PHILADELPHIA—The crisis in Ukraine turned even more deadly last week with the downing of a passenger jetliner and killing of the nearly 300 on board. Initial reports point to the plane’s being shot by a surface-to-air missile coming from Ukraine territory held by pro-Russian separatists.
As the turmoil in Ukraine intensifies, the American Pastors Network (APN, www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net) recently returned from an International Leadership Summit in that country, where they taught Ukrainian pastoral and elected leaders the principles that made America a great nation. At the summit were approximately 15 key government officials from the Executive and Legislative branches, including top advisors to the office of Speaker and President as well as heads of government agencies and departments.
Also present were key pastors representing over 10,000 churches in Ukraine – some of whom are the lead officials of the largest denominations in the country.
“The American Pastors Network was invited to Ukraine because leaders in that nation understand that America became a great nation because America was built on a Biblical foundation, and they want that foundation for their own nation,” said APN President Sam Rohrer. “At the summit, APN and its speakers presented the Biblical principles of authority, government, law, jurisdiction, ethics, integrity, and what it means to have a righteous government. These principles refer heavily to the American experience, to the view of our founders, and to the principles that drove the writing of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution.”
Rohrer added that the Ukrainian leaders who spoke at the summit confirmed their desire to establish a righteous government free of corruption and bribery and one that would recognize and protect the basic and inalienable rights granted by God.
“The leaders we spoke with made it clear that they want what made America great, not what is currently motivating and directing our nation, which is anything but a firm adherence to Biblical or constitutional principles in government or in life,” he said.
APN was invited to the summit by Presiding Bishop Valery Reshetinsky, who also serves as the Chairman of the Ukrainian Interchurch Council that represents 20 different evangelical denominations. Among the summit organizers were Ukrainian elected officials and government staff members, some of whom are directly involved in the writing of new laws, some of whom are involved in the enforcement of the laws and some of whom are in key advisory positions.
Pastor Dale Armstrong of Church of the Word in Lancaster, Pa, orchestrated APN’s on-the-ground involvement in the summit, and he emphasized the significance of the summit happening at this particular time.
“Every day in the news, we are seeing, hearing and reading reports of crisis in Ukraine,” Armstrong said. “Yet, in the middle of that crisis there are men and women who understand that the only way to establish a truly free and prosperous nation is not simply through building a nation based on military victory but through building a nation based on the foundation of God’s Word and His eternal truth. It was sobering to see that even as many in America reject this truth, many in Ukraine are sacrificing in pursuit of it.”
APN speakers discussed the Biblical and constitutional principles needed to establish sound public policies, and various Q&A sessions allowed for discussion on implementing those principles.
“The people of Ukraine have demonstrated that they long for freedom, and they recognize that freedom is not the default condition in life,” Rohrer added. “America became a free and great nation not by accident but because we acknowledged God, recognized our dependence on Him, sought His guidance and built our government on Biblical principles. The people of Ukraine want this Biblically based freedom, and APN is honored to help them understand what’s required to achieve it. Our desire now is to see our own American politicians and pastors encouraged to fight to keep the freedoms we have here, rather than allowing them to be dismantled by government officials who have rejected the principles of freedom that made America the beacon of hope for all the world.”
AMERICAN PASTORS NETWORK: NEW REALITY SHOW MAKES A MOCKERY OF MARRIAGE
/1 Comment/in Release /by RELEASEPHILADELPHIA—A new reality show called “Married at First Sight” is legally marrying two complete strangers as part of a “social experiment”—all in the name of entertainment.
The show debuted last week on the FYI channel and follows three couples who are thrown into a legal marriage the moment they meet. A sexologist, psychologist, sociologist and spiritual adviser use “scientific matchmaking” to pair up the couples, then watch to see what happens. According to the show’s publicist, the marriages are indeed binding but the couples can have their divorces paid for by the show within six months, if they so choose.
American Pastors Network (APN, www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net) President Sam Rohrer says the show makes a mockery of marriage, which God calls a sacred union.
“A major role of pastors today is spending serious time counseling couples who want to enter into the sacred union of marriage,” Rohrer said. “Marriage is not a game show, a contest or something to entertain the masses. Rather, it is a Divine relationship defined by God in the Garden of Eden and confirmed throughout Scripture. This show puts two people in a precarious position that will potentially scar them for future healthy relationships and, worse yet, endorses the destructive view that divorce is a logical escape route when marital challenges arise. The broken homes and weakened families created by divorce hardly warrant greater encouragement. Contemplating marriage with complete strangers and a built-in escape is contrary to the concept of a God-designed, life-long covenant with a clearly defined purpose and goal. This is neither entertainment nor ‘reality.’ It is damaging to society and propagates the lie that marriage is a joke, a game and an experiment.”
The program’s spiritual advisor is Harvard University humanist chaplain Greg Epstein, who said he takes marriage seriously and noted, “What the show is promoting is for people to think long and hard about what really makes for a long-term relationship, what really makes for a good marriage. The show is trying to get people to think in a different way on how they are choosing potential partners.”
But, Rohrer noted, the mechanism contradicts the stated motive.
“Trying a partner out for up to six months is hardly a healthy way to choose a marriage mate,” Rohrer said. “Anyone who truly wants to understand what makes for long-term relationships will be better served by turning off Hollywood mockeries of marriage and looking to God’s design for healthy marriages and families.”
APN Leaders Return from Ukraine Summit
/1 Comment/in News, Release /by APN NewsPHILADELPHIA—The crisis in Ukraine turned even more deadly last week with the downing of a passenger jetliner and killing of the nearly 300 on board. Initial reports point to the plane’s being shot by a surface-to-air missile coming from Ukraine territory held by pro-Russian separatists.
As the turmoil in Ukraine intensifies, the American Pastors Network (APN, www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net) recently returned from an International Leadership Summit in that country, where they taught Ukrainian pastoral and elected leaders the principles that made America a great nation. At the summit were approximately 15 key government officials from the Executive and Legislative branches, including top advisors to the office of Speaker and President as well as heads of government agencies and departments.
Also present were key pastors representing over 10,000 churches in Ukraine – some of whom are the lead officials of the largest denominations in the country.
“The American Pastors Network was invited to Ukraine because leaders in that nation understand that America became a great nation because America was built on a Biblical foundation, and they want that foundation for their own nation,” said APN President Sam Rohrer. “At the summit, APN and its speakers presented the Biblical principles of authority, government, law, jurisdiction, ethics, integrity, and what it means to have a righteous government. These principles refer heavily to the American experience, to the view of our founders, and to the principles that drove the writing of our Declaration of Independence and Constitution.”
Rohrer added that the Ukrainian leaders who spoke at the summit confirmed their desire to establish a righteous government free of corruption and bribery and one that would recognize and protect the basic and inalienable rights granted by God.
“The leaders we spoke with made it clear that they want what made America great, not what is currently motivating and directing our nation, which is anything but a firm adherence to Biblical or constitutional principles in government or in life,” he said.
APN was invited to the summit by Presiding Bishop Valery Reshetinsky, who also serves as the Chairman of the Ukrainian Interchurch Council that represents 20 different evangelical denominations. Among the summit organizers were Ukrainian elected officials and government staff members, some of whom are directly involved in the writing of new laws, some of whom are involved in the enforcement of the laws and some of whom are in key advisory positions.
Pastor Dale Armstrong of Church of the Word in Lancaster, Pa, orchestrated APN’s on-the-ground involvement in the summit, and he emphasized the significance of the summit happening at this particular time.
“Every day in the news, we are seeing, hearing and reading reports of crisis in Ukraine,” Armstrong said. “Yet, in the middle of that crisis there are men and women who understand that the only way to establish a truly free and prosperous nation is not simply through building a nation based on military victory but through building a nation based on the foundation of God’s Word and His eternal truth. It was sobering to see that even as many in America reject this truth, many in Ukraine are sacrificing in pursuit of it.”
APN speakers discussed the Biblical and constitutional principles needed to establish sound public policies, and various Q&A sessions allowed for discussion on implementing those principles.
“The people of Ukraine have demonstrated that they long for freedom, and they recognize that freedom is not the default condition in life,” Rohrer added. “America became a free and great nation not by accident but because we acknowledged God, recognized our dependence on Him, sought His guidance and built our government on Biblical principles. The people of Ukraine want this Biblically based freedom, and APN is honored to help them understand what’s required to achieve it. Our desire now is to see our own American politicians and pastors encouraged to fight to keep the freedoms we have here, rather than allowing them to be dismantled by government officials who have rejected the principles of freedom that made America the beacon of hope for all the world.”
The Seventh Mark of Judgment on America: “War and National Collapse”
/1 Comment/in Blog /by Sam RohrerImmediately following the dedication of the temple, Solomon prayed for God’s intervention in seven probable national needs.
In each case, he sought God’s commitment to ‘hear from heaven and forgive their sin’– if the people would repent. In II Chronicles 6: 34-37, King Solomon concluded his specific prayers by asking, “When your people go out to battle against their enemies…when they sin against thee and you become angry with them and deliver them to the enemy and they take them captive… even then if they say, we have sinned and done wickedly, will you then hear from heaven and sustain them and forgive them?” The ultimate national judgment is devastating war.
When a nation continues to sin, God’s anger builds to the point where He says, “I’ve warned enough. I’ve been merciful long enough, and I will now permit the nation to collapse and the people be killed or made captives.” Years later, the nation of Israel refused to hear God’s repeated warnings, and their sin broke through God’s protective hedge of protection around them. Even then, in His mercy, God gave one final chance to avert His judgment. In Ezek. 22:30, God said, “And I looked for a man among them who could make up the hedge and stand in the gap before me for the land that I should not destroy it, but I found none.” Once God’s warnings reach His limit, He will remove from history all nations who defy Him or, once knowing His blessing, willfully forsake Him.
Ps. 9:16a-17 says, “The LORD is known by the judgment which He executeth. The wicked will be cast into Hell and ALL NATIONS who forget God.” The United States of America is no exception. What He said to Israel, He did—and only because of His special covenant with Israel will they be brought back together again under God. Unless God’s people humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, this devastating final judgment of war and national collapse will be the next to occur.
The clock has been ticking, and the bell is about to toll. God told Israel in Deut. 8 (paraphrased), “When you have eaten and become full, your wealth increases, your herds increase and I make all that you touch to prosper, beware that you don’t become proud and you forget Me and think that you did this all yourself and trust in yourselves or other gods. For when you do, I will bring swift judgment on you and drive you from your land as I did to the former inhabitants which were before you.” God’s mercy is long, but His justice is certain. Wake up, America. Wake up, American Christians.
This is the last article in an eight part series, “Can We Know if God’s Judgment is on America? – The Background to Understanding God’s Promise in II Chronicles 7:14”.
The Sixth Mark of Judgment on America: “Abuse of Immigrants”
/1 Comment/in Blog /by Sam RohrerImmediately following the dedication of the temple, Solomon prayed for God’s intervention in seven probable national needs. In each case, he interceded for God’s people by seeking God’s commitment to ‘hear from heaven and forgive their sin’– if they would repent.
In II Chronicles 6: 32-33, King Solomon departed from praying on behalf of ‘God’s people’ to praying for ‘non-citizens’ who had come to their land because of their desire to know God and to experience His blessings. He said, “Moreover concerning the stranger, which is not of thy people Israel, but is come from a far country for thy great name’s sake, and thy mighty hand, and thy stretched out arm; if they come and pray….” By its uniqueness, this passage is instructive in noting that Solomon included the ‘stranger’ in his series of prayers. He knew that nations have a responsibility not only to their citizens but also to non-citizens and that the failure to treat the stranger justly would bring judgment, as indicated in Ezek. 22: 29, “The people of the land have used oppressions, committed robbery, and mistreated the poor and needy; and they wrongfully oppress the stranger.”
At stake is the justice of God based on the value of human life and the duty of civil government to enact biblical justice for all. Yet, Solomon perceived that due to the sin of the nation and the resultant distortion of justice as he prayed in II Chron. 6:22, justice to the foreigner may not occur, and for the sake of the testimony of God Himself, he asks God to vindicate the foreigner and accept them.
From the beginning of our nation, we’ve welcomed the poor and downtrodden from all over the world who’ve come with the intent to work hard and assume the duties of a citizen. But now, rather than duty or biblical justice being the guide, immigration policy is based on political leverage and political advantage.
Immigrants are abused by reducing them to pawns in the political process where benefits are given as bribes for their votes rather than for their long-term good. Instead of encouraging honesty and hard work, our national policies encourage dishonesty and dependency on the ‘god’ of government.
An unjust governmental system that denies hope, wrongfully rewards wrong behavior or discourages productive behavior is indeed ‘oppressive’ and will incur God’s judgment. Solomon prays, “Then hear from heaven… and do according to all for which the foreigner calls to You, that all the peoples of the earth may know Your name and fear You, as do your people….” While some might not recognize that unjust national immigrant policies are an evil worthy of judgment, Solomon knew that God did. Solomon’s next and last prayer assumes God’s final judgment and completes his effort to intercede for his nation, setting the stage for God’s answer and His recipe for national judgment in II Chron. 7:14.
This is the seventh article in in an eight-part series, “Can We Know if God’s Judgment is on America? – The Background to Understanding God’s Promise in II Chronicles 7:14”.
The Fifth Mark of Judgment on America: “Hardship, Death, Attacks on our Cities”
/1 Comment/in Blog /by Sam RohrerImmediately following the dedication of the temple, Solomon prayed for God’s intervention in seven probable national needs. Every time, he besought God’s commitment to ‘hear from heaven and forgive their sin’- if the people would repent. In II Chron. 6: 28-30, Solomon prayed, “When there is famine in the land, pestilence or blight or mildew, locusts or grasshoppers; when their enemies besiege them in the land of their cities; whatever plague or whatever sickness there is; whatever prayer, whatever supplication is made by anyone, or by all Your people Israel, when each one knows his own burden and his own grief, and spreads out his hands toward this temple: then hear from heaven… and forgive….”
Here, Solomon anticipated a more intense judgment than drought. He broadened the impact on his nation to shortages of food, hardship and death due to weather, insects, and diseases affecting plants, livestock and people. By describing this broad range of judgment in terms of “whatever plague or whatever sickness,” he recognized the undefinable but significant impacts that result from personal and national sin. In America, we’ve seen record-setting deadly tornadoes, hurricanes, fires, drought, earthquakes, floods, snow, cold weather and now a disease that’s already killed over a million baby pigs. We shake our heads and wonder what’s going on. On one hand, some would dismiss all that we are witnessing as nothing really out of the ordinary, or dismiss it for some other reason, but Solomon clearly connected the marks of judgment with the sin of the nation, and so should we.
Then, with even more focus and in the middle of this series of natural disasters, Solomon identified enemy attacks on cities within the nation.
In application to the United States, wasn’t 9-11 an undeniable evidence of the enemy besieging our cities? Shouldn’t 9-11 have been a more long-lasting wake-up call for America than just a few weeks or months after the event?
Properly considered, this event was evidence that God had lifted His hedge of protection from around our nation. God gave us a stark warning. But did we hear? For our leaders and most Americans, the rally cry was, “We will rebuild and we will attack our enemies.” Not understanding that the attack was allowed by God to get our attention, our country went further from Him. How ironic. We seek answers to our increasing hardships but we haven’t yet turned to God or taken consideration of the sin that is causing God’s anger and judgment.
May we learn from Solomon’s prayer that led to God’s response in II Chron. 7:13-14. May we understand the extent to which God is giving us warning upon warning.
This is the sixth article in an eight-part series, “Can We Know if God’s Judgment is on America? – The Background to Understanding God’s Promise in II Chronicles 7:14”.
The Fourth Mark of Judgment on America: “Drought”
/0 Comments/in Blog, Release /by Sam RohrerAt the dedication of the temple, Solomon prayed for God’s intervention in seven probable national needs. Every time, he besought God’s commitment to ‘hear from heaven and forgive their sin’- if the people would repent. In II Chronicles 6: 26-27, King Solomon prayed, “When the heavens are shut up and there is no rain because they have sinned against You, when they pray … and confess Your name, and turn from their sin … then hear in heaven, and forgive the sin of …Your people Israel…and send rain on Your land which You have given to Your people as an inheritance.”
Recent years of record-setting drought in our nation are now causing shorter supplies and higher prices for food. Because of the widespread drought in the central section of the United States, thousands of cattle were slaughtered, causing the price of meat to skyrocket by 40% or more. Due to the drought in California’s fertile farm lands and unjust government regulations that cut off irrigation, over a half million prime agriculture acres are sitting idle—and may for the balance of our lifetimes—according the USDA.
Have you heard anyone—including most preachers—say that drought is an act of God’s mercy to get our attention? The Scripture clearly teaches that God has exclusive control of the weather—especially rain. Some would say that Solomon’s interaction with God on behalf of Israel is unique and inapplicable to today. Yet, these biblical principles and God’s warnings and promises apply to His people in all ages.
It is no surprise that the post-modern culture of our day denies Creation and God’s control over His creation and invents such ideas as global warming or climate change to silence the warning voice of God. God and His warnings through His Word and through nature cannot be ignored without inviting increasing judgment. God answers Solomon in II Chronicles 7:13, starting with these words, “If I shut up heaven that there be no rain….” Drought is another sign of God’s warning of judgment against nations that reject Him.
Will we hear and listen?
The remaining three signs of God’s judgment are even more severe. Only the repentance of God’s people can stay the powerful hand of His judgment.
This is the fifth in an eight-part series, “Can We Know if God’s Judgment is on America? – The Background to Understanding God’s Promise in II Chronicles 7:14”.
Whose Fault Is the Gaza Bloodshed? A Liberal Host and a Conservative Journalist Are Surprisingly In-Sync on the Answer.
/1 Comment/in News, Uncategorized /by News RoomIt’s the question that brought a conservative journalist and a far-left TV host to agreement: who is to blame for the civilian deaths in Gaza?
“I see on the news every night lots of reports, and it’s very sad, we all feel horrible about them, of Palestinian civilians who are dying, including children,” said Bill Maher on his HBO show “Real Time” on Friday. ”Nobody seems to ask, ‘Whose fault is that mostly?’”
Maher laid the blame at the feet of Hamas.
“I feel terrible for a Palestinian child who dies,” Maher said, “but if it’s your father, your brother, your uncle who’s firing those rockets into Israel, who’s fault is it really? Do you really expect the Israelis not to retaliate?”
“I don’t think you can understand the conflict without reading Hamas’ charter,” chimed in Daily Caller senior editor Jamie Weinstein. “[The charter] calls for not only the destruction of Israel, but the murder of Jews generally.”
At multiple points, the audience cheered suggestions that Hamas was in the wrong, including when one panelist quoted conservative Charles Krauthammer’s piece which noted that the Israelis use missiles to protect their civilians, while Hamas uses civilians to protect their missiles.
“If the Hamas people had the opportunity, they would kill the maximum number of Israelis, which would be all [of them], and Israel has the opportunity to kill way more [Palestinians] and they do not,” Maher said.
“There’s no question that if Hamas, as you said, could, they would wipe Israel off the map,” Weinstein agreed.
Maher took things a step further, saying that the Israelis consistently triumph over Muslim adversaries because of a Jewish belief in science.
“Jews have, I think, 155 Nobel Prizes, Muslims have two,” he said. “That seems like kind of a big advantage for team Hebrew.”
The Third Mark of Judgment on America: Military Defeat
/0 Comments/in Blog /by Sam RohrerImmediately following the dedication of the temple, Solomon prayed for God’s intervention in seven probable national needs. In each case, he implored God for His commitment that if the people were to repent, God would hear from heaven and forgive their sin. In II Chron. 6: 24-25, Solomon asked God a third question: “And if thy people Israel be put to the worse before the enemy, because they have sinned against thee, and shall return and confess Thy name and pray and make supplication before thee….then will you hear from the heavens, and forgive the sin of thy people….?
When a nation as a whole forsakes God, it suffers the withdrawal of God’s protection which leads to military defeat. In previous verses, God indicates that He will not bless the nation that turns away from Him or distorts justice by punishing the righteous and rewarding the wicked.
In our nation, we no longer see His hand of blessing, and we certainly witness an increasing trend of government sanctioned injustice. Unfortunately, we are also experiencing repeated military defeat – in Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, “the war on terror,” Syria, and likely Iraq .
We are not only losing wars against national enemies, we are also losing against the enemies of freedom, of Biblical Truth, of the Rule of Law, and against the enemies who wish to completely destroy America and Christians. The stark reality is that technology now makes our enemies as close as a switch or keystroke on a computer. Refusing to admit God’s role in making our economy strong, ensuring our national security over the years, and being the strength behind our strong military, our leaders arrogantly believe that they are in control and our nation cannot fall. In pride, our nation – like Israel of old – will one day awaken to find that we rejected God’s warning signs one day too long. Repeated military defeat is another sign of God’s warning of judgment against our country as we continually turn our backs on Him. The remaining 4 signs of God’s judgment increase in intensity. The clock is ticking.
This is the fourth in an eight part series, “Can We Know if God’s Judgment is on America?
– The Background to Understanding God’s Promise in II Chronicles 7:14”.
American Pastors Network: Supreme Court Decision Upholds Constitutional Rights for Christian Business
/1 Comment/in Release /by RELEASEPHILADELPHIA—The American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) says that today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., upholds and protects Christian business owners and their Constitutional rights. It’s a critical ruling upholding the Rule of Law and will help to protect the security of religious liberties in America, and Hobby Lobby should be commended for its commitment to the fight
“Today’s court decision is an encouraging step forward as it reaffirms the God-given and Constitutionally protected right to religious liberty in America” said Sam Rohrer, President of APN as well as the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net). “Two-hundred-and-twenty-five years ago, the signors of the U.S. Constitution envisioned a country where people of faith could practice their religion free of government oppression. Today, the Court has upheld this vision, and we thank Hobby Lobby for standing in the gap in this landmark case and important fight.”
The 5-4 decision finds that Christian owners of closely held corporations do not have to comply with the birth control mandate in the Affordable Care Act and will, therefore, not be forced to provide their employees with birth control coverage that goes against their deeply held religious convictions. Faith-based businesses, religious schools and churches are exempt under the mandate, but the mandate did not consider secular businesses that are owned by Christians whose religious beliefs may go against the mandate.
The decision hits especially close to home for PPN, as today’s decision applies to a similar case involving Conestoga Wood Specialties, a Lancaster County, Pa.-based cabinet maker owned by the pro-life Mennonite Hahn family. Conestoga Wood Specialties has provided its 1,000 employees generous health benefits, including preventive care coverage that goes beyond what the law requires. But because they are pro-life, they exclude coverage for contraception that may act as an abortifacient.
“Our nation’s first Supreme Court Chief Justice, John Jay, once said, ‘Every member of the State ought diligently to read and to study the constitution of his country…. By knowing their rights, they will sooner perceive when they are violated and be the better prepared to defend and assert them,’” Rohrer continued. “Thankfully, many Americans have read and understand our Constitution and the freedoms it protects. We are thankful the Supreme Court today upheld their oath to defend the United States Constitution and the religious liberty guaranteed to all Americans.”
Hobby Lobby is a large craft store chain owned by the Christians David Green and his family. The Greens, who had no moral objection to providing 16 of the 20 FDA-approved contraceptives required under the HHS mandate and do so at no additional cost to employees under their self-insured health plan, took issue with four of the covered methods that were considered abortion-inducing drugs.
The timeline of the Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., case was a nearly two-year effort to protect the religious rights of Christian business owners:
American Pastors Network: Supreme Court Decision Upholds Constitutional Rights for Christian Business
/0 Comments/in Release, Uncategorized /by RELEASEPHILADELPHIA—The American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) says that today’s U.S. Supreme Court ruling in favor of Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., upholds and protects Christian business owners and their Constitutional rights. It’s a critical ruling upholding the Rule of Law and will help to protect the security of religious liberties in America, and Hobby Lobby should be commended for its commitment to the fight.
“Today’s court decision is an encouraging step forward as it reaffirms the God-given and Constitutionally protected right to religious liberty in America” said Sam Rohrer, President of APN as well as the Pennsylvania Pastors Network (PPN, www.papastors.net). “Two-hundred-and-twenty-five years ago, the signors of the U.S. Constitution envisioned a country where people of faith could practice their religion free of government oppression. Today, the Court has upheld this vision, and we thank Hobby Lobby for standing in the gap in this landmark case and important fight.”
The 5-4 decision finds that Christian owners of closely held corporations do not have to comply with the birth control mandate in the Affordable Care Act and will, therefore, not be forced to provide their employees with birth control coverage that goes against their deeply held religious convictions. Faith-based businesses, religious schools and churches are exempt under the mandate, but the mandate did not consider secular businesses that are owned by Christians whose religious beliefs may go against the mandate.
The decision hits especially close to home for PPN, as today’s decision applies to a similar case involving Conestoga Wood Specialties, a Lancaster County, Pa.-based cabinet maker owned by the pro-life Mennonite Hahn family. Conestoga Wood Specialties has provided its 1,000 employees generous health benefits, including preventive care coverage that goes beyond what the law requires. But because they are pro-life, they exclude coverage for contraception that may act as an abortifacient.
“Our nation’s first Supreme Court Chief Justice, John Jay, once said, ‘Every member of the State ought diligently to read and to study the constitution of his country…. By knowing their rights, they will sooner perceive when they are violated and be the better prepared to defend and assert them,’” Rohrer continued. “Thankfully, many Americans have read and understand our Constitution and the freedoms it protects. We are thankful the Supreme Court today upheld their oath to defend the United States Constitution and the religious liberty guaranteed to all Americans.”
Hobby Lobby is a large craft store chain owned by the Christians David Green and his family. The Greens, who had no moral objection to providing 16 of the 20 FDA-approved contraceptives required under the HHS mandate and do so at no additional cost to employees under their self-insured health plan, took issue with four of the covered methods that were considered abortion-inducing drugs.
The timeline of the Sebelius v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc., case was a nearly two-year effort to protect the religious rights of Christian business owners: