HOBBY LOBBY MAY CLOSE ITS DOORS

Hobby Lobby may be forced to abandon founding principles or go out of business-- 

Letter from Hobby Lobby Stores CEO 

By David Green, the founder and CEO of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. 


When my family and I started our company 40 years ago, we were 
working out of a garage on a $600 bank loan, assembling miniature 
picture frames. Our first retail store wasn't much bigger than most 
people's living rooms, but we had faith that we would succeed if we lived 
and worked according to God's word. From there, Hobby Lobby has become 
one of the nation's largest arts and crafts retailers, with more than 
500 locations in 41 states. Our children grew up into fine 
business leaders, and today we run Hobby Lobby together, as a family. 

We're Christians, and we run our business on Christian principles. I've 
always said that the first two goals of our business are (1) to run our 
business in harmony with God's laws, and (2) to focus on people more 
than money. And that's what we've tried to do. We close early so our 
employees can see their families at night. We keep our stores closed on 
Sundays, one of the week's biggest shopping days, so that our workers 
and their families can enjoy a day of rest. We believe that it is by 
God's grace that Hobby Lobby has endured, and he has blessed us and our 
employees. We've not only added jobs in a weak economy, we've raised 
wages for the past four years in a row. Our full-time employees start 
at 80% above minimum wage. 

But now, our government threatens to change all of that. A 
new government healthcare mandate says that our family business 
MUST provide what I believe are abortion-causing drugs as part of 
our health insurance. Being Christians, we don't pay for drugs that 
might cause abortions, which means that we don't cover 
emergency contraception, the morning-after pill or the week-after pill. 
We believe doing so might end a life after the moment of 
conception, something that is contrary to our most important beliefs. 
It goes against the Biblical principles on which we have run this company 
since 
day one. If we refuse to comply, we could face $1.3 million PER DAY in 
government fines. 

Our government threatens to fine job creators in a bad economy. 
Our government threatens to fine a company that's raised wages four 
years running. Our government threatens to fine a family for running its 
business according to its beliefs. It's not right. I know people will 
say we ought to follow the rules; that it's the 
same for everybody. But that's not true. The government has 
exempted thousands of companies from this mandate, for reasons of 
convenience or cost. But it won't exempt them for reasons of religious 
belief. 

So, Hobby Lobby and my family are forced to make a choice. 

With great reluctance, we filed a lawsuit today, represented by the 
Becket Fund for Religious Liberty, asking a federal court to stop this 
mandate before it hurts our business. We don't like to go running 
into court, but we no longer have a choice. We believe people are 
more important than the bottom line and that honoring God is more 
important than turning a profit. 

My family has lived the American dream. We want to continue growing our 
company and providing great jobs for thousands of employees, but the 
government is going to make that much more difficult. The 
government is forcing us to choose between following our faith 
and following the law. I say that's a choice no American and no 
American business should have to make. 

The government cannot force you to follow laws that go against 
your fundamental religious belief. They have exempted thousands of 
companies but will not except Christian organizations including the 
Catholic church. 

Since you will not see this covered in any of the liberal media, 
pass this on to all your contacts. 

Sincerely, 

David Green, CEO and Founder of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc.