself. But I could kick them even more.

I love that Hobby Lobby is not open on Sunday. What a way to honor the family than to not make the employees work on a day. The American family is torn apart by so many things, it is nice to see a business who truly puts family first. Thanks Hobby Lobby.

As other mentioned, this store is closed on Sundays. You are a fool if you think this is about spending time as a family or finding time to worship. Not all faiths worship on Sundays and those that do usually have services on Saturday afternoons. I doubt employees work every day so they have plenty of time to spend with their families. This is about saving money for the corporation. If the store doesn't open one day a week they save tons of money on not just employees salaries but also the cost to run the facility. With so many people struggling to get by you would think that if Hobby Lobby were really concerned with families they would open their stores on Sundays and give working families more flexibility to shop there and their employees more opportunities to pick up hours and save for cars or college. Fortunately there is a Shop Ko next door. Go there if you can. There are other craft stores in town if you can't find what you are looking for.

This place is no longer worth my time, the employees have to worst customer service i've ever experienced. I'll be taking my business elsewhere

[blkmusclmachine]

8. It's called Christian Dominionism, or New Apostolic Reformation Theology. It's pushed by "THE FAMILY

the shadowy rightwing religious Cult that owns Frathouse For Jesus and hosts the annual DC event known as the Presidents Prayer Breakfast.

Check it out in Jeff Sharlet's expose': "THE FAMILY: The Secret Fundamentalism at the Heart of American Power" (HarperCollins, 2008)

[santamargarita]

9. Nobody is denying these assholes their religious freedom!

I get sick of that lame ass excuse using religion as front for pushing some draconian bullshit!