Religious Principles Feature in Obamacare Challenge

Can you run your business by your beliefs or not?

OKLAHOMA CITY — Hobby Lobby's legal challenge to the national health-care requirement for insurance coverage of "preventive services" — including abortion-causing drugs — will be heard in federal court here Thursday.

The Greens, a prominent evangelical Christian family in the Sooner State and founder of Hobby Lobby, an arts and crafts supply company, has garnered criticism for filing the lawsuit, but also a great deal of praise in this, their hometown.

Lawyers for the U.S. government argue any business must provide mandated health insurance coverage under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, even if that violates the religious beliefs of owners. The Greens say what's at stake is the ability of Americans to earn a living, create jobs and still maintain religious principles — in this case, a belief in the sanctity of human life after conception.