Title: The Hobby Lobby Case: Contraception and Religious Freedom
Headings: The Hobby Lobby Case: Contraception and Religious Freedom
The Hobby Lobby Case: Contraception and Religious Freedom
How Did this Case Reach the Supreme Court?
What Did the Supreme Court Decide?
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Content: This was part of an ongoing trend in which corporations have been gaining legal rights comparable to actual human beings. Thus, Hobby Lobby argued that even as a corporation it has religious rights comparable to any American. In September 2012, Hobby Lobby filed suit in federal court in Oklahoma based on its First Amendment Free Exercise of Religion right and the RFRA. The 10th Circuit Court ruled that Hobby Lobby was a person with religious freedom. Other federal courts upheld the federal government's contraceptive coverage rule. When there’s a difference in opinion between different federal Courts of Appeals, the U.S. Supreme Court often takes on a case to determine which view is constitutional and eliminate the discrepancy between regions. Sylvia Burwell was listed as petitioner in this Supreme Court case because she was the Secretary of Health and Human Services at the time of the decision. What Did the Supreme Court Decide? The Supreme Court made it clear that it didn't want to get into a debate about whether a religious belief is valid. The Court only chose to address whether a religious belief may trump a federal law, such as the ACA.