By Roy Hayhurst, GuideStone Financial Resources DALLAS, Texas - A final judgment was entered in favor of GuideStone last month in the litigation over the Obama-era contraceptive mandate that would have required certain ministries served by GuideStone to provide abortion-causing drugs and devices or face crippling fines. The judgment brings to a conclusion the case GuideStone filed against the federal government to protect its health plan and the ministries it serves. The litigation, which made its way to the U.S. Supreme Court in 2016 where the justices ruled unanimously in favor of GuideStone and its co-plaintiffs, was sent back to the trial court for final disposition. “This is an important conclusion for our case where we finally have a clear declarative judgment that says the government cannot force a church-controlled organization like GuideStone to violate its faith in the manner the previous administration attempted to do,” GuideStone President O.S. Hawkins said. “We are thankful for the prayers and support of our trustees, of the counsel we had from the Becket Fund for Religious Liberty and from others who spent tireless hours working on behalf of the unborn.” The final judgment was a necessary step due to … [Read more...]