Hobby Lobby's complaint about infringement of religious freedom is deserving of scorn in the eyes of CNN, judging by the way the network's website treated news of the Supreme Court agreeing to take up a case in March which would decide if ObamaCare's ironclad contraception mandate is an unconstitutional intrusion on a business owner's religious liberty.
Reporting the story this afternoon, CNN.com Supreme Court producer Bill Mears put the term "religious liberty" in scare quotes in his lead paragraph:
Washington (CNN) -- The high-stakes fight over implementing parts of the troubled health care reform law will move to the U.S. Supreme Court in coming months, in a dispute involving coverage for contraceptives and "religious liberty."
The justices agreed on Tuesday to review provisions in the Affordable Care Act requiring employers of a certain size to offer insurance coverage for birth control and other reproductive health services without a co-pay.
At issue is whether private companies can refuse to do so on the claim it violates their religious beliefs.
[...]
The Supreme Court agreed to hear two cases involving for-profit corporations. Among the plaintiffs is Hobby Lobby, Inc. a nationwide chain of about 500 arts and crafts stores.
David Green and his family are the owners and say their Christian beliefs clash with parts of the law's mandates for comprehensive coverage.
They say some of the drugs that would be provided prevent human embryos from being implanted in a woman's womb, which the Greens equate to abortion.
The privately held company does not object to funding other forms of contraception -- such as condoms and diaphragms -- for their roughly 13,000 employees, which Hobby Lobby says represent a variety of faiths.
Companies that refuse to provide the coverage could be fined up to $1.3 million daily.
As you can see from Mears's own reporting, there is truly a real issue of religious liberty here.
As a direct result of government policy, Mr. Green is being asked to sacrifice his business for his religious beliefs. Because of the way ObamaCare is written, it is impossible for him to find a health insurance plan which does not cover abortifacient contraception. Also because of the way ObamaCare is written, should Mr. Green drop health care coverage for his employees, he will be slapped with an onerous daily fine which will most certainly bankrupt his company.
When a government policy damns you if you do and damns you if you don't, that's a damn-sure violation of religious liberty, CNN.
