Although many media outlets have given Hobby Lobby a bad rap for its Christian values, Forbes today offered a refreshingly balanced look at what it means to be Christian company. And it’s not, as contributor Jerry Bowyer wrote, a “greed or misogyny thing”—it’s a “conscience thing.”
After reading his new book on giving and generosity, Bowyer interviewed Hobby Lobby CEO, David Green, a long-time conservative Christian who runs his corporation on Biblical principles. In an op-ed published April 25, the Forbes writer cut through some of the media misrepresentation of the Greens, their views and their corporate culture.
The prospect of a Christian company would probably disgust many journalists and liberals who think immediately of patriarchy, theocracy and bigotry. But that’s not what Hobby Lobby’s about.
“For Green,” Bowyer wrote, “building a Christian culture starts with prayer.” After seeking God's guidance, the CEO felt called to implement several generous practices—a minimum wage above the legal guideline, closing stores on Sundays and a family-friendly work schedule.
But the owners of the arts and crafts company are most well-known for their role in the religious liberty case Hobby Lobby v. Sebelius. As Christians, the Greens believe that life begins at conception; therefore, they resisted the Obama administration’s mandate that company health policies provide abortifacient drugs to employees. Although the media tried to paint the Greens as religious extremists for their resistance to this mandate, Bowyer presented the truth.
“Green is quick to point out (since most of the press was not interested in doing so) that the company already voluntarily paid for 16 other contraceptives,” Bowyer explained. “So the refusal wasn't an anti-birth control thing. He also points out that his employees, in addition to health insurance, have a free onsite clinic, so his refusal was not a greed thing. And more than eighty percent of his employees, to whom he pays higher than market wages, are women, so it's not an anti-woman thing.”
If the media took the time to really examine Hobby Lobby and its owners, they’d know that labels of misogyny made absolutely no sense. But sometimes, it’s just easier to use hyperbolic talking points than it is to use facts.
