To express their appreciation for their nation's freedom, Hobby Lobby sponsored advertisements that appeared in several publications on Independence Day which featured the Biblical phrase "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." The three-column full-page ad included a mix of quotes from various historical leaders and past U.S. presidents along with Supreme Court decisions involving Christianity.
According to Business Insider, Hobby Lobby has featured holiday ads, stating that founder David Greene believed he was "commissioned" by God to produce them after seeing Christmas-related promotions on television in 1995.
"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." - Psalm 33:12 https://t.co/wxCmPuRq1D pic.twitter.com/yIoZU7326z
"” Official Hobby Lobby (@HobbyLobby) July 4, 2021
Despite this, some people who spotted the ad for Independence Day were offended because they saw it as implying that Americans should merge religion and state.
Hobby Lobby faced criticism from many individuals on Twitter, such as pundit Terry Blount, who swore never to enter a Hobby Lobby shop again because Blount claims the business is pushing that "America should be a theocracy."
Following accusations that Hobby Lobby is encouraging "dominionism," Dr. Michael Brown explored the implications of the issue and what Christians might learn from it.
Freedom in America
Brown dissected and analyzed the elements of the ad in an article for WND. Since the phrase "One Nation Under God" is still a part of the United States' Pledge of Allegiance, he didn't find anything to be upset by when he looked at the huge image of an American flag with the words "One Nation Under God."
Immediately after that comes a quote from Psalm 33:12, which reads in all capitals, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." In his explanation, Brown said that this is a global biblical concept that has been held by generations of people in a mainly Christian countries like the United States. He noted that even though Christians believe this to be true, they do not attempt to impose it on anybody or anything.
A succession of quotations from presidents, Founding Fathers, Supreme Court judges, Congress, Supreme Court decisions, and others followed. Speaking on the statements attributed to many of the country's founders, Brown said that some of the quotes only remind Americans that their forefathers thought Christianity was crucial to the prosperity and stability of the nation.
Quotes by John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Jedidah Morse, first Chief Justice John Jay, and John Quincy Adams were also among those emphasized by Brown.
Brown, on the other hand, said that he sees how some may perceive the ad as calling for theocracy, citing the Freedom from Religion Foundation's counter-argument headlined "In Hobby Lobby We Don't Trust." The group claims that America has never been a Christian nation and that Christianity should play no special role in American society now.
Brown appreciated Hobby Lobby's stated intentions, agreeing that the country was indeed founded on Christian principles, with the Founding Fathers, Supreme Court justices, Presidents and other American leaders themselves believing that the Christian faith, or belief in and fear of God, was "indispensable" to the prosperity and continuity of the country.
He stated that the crafts store's ad reminds the country that "to the extent we choose to be a God-fearing nation and to the extent we choose to draw on the positive, Judeo-Christian principles that inspired our early thinkers, we will be blessed."
Nonetheless, he said understands why some would see the ad as advocating for theocracy. This is "unfortunate," he noted, and added that it's important for people to realize that Christians aren't forcing their beliefs on anyone.
Brown noted that just as people of other faiths (like Muslims, Hindus, agnostics, even atheists) advocate for their set of secular or religious beliefs and principles, Christians will also stand by their Biblical convictions.
"This is all part of the fabric of our nation," Brown said.
"In short, I do believe that the more truly Christian we are. the more blessed we will be as a nation. But we are not forcing this on anyone (God forbid), and we live by the rules of a democratic republic."
EDITOR'S NOTE:
It's worth noting that in today's society, Christians who stand for Biblical values and principles are often attacked or harassed for their position. Hobby Lobby's ad is but the latest to be targeted by the anti-God, anti-Bible secular cancel culture.
Evangelist Franklin Graham took note of this and said the retail store "is being attacked for running some beautiful full-page newspaper ads on July 4." The ad doesn't say anything critical of any other group, but only included a line from the Pledge of Allegiance and a short Bible verse.
Still, why was it attacked? Graham said "These positive advertisements have outraged enemies of God's Word such as the Freedom from Religion Foundation."
The anti-Bible cancel culture fights against God Himself. Nevertheless, Graham urges Christians not to respond in the flesh; rather, believers should choose to stand for God and His Word.
"I hope this exposure for their ads, even though it was intended for harm, will actually allow even more people to read the message and appreciate what Hobby Lobby's owners, the Green family stand for," Graham stated. "I thank God for the Green family, their Christian-run business, and their strong public stand for the Word of God and biblical values."
