Christian groups are already citing the recent Hobby Lobby Supreme Court decision as a justification for why they could not follow one of President Obama’s potential executive order related to the hiring and firing of LGBT employees.
In a related report by The Inquisitr , the Hobby Lobby decision is also already affecting the Obamacare birth control mandate since some Christians believe that all 20 types of contraceptives required by the Affordable Care Act conflict with their religious beliefs.
The pending “executive order would prohibit federal contractors from discriminating against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people in hiring practices.” In response, representatives of various religious groups have written a letter to Obama saying:
“We are asking that an extension of protection for one group not come at the expense of faith communities whose religious identity and beliefs motivate them to serve those in need.”
Interestingly enough, the people who are representing these Christian groups are all Obama supporters. For example, Michael Wear, president of Gordon College, directed a 2012 faith outreach program in order to help get Obama re-elected. Another two were members of Catholics for Obama and another three of those involved in this effort are former members of the President’s Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships.
The reason President Obama decided to do the executive order in the first place is because the House of Representatives — led by Republicans — had refused to pass certain parts of the 2014 Employment Non-Discrimination Act (ENDA). But these religious leaders also note that the Senate-passed version of ENDA also included a religious exemption:
“Our concern about an executive order without a religious exemption is about more than the direct financial impact on religious organizations. While the nation has undergone incredible social and legal change over the last decade, we still live in a nation with different beliefs about sexuality. We must find a way to respect diversity of opinion on this issue in a way that respects the dignity of all parties to the best of our ability. There is no perfect solution that will make all parties completely happy.”
Unfortunately, Obama has promised to ignore the checks and balances required by the U.S. Constitution, which is why John Boehner’s lawsuit is all about the so-called “abuse of power.” In response, Obama claims the fault really lies with Republicans:
“Republicans in Congress keep blocking or voting down almost every serious idea to strengthen the middle class. This year alone, they’ve said no to raising the minimum wage, no to fair pay, no to student loan reform, no to extending unemployment insurance. This obstruction keeps the system rigged for those at the top, and rigged against the middle class. And as long as they insist on doing it, I’ll keep taking actions on my own.”
The White House Twitter account has even gone so far as to claim Obama will bypass Congress whenever he can:
“We can’t afford to wait for Congress…and that’s why I’m going ahead without them when I can.” —President Obama
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) June 27, 2014
What do you think about Obama’s LGBT executive order? Should Christian groups be allowed to cite the Hobby Lobby ruling in their defense?