A petition with 80,000 signatures brought forward by a social activist group demanding that Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. drop its lawsuit opposing the Health and Human Services "preventive services" mandate is misleading and wrong, says a lawyer for the Christian family-owned nationwide business.

According to a press release from "Faithful America" and subsequent news reports, a Christian evangelical pastor identified as the Rev. Lance Schmitz of Capitol Hill Church of the Nazarene in Oklahoma City, attempted to deliver the petition to the Hobby Lobby headquarters in Oklahoma City on Thursday and was kicked off the premises and unable to deliver the petition.

Kyle Duncan, general counsel for the Becket Fund, who is defending Hobby Lobby in the HHS lawsuit, told The Christian Post on Thursday that although he does not know exactly what transpired at the company's headquarters, he has read the petition. more >>

In response to a Congressional Budget Office report noting that 6 million people will pay a tax penalty when the Affordable Care Act fully takes effect, progressives have taken to defending the health care law from this most recent criticism.

A spokesperson from the Department of Health and Human Services provided The Christian Post with a statement regarding the CBO report.

"This report confirms that more than 98 percent of Americans won't be affected by this penalty. And this update doesn't change the basic fact that the individual responsibility policy will only affect people who can afford health care but choose not to buy it," read the statement. more >>

Wheaton College, an evangelical institution, joined forces Wednesday with Catholic University of America to sue the government for requiring that it provide health insurance coverage for some abortifacient drugs to its employees and students.

Wheaton's main reason for filing suit, Dr. Philip Ryken, president of Wheaton College, explained in a Wednesday conference call with reporters, is that the pro-life institution opposes the use of abortifacient drugs and would be forced to violate its religious beliefs.

"This insurance mandate is against our conscience and against our Christian convictions. We have no recourse now but to file suit," Ryken said. more >>

A federal judge on Tuesday dismissed a lawsuit by seven states over the Department of Health and Human Service's birth control mandate.

U.S. District Judge Warren Urbom ruled that the states did not have standing to sue. Since the mandate has not gone into effect, the states have not been harmed by the mandate, Urbom decided, siding with the U.S. Justice Department.

"The plaintiffs face no direct and immediate harm, and one can only speculate whether the plaintiffs will ever feel any effects from the rule when the temporary enforcement safe harbor terminates. This case clearly involves contingent future events that may not occur as anticipated, or indeed may not occur at all," Urbom said, the Lincoln Journal Star reported. more >>

A recent Gallup poll shows that majorities of Americans believe the Affordable Care Act (2010), also known as "Obamacare," will help those who get sick and currently do not have health insurance and hurt taxpayers, businesses and those who currently have health insurance. Responses fell mostly along partisan lines.

"In general, would you say that the 2010 healthcare law recently upheld by the Supreme Court will make things better or worse for each of the following?" Gallup asked 1,004 Americans July 9-12.

A strong majority, 59 percent, said the law, which was mostly upheld by the Supreme Court last month, would make things better for people who currently do not have health insurance. Fifty-five percent said it would help people who get sick. more >>

Five Democrats joined 239 Republicans Wednesday to repeal the Affordable Care Act (2010), President Barack Obama's signature health care reform law. The bill is not expected to be brought up in the Senate, much less be signed by the president, but is part of an effort to hold votes highlighting the Democratic members' positions on a range of issues. No Republican joined the 185 Democrats voting against the bill.

Republicans noted that the Supreme Court ruled last month that the ACA, also known as "Obamacare," is constitutional, but did so by ruling that the penalty for not purchasing health insurance is a tax. If it were known at the time that the law would raise taxes on the middle class, Republicans argued, it would not have passed.

Democrats, on the other hand, accused Republicans of wasting time and taxpayer money by holding a vote on a bill that they knew had no chance of becoming law during this session of Congress. more >>