Fortnight for Freedom: Right to Practice Faith in Business

Pope Francis defines “polite persecution” as being persecuted “not for confessing Christ’s name, but for wanting to demonstrate the values of the Son of God.” During the next week we will look at a few U.S. trends and initiatives that endanger religious freedom. We hope to stir some reflection on them in the light of our Catholic beliefs.

The Right to Practice Faith in Business
You probably heard the U.S. news media reports about the Hobby Lobby Store owner’s lawsuit concerning the Affordable Health Care Act.  The Supreme Court’s decision was that Hobby Lobby, a for-profit business, could opt out of the contraceptive mandate in the new health care law. Click on the link below to read a U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) report on this. Also below is a link to a subsequent USCCB action, the filing of a friend-of-the-court brief with the U.S. Supreme Court supporting Hobby Lobby and another company, Conestoga, in their challenges to the Health and Human Services mandate.

Link:  The Right to Practice Faith in Business

Click here for more information on the USCCB’s filing and  link to the filing.

Click here to go to the Pew Research Center for more information on the topic.  The Pew Research Center, unaffiliated with any church or party, is a “nonpartisan fact tank” which seeks to inform the public about issues, attitudes and trends without taking policy positions.