The Mandate
In 2012, the US Department of Health and Human Services issued a mandate requiring employers to provide insurance coverage for all FDA-approved contraceptives, including several that the Green family, founders of Hobby Lobby, believed could end a human life after conception. The Greens are devout Christians who had built Hobby Lobby from a single $600 loan in a garage into a $3 billion company with over 600 stores.
They were told: comply, or pay $1.3 million per day in fines.
The Decision That Could Have Ended Everything
David and Barbara Green didn't make this decision lightly. They employed over 28,000 people. The fines would have destroyed the company. Their competitors would have been thrilled. Financial advisors and legal teams warned them about the risk. Some told them to just comply quietly.
But David Green said something that reframed the entire conversation: "We're Christians, and we run our business on Christian principles. I'm not going to pay for something I believe takes a human life."
They filed suit against the federal government. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. v. Burwell went all the way to the Supreme Court of the United States.
A 5-4 Victory
On June 30, 2014, the Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in favor of Hobby Lobby. Justice Samuel Alito, writing for the majority, held that closely held corporations could not be forced to provide contraception coverage that violated the owners' religious beliefs under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act.
It was the first time the Supreme Court recognized that for-profit corporations could hold religious beliefs. The legal landscape for religious liberty in America shifted permanently.
What This Means for You
The Greens could have paid a fine. They could have restructured their insurance. They could have played the game. Instead, they risked a company that supported tens of thousands of families because they believed some things aren't negotiable. You might not run a billion-dollar company, but you probably face smaller versions of this all the time: moments where the easier path requires you to set aside what you believe. The Greens' story doesn't tell you what to do in your specific situation. It shows you what it looks like when people decide that their faith isn't a hobby. It's the foundation.