The Oklahoma City-based Hobby Lobby arts and crafts chain has stirred up controversy with a full-page advertisement containing a purported theocratical innuendo published on July 4 in several newspapers across the country that it also shared on social media

The ad, which was titled “One Nation Under God,” depicted a youngster holding an American flag, along with a quote from Psalm 33:12 that reads “Blessed is the Nation whose God is the Lord.”

In the published version, the ad also contains quotes from presidents such as George Washington, John Adams, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson, along with more founding fathers, supreme court justices, and other content that relates to the faith-based messaging.

Parenthetically, one nation under God is also part of the pledge of allegiance.

Based on the archive on its website, Hobby Lobby has been taking out similar ads to commemorate Christmas and Easter, as well as Independence Day, since at least 1997.

"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

Fan or not, religious or not, consumers or potential consumers obviously can and make their own decisions about patronizing a Hobby Lobby store based on a variety of reasons.

Most social media users seemed triggered by the ad from the retailer and jumped to the conclusion that it was proposing a Christian-run government, although the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution specifically rules out any form of government-created religion. Article VI  of the Constitution prohibits any form of religious test for public office.

Many on the left, however, perhaps still haven’t gotten over the company’s 2014 U.S. Supreme Court victory that successfully challenged the Obamacare contraception mandate on grounds of religious freedom.

In September 2020, liberals vowed to boycott Hobby Lobby because of a temporary display in one shop that read “USA Vote Trump,” even though it was undetermined as to whether an employee or a customer was responsible for the pro-Trump aisle art.

The July 4th Hobby Lobby newspaper ad metaphorically prompted a biblical reaction on social media from those who approve and disapprove. Here is a sampling:

Separation of church and state. Because you insist on shoving religion down our throats, I shop at Joann’s and Michael’s, even though your store is closer.

— Elisa Pacelli (@senseidai) July 4, 2021

I love that this tweet is triggering the anti-Christian left. 🙏🏻🇺🇸

— Amy Mek (@AmyMek) July 4, 2021

Separation of church and state is the principle our country was founded on, not restricting our government to Christians only

— teacher kate (@kater1960) July 6, 2021

As an American Jew who served in the United States Army and took an oath to defend the Constitution; I find your statement of America should be lead by Christians to be asinine and unconstitutional. Shame on you @HobbyLobby.

— David Weissman (@davidmweissman) July 4, 2021

Hobby Lobby’s target audience is families… especially moms. They don’t really care what people like you think about them.

My Hobby Lobby is constantly packed. Great store. Will shop there again tonight. https://t.co/CK1pLbf9MX

— Cassandra Fairbanks (@CassandraRules) July 5, 2021

I hope this exposure for their ads will actually allow even more people to read the message & appreciate what @HobbyLobby’s owners, the Green family stand for. I thank God for them, their Christian-run business, & their strong public stand for the Word of God & biblical values.

— Franklin Graham (@Franklin_Graham) July 6, 2021

I’ve served as a pastor for over two decades.

Organizations like @HobbyLobby are why so many people believe all Christians are hateful, intolerant bigots.

The rest of us apologize for them.

— John Pavlovitz (@johnpavlovitz) July 4, 2021

Not hostile to religion, if it stays in its lane- church & in personal beliefs but I find #theocracy as in a particular religion dictating what a country does, quite scary. I am for a secular government with people of multiple religions, & of no religions, all being equal.

— Christine Reilly (@christineR850) July 6, 2021

Will never step foot in Hobby Lobby. Never.

— Shells Bells (@ShelleyDeeeeee) July 5, 2021

From Canada. Very nice ad in a country where people can freely worship God – or not. People may vehemently disagree but then that’s because of freedom of speech in the USA.

— B. Wierdsma✝️ (@WierdsmaB) July 7, 2021

Thank you Hobby Lobby for the encouraging WORD that you have tweeted. May the Lord bless you and all your employees and their families and cause you to prosper and continue to be a bright light in this dark community. And GOD BLESS AMERICA!

— Chaplain Catherine (@Imashutngstr) July 5, 2021

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Robert Jonathan

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Robert Jonathan is a staff writer for BizPac Review. He is a longtime writer/editor for news aggregation websites and has also developed content in the legal and financial publishing sectors as well as for online education. He earned a Juris Doctorate from the University of Connecticut School of Law, “a law school the basketball teams can be proud of.”

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