Consider the Burwell v. Hobby Lobby Stores, Inc. case in your Week 2 Lessons required readings. What are the constitutional implications on business exemplified by this case? Which constitutional provisions were at issue? Hobby Lobby Stores is a family owned business. Do you think this made a difference in the court's consideration of Hobby Lobby's religious freedom argument? Would the same argument work for a large publicly held corporation like IBM? Should it? If not, why is there a constitutional distinction? Finally, the article by Kelsey Dallas (also in your readings) posits that the Hobby Lobby case has both hurt and helped religious freedom. How so? Do you agree? Should a business be able to invoke the 1st Amendment protection at all? (For this last question you might want to take a look at the Supreme Court's opinion in the Citizens United case.)
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