Sabbath, Sunday, and Legalism

[DaveW]

From your article:

This concept of an "eighth day" is based on Catholic tradition and is not supported by the Bible. We are essentially being asked to reject the Bible, the true Sabbath day, Saturday, and the seven-day week in favor of their interpretation of how Christ instituted a new eight-day week at His resurrection. Crisis Magazine continued:

Actually there IS an "eighth day" in scripture that goes back to Moses.  It is called Shemini Atzeret. It is an added day to the celebration of Sukkot - feast of Tabernacles. 

Leviticus 23:33
Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord. 35 On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. 36 For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work.

It is referenced in the Gospels as well:

John 7:37
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

The 8th day does not replace the Sabbath, it is an additional once a year sabbath.

[Amo]

From your article:
Actually there IS an "eighth day" in scripture that goes back to Moses.  It is called Shemini Atzeret. It is an added day to the celebration of Sukkot - feast of Tabernacles. 

Leviticus 23:33
Again the Lord spoke to Moses, saying, 34 "Speak to the sons of Israel, saying, 'On the fifteenth of this seventh month is the Feast of Booths for seven days to the Lord. 35 On the first day is a holy convocation; you shall do no laborious work of any kind. 36 For seven days you shall present an offering by fire to the Lord. On the eighth day you shall have a holy convocation and present an offering by fire to the Lord; it is an assembly. You shall do no laborious work.

It is referenced in the Gospels as well:

John 7:37
Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, "If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink.

The 8th day does not replace the Sabbath, it is an additional once a year sabbath.

True dat.

[Amo]

https://openstreetsproject.org

Open Streets is a global movement of projects taking place in communities of all sizes, all over the world. In addition to the sections above we recommend that you check out our interactive Open Streets map where you can learn about active projects from across North America. We've also curated a video gallery to help you see how others have started their own Open Streets program.

https://www.vox.com/2016/10/9/13017282/bogota-ciclovia-open-streets

https://www.sundaystreetssf.com/about/

http://www.sundaystreetsberkeley.org

https://www.eugene-or.gov/1666/About

https://sf.streetsblog.org/2022/03/04/weekend-roundup-return-of-sunday-streets-help-quantify-speeding-rates/

https://www.firstpost.com/india/sunday-streets-mumbai-polices-khaki-studio-entertains-residents-watch-it-here-10570241.html

https://anthology.diatribe.org/programs/cigna-sunday-streets/

https://www.cityofsacramento.org/Public-Works/Transportation/Programs-and-Services/Sunday-Street

https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/transit/2022/04/30/street-closures-sunday-as-five-boro-bike-tour-returns

https://hoodline.com/2020/08/soma-to-get-weekly-sunday-streets-closure-through-october/

https://www.livablecity.org

https://www.freepressjournal.in/mumbai/mumbai-sunday-streets-just-got-bigger-to-be-hosted-at-9-city-locations

https://www.missoulainmotion.com/sunday-streets

https://participate.melbourne.vic.gov.au/sundaystreets

https://www.openstreetsmpls.org

[Amo]

https://www.comece.eu/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2022/03/20220303-European-Sunday-Alliance-Joint-statement-on-the-European-Day-for-a-Work-Free-Sunday.pdf

Quoted article below from link above.

Statement of the European Sunday Alliance on the annual European Day for a Work-Free Sunday on March 3 2022

On March 3, the annual European Day for a Work-Free Sunday, the European Sunday Alliance calls on political leaders to put as a priority on the EU social policy agenda the establishment of a European weekly common day of rest.

Work-life balance, as well as healthy, safe and well-adapted work environments, are at the heart of the European Pillar of Social Rights, which all EU institutions and Member States governments have committed to implement.

A weekly day of rest

One of the major impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic has been the rise of telework and the fragmentation of working time, often detrimental to the work-life balance of workers. In order to prevent a work environment that compromises the health and wellbeing of workers, it is crucial to ensure a right to disconnect, during the week but also during the weekend, with a work free day. A full day of rest per week is indispensable to recover and to ensure both a better wellbeing and a better productivity of workers.

A common day of rest

Humans are social beings, and for many of them their health requires more than individual time to spend alone. The challenges of the pandemic have highlighted the issue of loneliness in the EU. A common work- free day enables families to spend time together, children with parents and grandparents, who are the first ones to suffer from loneliness. A work free day makes it also possible to pursue volunteer work, civic engagement, joint social, sports or faith-related activities, and, more generally, to strengthen the social cohesion of our communities.

By tradition and custom, most European countries establish the weekly day of rest on Sunday.

The European Sunday Alliance thus calls on European political leaders to put as a priority the establishment of a European weekly common day of rest for workers, by tradition on Sunday, as enshrined in Art. 2 of the European Social Charter.

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/sunday-openings-are-opposed-by-christian-organizations-labor-unions-and-climate-activists-according-to-the-french-secular-media/

Quoted article below from link above.

Sunday Openings are Opposed by Christian Organizations, Labor Unions, and Climate Activists, According to the French Secular Media

In the minds of some in the secular news media, the pieces of the puzzle are coming together. Why can't our people connect the dots? The push for Sunday rest has united religious, political, and social groups in a "common" cause. This is exactly what Pope Francis predicted in his encyclical on climate change, Laudato Si' #23, when he said, "The climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all ... Humanity is called to recognize the need for changes." One of those changes is the need for Sunday rest, as described in Laudato Si' #237.

On May 3, 2022, "The Local," a French news media site, published an article about Sunday shopping restrictions in France and named those who were behind the push for Sunday rest. Notice what was published:

"While traditionally it was Christian groups who opposed Sunday opening, these days it's just as likely to be trade unions – who are concerned about the effect on employees' work-life balance and right to time off if Sunday opening becomes the norm. Some supermarkets have attempted to circumvent this by opening on Sundays with automated checkouts only, in order to reduce staffing levels. Increasingly, green groups are also opposing Sunday opening as they focus on reducing consumption in order to save the planet." [1]

Sunday openings are opposed by churches, labor unions, and environmentalists. Not only has the climate movement embraced Sunday rest, but it has also taken up the cause of Sunday closing. This contributes to the Pope's vision of Laudato Si' being implemented throughout society. The Sunday movement is being driven by the climate change crisis and all other man-made disasters. God foretold the following events:

"It will be declared that men are offending God by the violation of the Sunday-sabbath, that this sin has brought calamities which will not cease until Sunday observance shall be strictly enforced, and that those who present the claims of the fourth commandment, thus destroying reverence for Sunday, are troublers of the people, preventing their restoration to divine favor and temporal prosperity." (Great Controversy, p. 590).

Are you aware of the forces at work in the world to bring chaos and disaster? Do you see why certain men are attempting to usher in World War III while also conspiring to create a climate apocalypse? Rome will not let a good crisis go to waste, and they will take advantage of the chaos. These natural disasters, pandemics, and tragedies are being used to aid in the passage of a National Sunday Law.

Pope Francis is fulfilling his prophetic role by encouraging everyone to work together to pass policies that protect people's right to rest on Sunday (Laudato Si' #237), all in the name of environmental sustainability. In these last days, this is one of the methods being used to promote Sunday laws. Climate activists and religious leaders will exert pressure on state officials in all governments around the world to implement Sunday rest through legislation:

"The dignitaries of church and State will unite to bribe, persuade or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance" (Great Controversy, p. 592).

The environmental crisis has become the most widely publicized issue on the planet. The dangers of Sunday laws are slowly but steadily threatening us on all sides. Sunday is being agitated once again through climate policies. These laws are a threat to our religious and civil liberties, as we know from both prophecy and history. Sunday laws are also in direct conflict with God's Word, which commands us to keep Saturday as the seventh-day Sabbath. The Three Angels' Messages place a strong emphasis on the Sabbath of the Decalogue, revealing the close connection between the commandments of God and the faith of Jesus.

The central theme of the Everlasting Gospel of Revelation 14:6-12 is the close relationship between obedience and faith. We need to do a lot more to bring God's prophetic messages to light. We must warn the rest of the world about the formation of the image of the beast, the union of church and state, the notorious Sunday laws, and the global shift toward Rome. This is the time to sound the trumpet and warn people about the dangers that are about to take the world by storm.

[Amo]

https://www.catholicherald.com/article/columns/climate-healing-by-doing-less-one-day-a-week/

Article below from link above.

Climate healing by doing less — one day a week

There is a giant step the people of God can take next weekend to benefit the Earth's climate. It's simple, easy, everyone is capable of doing it and, best of all, it involves doing less not more. I'm not a climate scientist but I know this: if 70 million U.S. Catholics embraced Pope Francis' encyclical, "Laudato Si' " (On care of creation) and honored the Lord's Day by following the third commandment, we'd see a dramatic drop in greenhouse gases.

We don't have a lot of time: The Guardian reported that 2021 ocean temperatures were the hottest in history. We all want to do something, but the problem is so big we lose heart. Recycling doesn't stir the soul. And technology will not keep the immense Thwaites Glacier, a glacier the size of England, from breaking away into a warming Antarctic Ocean.

So, what can one person do? Not much, but 70 million U.S. Catholics could make a difference on the Sabbath, greatly reducing carbon in the atmosphere by literally doing less. If you're waiting for God to save us, you're too late. He told us how by writing it with his finger on a stone tablet several thousand years ago.

What would honoring the Sabbath look like?

— Worship and prayer, as usual.

— No shopping. With human lives at stake, is it so difficult to only shop six days?

— No driving. Hedges & Company reports about 1.446 billion vehicles on Earth in 2022 with 19 percent in the United States. Where possible, use public transport. Prohibiting commercial vehicles on Sundays would have a great impact. Is there a good reason we can't walk, bike, bus or share rides to church?

—No work, except essential services. God gave clear instructions:

So, God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it, because on it God rested ... Gen 2:3.

—Recreation, spend time with family and friends while reducing car use.

Yes, this would disrupt the economy. So, do we disrupt the economy or destroy our common home? And, yes, we need to look at all human activities that cause damage but let's start by honoring the Sabbath, creating a powerful, inspiring, beginning.

Embracing the Sabbath would help create a real time of rest from this weary world, a time for inward journeying, enabling us to more easily break into music and become joyful.

Something is very wrong and there isn't much one person can do to reduce the threat, but if 70 million Catholics heard Pope Francis' words in "Laudato Si' " and honored the Sabbath, we might all break into music and bring joy to our Mother Earth. And all it requires is that we do less — but do it together one day each week.

Weiss is a parishioner of St. Charles Borromeo Church in Arlington and the author of "Touching The Rainbow Ground: Eight Steps To Hope," a memoir of his 30-year ministry to children in the Americas.

Wow, so much misinformation in such a small article. First, climate change is of course an observable fact throughout the history of the world. The religious and political nature though, of the fear mongering clergy and politicians claims and demands concerning it, continue to be highly contestable. Nevertheless, they march ahead implementing one policy and demand after another globally effecting the religion, politics, livelihood, economics, and financial status of all. Dissolving any semblance of Republican or Democratic government the world over. Governments formed by the will of the people in lengthy, bloody, violent, murderous, and extremely costly war against tyrants much like these new religious and political elitists pushing all of this agenda and more today. The end of all of this, will be exactly the same, only on a much more rapid scale. As divine intervention this time, will soon completely expose these tyrants for who and who they really are, leaving them to the judgments of those they have lorded themselves over, deceived, and abused. Picture the French Revolution on a global scale. Yet this judgment pales in significance to that which will immediately follow such carnage, the appearance and judgment of all humanity by the living God.

Rev 17:12 And the ten horns which thou sawest are ten kings, which have received no kingdom as yet; but receive power as kings one hour with the beast. 13 These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. 14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful. 15 And he saith unto me, The waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are peoples, and multitudes, and nations, and tongues. 16 And the ten horns which thou sawest upon the beast, these shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. 17 For God hath put in their hearts to fulfil his will, and to agree, and give their kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God shall be fulfilled. 18 And the woman which thou sawest is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth.

Apparently the Catholic I presume, who wrote the article while admitting he is no scientist, seems to think that Pope Francis is. Is this what science has now become? The tool of religious, political, financial, and corporate entities intent upon subjugated the entirety of humanity under their elitist proclaiming thumbs? It appears to be so. Nor is this the first time to date, science has been used by tyrants to justify the implementation of their self aggrandizing and satanically impish lust for ultimate power over everyone. The so called sciences of this world, are of course tools in the hands of the many satanic imps of this world as well, and always have been.

1Ti 6:17 Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy; 18 That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate; 19 Laying up in store for themselves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 20 O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

Are not the Pope of Rome and his other religious and political minions now erring concerning the faith, using the sciences of this world falsely so called, for huge power grabs over and above all others? Yes they are.

It is fitting then of course, that they suggest the observance of a false man made sabbath as well, in support of their false man made science unto their own personal empowerment over all others. So now, the Pope of Rome, the man of sin and lawlessness, seeks to establish both his own created and or supported sciences and sabbath, as the law over all of humanity. Both of these man made sciences and laws being in direct contradiction of, and rebellion against, God's declared intentions concerning this world and His Sabbath.

The Pope and his minions claim to be the new saviors of the world. If only all will listen and submit to their falsely established so called sciences, and "Lord's" day, which contradict the plain testimony of God's word regarding both of the same. This world will not be saved, but rather destroyed by God Himself in judgment for the continuous crimes committed by its inhabitants against themselves and God since the fall of humanity. Many of which the papacy itself now fully supports and or even helps establish by law. Of course this is also only natural as their leader is the man of sin and or lawlessness. Nevertheless, according as God's word has declared, salvation is not of this world. Salvation is of the person alone, by Christ Jesus alone. The fate of this world has been sealed unto destruction by the word of God. Any and all who turn to Christ Jesus our Lord though, may be saved from the end of this world or their personal lives, which ever might come first. After which, they are privileged to be of the new heaven and new earth promised of God.

Act 4:10 Be it known unto you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom ye crucified, whom God raised from the dead, even by him doth this man stand here before you whole. 11 This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders, which is become the head of the corner. 12 Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved.

The man of sin and his minions have always called for all to observe their false sabbath as well. Enforcing the observance of this day by civil legislations all throughout the history of humanity during their existence, and doing so today whenever and wherever possible. Their example being followed and or joined by many misguided Christians of the past and present as well. Now today in this article appealing again to the observance of this false sabbath, in support of their chosen false sciences so called, while preaching their false gospel concerning the salvation of this world rather than the individuals within it. The effect of course is to make the commandment of God of none effect, through the observance of the traditions of men in its place.

Mat 15:1 Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, 2 Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. 3 But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? 4 For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. 5 But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; 6 And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. 7 Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, 8 This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. 9 But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men.

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
 
Who are these today making the commandments of God of none effect by their traditions? Are they not the scribes and pharisees of today? Are they not increasingly demanding submission to their false sciences, immorality, and now false sabbath, all of which make the commandments of God of none effect? Yes they are.

The observance of this false sabbath by civil law will be in fact, the culmination of all these false sciences and traditions of humanity intended to make God's law of none effect in this sin sick world. And this under the direct influence and supposed moral rectitude of the man of sin himself, and the day he has created as representative exactly of his power and influence above and beyond the word of God Himself. For this man of sin is nothing short of the son of Satan, and the head of the evil one's counterfeit institution of false salvation, BAYLON THE GREAT. The Sunday sacredness they intend to establish by human legislation the world over is nothing less than the Abomination of Desolation that the evil one and his minions will set up in the place of God's holy Sabbath. And it will bring desolation upon all of humanity who bow down to and honor it, making God's fourth commandment of none effect in doing so.

Exo 20:1  And God spake all these words, saying,.......................................................................
8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: 10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: 11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

There it is, straight out of the mouth of God. That which all of the false sciences and religions of this world reject and seek to replace with their own vain imaginings. Seeking to be the creators of their own world and destiny in defiance of the living God. So be it, according as they imagine. Let them create and firmly establish their own vision with fallen human wisdom, understanding, and laws, in direct contradiction of God's. Ending in the destiny they have chosen seeking existence outside of the living God who alone created and can sustain life.

2Pe 3:1 This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: 2 That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: 3 Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, 4 And saying, Where is the promise of his coming? for since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. 5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: 6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: 7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men. 8 But, beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, that one day is with the Lord as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up. 11 Seeing then that all these things shall be dissolved, what manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy conversation and godliness, 12 Looking for and hasting unto the coming of the day of God, wherein the heavens being on fire shall be dissolved, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat? 13 Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness.

Rev 1:7 Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

Rev 22:12 And, behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with me, to give every man according as his work shall be. 13 I am Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end, the first and the last. 14 Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie. 16 I Jesus have sent mine angel to testify unto you these things in the churches. I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning star. 17 And the Spirit and the bride say, Come. And let him that heareth say, Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will, let him take the water of life freely. 18 For I testify unto every man that heareth the words of the prophecy of this book, If any man shall add unto these things, God shall add unto him the plagues that are written in this book: 19 And if any man shall take away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part out of the book of life, and out of the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book. 20 He which testifieth these things saith, Surely I come quickly. Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus. 21 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.
 

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/in-order-to-secure-sunday-rest-for-workers-the-history-news-network-is-teaching-people-how-to-hide-the-religious-nature-of-these-sunday-laws/

Quoted article below from link above.

In Order to Secure Sunday Rest for Workers, the History News Network is teaching people how to hide the Religious Nature of these Sunday Laws

The History News Network publishes news on current events from prominent historians. On June 12, 2022, the History News Network published an article titled: "Should the USPS Honor the Sabbath, or Amazon?" The article addressed a new conflict that has arisen between the federal government and religious beliefs. The problem is related to mail delivery.

The US Postal Service signed an agreement with Amazon in 2013 to deliver mail on Sundays. They have been doing Sunday deliveries across the country for a while now, and it has been very profitable for the postal service. A Christian postal employee recently filed a lawsuit against Amazon, claiming that he needed Sundays off to attend church and practice his religious beliefs.

The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Pennsylvania sided with Amazon and said that the religious observance of Sunday by some should not exempt postal workers from doing their job or delivering packages. The History News Network came out to express support for Sunday rest and said that postal clerks and carriers need rest due to their work conditions and heavy burdens. Notice what they published:

"The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals decided that exempting postal carriers from Sunday shifts would burden other workers ... Today, many postal clerks and carriers face high demands, short staffing, and untenable work conditions. On the surface, Amazon helped to mitigate the long-term effects of Congress underfunding USPS from 2006 to 2022, as well as competition with new communication technologies. Package delivery has become more important than ever for the longevity of USPS. However, while Amazon reaps the benefits, postal clerks and carriers literally carry the burden." [1]

The History News Network then explains how people can successfully advocate for Sunday rest. They encourage people to campaign for Sunday not on the grounds of religious discrimination, but because of "labor rights" and the right to rest.

"The 3rd Circuit Court of Appeals' decision proves that powerful corporations like Amazon have surpassed even Christian nationalism in the race to set postal policy. Instead of decrying religious discrimination, activists and people who simply want to enjoy their weekends should campaign for labor rights. This endeavor will require separating Christian morality from labor movements, which have historically been intertwined. Everyone deserves rest regardless of whether the rest is sacred." [1]

Sunday is being promoted as a "right" to rest in order to hide its religious imperatives. That is exactly what is being said here. Don't call it religious, even if the "rest is sacred." Call it a labor problem. They are instructing people on how to implement a Sunday law in a post-modern secular society!

Are we prepared for the impending Sunday law crisis? These news items about the push for Sunday must be more than just a passing interest for us, because everyone is pleading for Sunday rest as the solution to all of our problems. Sunday rest has been endorsed by the Pope, Protestant churches, labor unions, the media, secular groups, environmental groups, and politicians worldwide. And the truth is that they are attempting to conceal the true purpose of these Sunday laws, which is remarkable given that God warned us that they would attempt to do so:

"The Sunday movement is now making its way in darkness. The leaders are concealing the true issue, and many who unite in the movement do not themselves see whither the undercurrent is tending" (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 452).

The provisions for Sunday rest are intended to encourage people to attend church on Sunday. Every week, more and more daily newspaper editorials, magazine publications, politicians, and religious leaders call for the reinstatement of the old Sunday laws. When we see the world united to spread Catholic doctrine (Sunday), it will only be a matter of time before we are thrust into Jacob's time of trouble. The walls are closing in on us on every side. We must be extremely active and diligent in getting the truth to as many people as possible before probationary time ends. May God give each of us a burden to do His work right now.

[Amo]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndGOY_3TBNM

Regarding the mark of the beast.

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/uk-shoppers-want-a-sunday-closing-law-after-grocery-supermarkets-closed-early-on-sunday-to-allow-workers-to-watch-the-womens-euro-2022-football-final/

Quoted article below from link above.

UK Shoppers want a Sunday Closing Law after Grocery Supermarkets closed early on Sunday to allow workers to watch the Women's EURO 2022 Football Final

According to news sources, Iceland's huge grocery chain chose to close all of its stores early on Sunday to allow workers to watch the Women's EURO 2022 final, which took place on Sunday, July 31, 2022. [1] England was facing Germany in the 2022 championship game at Wembley Stadium in London, which was sold out. Because the game was scheduled to begin at 5:00 p.m., the grocery stores announced that they would close at 4:00 p.m.

The decision to close the supermarkets early on Sunday generated an unexpected reaction from the community. When "supermarket giant Iceland" announced that it would close early on Sunday, this "sparked demand for a change in the law" as customers called on the supermarket chain to close down every Sunday. The "overwhelming" response from customers also prompted calls to close all food stores on Sunday, including "ASDA, Tesco, Aldi, Lidl, Morrisons, M&S, and Sainsbury's." This reaction from the public came after word of the Sunday "early" closing was posted on social media. [2]

The Manchester Evening News published the following article titled, "Iceland Shoppers Demand Law Change as Supermarket Makes Major Announcement." The article went on to say:

While many praised Iceland for the decision, most people saw it as an opportunity to demand the law change to allow supermarkets to close on Sunday. [2]

Andrea Harris said: "When I was growing up, no supermarkets opened on a Sunday. Sundays should be family days and a day of rest." [2]

Lynn Chilcott asked: "Why do we need stores open on Sundays? They were always closed on a Sunday when I was a child ... day of rest. We always managed." [2]

Angela Jackson said: "Don't open on a Sunday! We used to manage, and I'm sure we'd manage again ... Give staff a day off rest!" [2]

Jean Wright exclaimed: "GOOD !!! SHOULD NOT SHOP ON SUNDAYS YOU HAVE 6 DAYS TO SHOP, REST ON THE 7th, AMEN." [2]

Heather Hall wrote: "Good, close on Sunday, give employees day off." [2]

Pamela Tovey Train commented: "I worked in retail, most of my life. Now is the opportunity to close on Sunday. Give the staff some family time." [2]

Faye Giblin said: "Well it's a start. Would like to see a leader in the move towards Sunday closed. Relieve workers, shoppers and the carbon footprint." [2]

Helena Louise added: "Close all shops on a Sunday!" [2]

Terry Blackley wrote: "Why not close on Sundays and give the workers a day off, customers have only a certain amount of money to spend, if they don't spend on a Sunday they'll spend it another day." [2]

Eddie Power said: "Should all be closed on Sunday." [2]

The public in the United Kingdom is calling for a Sunday closing law, and some leaders have been urged to act. This is exactly how we were told that Sunday laws would be implemented.

"Rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance" (Great Controversy, p. 592).

"But as the question of enforcing Sunday observance is widely agitated, the event so long doubted and disbelieved is seen to be approaching, and the third message will produce an effect which it could not have had before" (Great Controversy, p. 605).

There is no doubt that Sunday rest is being widely agitated in many parts of the world. In the United Kingdom, people are calling for stores to be closed on Sunday for a variety of reasons. Some argue for Sunday closing laws for religious reasons, such as claiming that people have "six days" to shop and that on the "seventh" day, which they call "Sunday," is a time to rest. Others advocate for Sunday closures in order to "relieve workers." Some argue that all businesses should be closed on Sunday in order to reduce our "carbon footprint" (climate change). Others contend that Sunday should be a "family day."

People are calling for the legalization of Sunday rest to help ease social, economic, religious, and environmental concerns. We are being led to believe that resting on Sunday will solve all of the world's problems. We know that Rome is behind this public outcry for Sunday laws. The problem is that these calls for Sunday rest by law are helping to bring about the image of the beast in preparation for the mark of the beast.

God has stated in Revelation 14:6-12 that these efforts to promote Sunday laws will not go unchallenged. God's faithful people will be giving a stirring warning message against the beast, the image, and the mark as predicted in Revelation 14. Praise the Lord! When the apostasy of Revelation 13 is seen to be fulfilled, the truths of Revelation 14 will be proclaimed with power at the same time!

"Shall we wait until God's judgments fall upon the transgressor before we tell him how to avoid them? Where is our faith in the word of God? Must we see things foretold come to pass before we will believe what He has said?" (Testimonies, Vol. 9, p. 20).

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/brazil-sunday-is-family-day/

Quoted article below from link above.

Brazil: "Sunday is Family Day!"

A chain of grocery stores has teamed up with the entertainment industry to promote Sunday as a family day. The Festa do Peão is one of the most famous rodeo events in Brazil and features bull riding, horses, and different shows. During their annual 10-day celebration, the organizers of this event found that Sundays had the lowest attendance numbers. So the organizers joined up with a grocery store company to come up with a "Family Sunday" campaign. The independent newspaper, The Liberal, published the following on June 19, 2022:

"The São Vicente supermarket chain and the Clube dos Cavaleiros de Americana (CCA) signed an innovative partnership that would go down in the history of the Festa do Peão, inspire other similar actions throughout Brazil and bring more than 1 million people to the event in 13 years of existence. Realization. Much more than that, 'Family Sunday' would create the opportunity for people of various social classes to enjoy the event for the first time ... According to Marcos Cavicchiolli, director of São Vicente and one of the creators of the idea, along with the CCA and a few other partners, the action began as an attempt to revive Sundays, which until then were the days with the lowest public at the party." [1]

As a result, a successful effort to promote Sunday as Family Day was launched. They are seeing unprecedented attendance at the Festa do Peo on "Family Sunday" thanks to business sponsorships. The marketing effort essentially promotes the concept that Sunday is family time and that we must spend it with our families.

Do you see their strategy? Families need to rest and spend time together on this day, building relationships. Where did they get this idea that Sunday should be a time for the family? Well, they got it from Rome. Back in 2012, Pope Benedict XVI clearly made the connection between Sunday and families:

"Sunday is the day of the Lord and of man, a day which everyone must be able to be free — free for the family and free for God. Family, work, rest and celebration are gifts from God and important aspects of human life that must find a "harmonious balance" in order to build a more humane world, he said." [2]

We are seeing the justification for Sunday's off as a right for people to spend with their families. "Sunday should be a time for rest, worship, and family" is what is being proposed. All of the arguments in favor of taking Sunday off sound good on the surface – spending time with our families – but we have already been given a special time in the Bible to accomplish this. Did you know that God's true Sabbath day, Saturday, was intended to be kept with our families?

"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it." Exodus 20:8-11.

In fact, heaven is our extended family, and the true seventh-day Sabbath, Saturday, was a time when the Creator came to commune with His creation in the Garden of Eden. So we were given a day for the family, and it wasn't Sunday. Tragically, God's Sabbath has been abandoned, and today the world is embracing a counterfeit:

"The Christian world is honoring a false sabbath, and we are to show them its true character and foundation. We must make it plain to them that they are honoring a manmade institution in place of that which God himself has sanctified" (Review and Herald, January 31, 1893).

[Amo]

An interesting web site.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/312320

Petitions
UK Government and Parliament

Rejected petition

Make Sunday a special day again

The Covid 19 pandemic, has shown that many families and individuals have had more time together and the majority of people I have spoken to really enjoyed the peace and quiet that was apparent on Sunday. Although it perhaps isn't possible to return to the mid 90's, somethings could be done to assist

More details

Since the mid 90's when the Sunday opening laws were changed, many people's stress levels have been heightened, due to the way we work, shop and do other things at weekend. Families would have more time together, as would individuals too. Whilst I realise that Sunday has become the main shopping day of the week, this has only happened since the mid 90's and would soon be changed again. Shop workers would have more time off, and traffic levels would reduce thus reducing emissions.

This petition was rejected

Why was this petition rejected?

There's already a petition about this issue. We cannot accept a new petition when we already have one about a very similar issue.

You are more likely to get action on this issue if you sign and share a single petition.

https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/310336

We only reject petitions that don't meet the petition standards.

Date submitted
30 March 2020

[Amo]

https://metrovoicenews.com/push-to-make-sunday-a-sabbath-day-of-rest-gains-support/

Quoted article below from link above.

Push to make Sunday a sabbath day of rest gains support

It's not just nostalgia. Many pandemic-weary souls want to make Sunday a day of rest again.

In a hit song two decades ago, country music group Rascal Flatts offered banjo-tinged commentary on "the world spinning faster than it did in the old days."

"Sunday was a day of rest," the group proclaimed in its ode to a bygone era. "Now, it's one more day for progress."

Some of us are old enough to remember when most businesses — not just Chick-fil-A — closed on Sundays.

It seems quaint now, but I did an Associated Press story in 2003 on Family Christian Stores — then the nation's largest Christian retail chain — deciding to open on Sundays.

But in 2016, I was surprised during a reporting trip to North Dakota when I found an empty parking lot at a Bismarck Walmart — and then at Super Target — while looking to buy a few snacks and supplies before Sunday morning church.

I learned that for more than a century, the state had required most retailers to close from midnight to noon on Sundays. North Dakota finally became the last state to lift that ban in 2019.

I bring up this subject not just for nostalgia but because the day of rest — or the lack of it — is drawing renewed consideration nationally.

In a recent piece, Deseret News religion reporter Kelsey Dallas explains "why some political commentators and legal scholars are tweeting their support for taking a Sabbath":

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Americans were overworked and tightly wound. In the past two years, the situation's only gotten worse.

Pandemic-related stress and a widespread desire for more time to rest are among the factors fueling the "Great Resignation." They also help explain why some political commentators and legal scholars spent the weekend debating the Sabbath. ...

Sabbath laws, which are also known as blue laws, were once a major part of American life. Although they came in a variety of forms, the policies had a shared purpose: limiting certain commercial activities to six days per week.

In other words, blue laws forced both business owners and the people they served to take a day of rest. And under past policies, that day was almost always Sunday.

Dallas' report points to an interesting Wall Street Journal essay by Sohrab Ahmari from last year that explores "what we've lost in rejecting the Sabbath."

A writer for Crisis, an online magazine that describes itself as "America's most trusted source for authentic Catholic perspectives on church and state, arts and culture, science and faith," also supports returning to a quieter Sunday.

Writer Casey Chalk declares, "Americans in those early quarantine days—after the haze of their Netflix-binge had evaporated—woke up with a surprised appreciation for what earlier generations had considered normal: Sunday laws, otherwise known as blue laws. As America returns to normality, we should consider these laws and their manifold benefits afresh."

Chalk also approvingly quotes attorney Jay Lefkowitz, who wrote in The Washington Post about the blessings of the seventh-day Sabbath, known as Shabbat in Hebrew. "Shabbat is also a reminder of other forms of separation that add meaning to our lives—between hard work and play, and between pursuing our own dreams and caring for others," Lefkowitz states. "Shabbat is about balance or, to use a modern word, mindfulness."

Chalk goes on to write: "The writer also references the recent experience of Poland, whose population is overwhelmingly affiliated with the Roman Catholic Church: "In Poland, the 2017 Sunday trading ban was 'about helping small family stores, but also about letting people who are effectively forced to work on Sundays be free,' said President Andrzej Duda. Since the ban's introduction, Duda has noted, more families have engaged in outdoor activities, and the domestic tourism industry has benefited."

But the idea certainly hasn't caught on with everybody.

Christianity Today's Kate Shellnutt has a really fascinating story this week on "Sabbatarian Christians" — that's a new term to me — finding "their observance increasingly countercultural in a 24/7 economy."

Shellnutt writes:

Mailboxes used to go empty on Sundays.

Not anymore. America's biggest retailer, Amazon, ships seven days a week, and as the site expands Sunday delivery across the country, more drivers are losing what would have been a steady day off.

For many, the shift just means their break will fall during the week. But for some Christians on the job, the new delivery option conflicts with Sunday church services and their conviction not to work on the Sabbath.

Amazon's seven-days-a-week schedule has already led to two lawsuits from drivers who were fired for not working on Sundays. Both claimed religious discrimination under Title VII, alleging their employer had not provided "reasonable accommodation" for them to work other days.

On my way to church, I often pass a long line of Amazon trucks headed out to make Sunday deliveries.

I've never thought much about it.

But I will now.

[Amo]

https://www.deseret.com/2022/1/11/22877446/could-sabbath-closure-laws-make-a-comeback-blue-laws-sunday-closing?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=dn-social&utm_campaign=twitter&utm_content=deseretnews

Quoted article below from link above.

                               

Could Sabbath closure laws make a comeback?

Here's why some political commentators and legal scholars are tweeting their support for taking a Sabbath

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic began, Americans were overworked and tightly wound. In the past two years, the situation's only gotten worse.

Pandemic-related stress and a widespread desire for more time to rest are among the factors fueling the "Great Resignation." They also help explain why some political commentators and legal scholars spent the weekend debating the Sabbath.

The conversation began with a tweet from Adrian Vermeule, a law professor at Harvard University. He highlighted the reinstatement of Sabbath laws as one of several policy goals that unites "post-liberals," a group of conservatives who say they're focused on promoting the common good.

Sabbath laws, which are also known as blue laws, were once a major part of American life. Although they came in a variety of forms, the policies had a shared purpose: limiting certain commercial activities to six days per week.

In other words, blue laws forced both business owners and the people they served to take a day of rest. And under past policies, that day was almost always Sunday.

"Until the last few decades, Sabbath laws ... effectively shut down Sunday commerce in much of the country," Joel Mathis noted in a Monday column for The Week.

Blue laws' association with the Christian Sabbath helps explain why part of the debate surrounding Vermeule's tweet centered on religious discrimination. Legal experts pointed out that forced closures on Sunday disproportionately harm some people of faith, including Jews who observe the Sabbath from sundown on Friday to sundown on Saturday.

Similar religious freedom concerns fueled a legal challenge to blue laws that the Supreme Court heard in the early 1960s. Representatives of a discount store in Maryland alleged that the state's Sunday closure policies violated the Constitution's free exercise and establishment clauses.

In May 1961, the Supreme Court ruled 8-1 that Maryland's Sabbath laws didn't violate the First Amendment. The justices acknowledged that the restrictions had their roots in Christian practice, but said they served important secular purposes, including the promotion of public health, Oyez reported.

Although the ruling was significant, it did not guard against Sunday laws' demise. Soon after the Supreme Court used secular arguments to rule in favor of blue laws, policymakers across the country began using secular arguments to justify their repeal.

In 2019, officials in North Dakota offered by-then familiar arguments to explain their support for overturning the nation's last statewide ban on Sunday trading. They said the move would promote personal freedom and help business owners by boosting revenue.

"Who but a few scolds could complain?," asked Sohrab Ahmari in a recent Wall Street Journal column about the fall of Sabbath laws. "We are encouraged to pursue lives of constant action and purpose, and we do."

What this looks like in practice is that few Americans prioritize taking time to rest. And that even those who do often fail, whether because of their kids' demanding extracurricular schedules, their smartphones' incessant beeping or countless other obstacles.

"Rest is hard to come by these days," argued Mathis in The Week, noting that pandemic-related developments have deepened this already common problem.

"For many Americans, the pandemic has given rise to remote work that has blurred the divisions between home and labor, while working-class folks are often subject to 'just-in-time' scheduling that makes home life difficult to sustain," he wrote.

Frustration with the status quo fueled engagement with Vermeule's tweet. People from across the political and religious spectrum generally agreed that Americans could benefit from being forced to take at least one day off each week.

"If the right and left can agree on anything these days, maybe it's that workers should get a day off now and then," wrote Mathis for The Week.

However, consensus would likely fall apart quickly if conservatives insisted on reinstating blue laws in their old form. It would be better to mandate rest on a day that doesn't raise religious freedom concerns, tweeted Jeet Heer, a columnist for The Nation.

"Elevator pitch: a secular Sabbath that starts on Thursday evening. This will create a four-day work week and also preserve religious neutrality," he said.

Workers may love this idea, but any sort of one-size-fits-all closure policy would cause problems, as many respondents to Heer's tweet pointed out. For example, Larry Yudelson, the editorial director for a Jewish press, noted that Jews would struggle to prepare for their religious Sabbath if stores were closed during the day on Fridays.

The best solution to burnout, at least in the short term, might be for individual Americans to find ways to take a rest on their own terms. Some Christian business owners, including the family behind Chick-fil-A, already do this by voluntarily closing up shop on Sundays. Other Americans observe a digital Sabbath by turning off the notifications on their phones.

"Even just leaving your phone behind when you get lunch is a step in the right direction," reported The New York Times in a 2019 article on reducing stress.

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/the-new-york-times-claims-that-the-spirit-of-the-blue-laws-is-needed-more-today-than-ever-before/

Article below from link above.

The New York Times Claims that the Spirit of the Blue Laws is Needed More Today than Ever Before

October 22, 2022 by Andy Roman

The New York Times is one of the most influential international newspapers. On October 16, 2022, the New York Times published an article by Anglican priest Tish Harrison Warren titled: "How to Fight Back Against the Inhumanity of Modern Work." The author of this article offers solutions on how to combat the inhumanity of the modern workplace cycle, which she says has been altered by digital technology.

Tish Harrison Warren describes how the modern worker has become a "limitless, sleepless, unemotional machine" thanks to the pandemic and the digital revolution, which has made it "more difficult to unplug from work." She says that it is time to "reexamine what it means for work to be humane." Pay close attention to the solution that is being proposed in this New York Times article. They are calling us back to a "common cause" found in Sunday rest by law. The article went on to say:

• "In the early labor movement, a broad and diverse base of religious people found common cause around Sabbath laws. These laws (often called blue laws) are now usually seen as examples of antiquated, puritanical, even theocratic impulses: prim religious people running around trying to make sure no one enjoys a beer on a Sunday afternoon. Advocates of Sabbatarianism, however, saw their work as an act of resistance to greed and a fight for the laborer." [1]

• "A key issue in the burgeoning industrialist economy of the North was the preservation of time for worship, rest and family life to preserve the dignity of the worker. They looked to Sabbath laws, in part, to help achieve this." [1]

• "Keeping the Sabbath wasn't merely a religious observance but served a civic function. It was a practical way, through time itself, to treat workers as valuable humans with whole lives to be lived." [1]

• "Sabbath rest" is necessary for both body and soul; that it preserves "health, wealth and the temporal happiness and prosperity of individuals and communities." [1]

• "Take away the Sabbath and you destroy the most humane and democratic institution," which is made particularly for "the man of labor and toil, of poverty and sorrow." [1]

This is what is being advocated in the New York Times. With all this talk about the history of blue laws, the idea of mandating Sunday rest by law is being revived once again. The following appeal was then made in the New York Times to revive the "spirit" of the blue laws:

• "I don't expect us to put blue laws back on the books. I understand that most Americans — including religious Americans — no longer observe a strict day of rest. I also understand, of course, that the Sabbath lands on different days for different religious traditions.Still, with the boundaryless work of the digital age, with consumer pressure for retail stores and e-commerce companies to remain open at all times, and with our unholy worship of productivity and convenience, the spirit of these laws is more needed than ever before." [1]

She might not expect the return of Sunday laws, but Rome does, and inspiration indicates that they will:

"Sooner or later Sunday laws will be passed. But there is much for God's servants to do to warn the people" (Review and Herald, February 16, 1905).

Then the author of the article goes on to explain how she keeps Sunday holy from Saturday night until Sunday night. That's exactly how the blue laws used to work, and that's the example she is giving to the public:

• "At the very least, workers ought to be able to completely shut off from work one day a week or more — no email, no notifications, nothing. My family attempts to avoid all digital devices from Saturday night to Sunday night, some weeks with greater success than others. This aids our goals for our Sabbath day: rest, play, worship and delight. This practice has shaped our family life, our work, our habits and our very bodies." [1]

In spite of all the arguments for workers needing time to rest, this New York Times article is basically saying that our society is not keeping Sunday holy as it ought to be. All these statements and arguments plainly show that the real objective of the whole Sunday-law movement is to get people to attend church on Sunday in order to preserve worship. As you can see, this article makes several references to Sunday in relation to worship. One of the most well-known publications is making the case that in order to save the family, society, and worship; we must prepare to dedicate ourselves to bringing back Sunday laws.

Blue laws are religious legislation, and according to Bible prophecy, they will only result in the loss of our civil and religious liberties. Are we preparing for what is soon to come? The case is being made today that a day of rest is needed for workers so that they can rest, spend time with their families, and get back to worship. We are being told that people need time off work to reconnect with God and family, and the spirit of blue laws is needed today more than ever.

An Anglican priest is making these arguments in the New York Times. Church leaders will soon call on the government to step in and address these problems. They aren't going to stop making these public calls for Sunday rest. This is only the first phase of a campaign that will lead to the civil government formally imposing Sunday rest by law.

We must be opposed to any push toward a union of church and state that will work together to secure Sunday legislation. By pen and voice and by massive evangelism, we must speak out against the dangers of the Sunday movement that seeks to encroach on our freedoms.

The American people are unaware of the false justifications being used to secure Sunday rest. They don't know that the mark of the beast crisis is imminent. And the greatest danger is that the people will not realize it until it is too late.

"The Sabbath is the Lord's test, and no man, be he king, priest, or ruler, is authorized to come between God and man. Those who seek to be conscience for their fellow men, place themselves above God. Those who are under the influence of a false religion, who observe a spurious rest day, will set aside the most positive evidence in regard to the true Sabbath. They will try to compel men to obey the laws of their own creation, laws that are directly opposed to the law of God. Upon those who continue in this course, the wrath of God will fall. Unless they change, they cannot escape the penalty. The law for the observance of the first day of the week is the production of an apostate Christendom. Sunday is a child of the papacy, exalted by the Christian world above the sacred day of God's rest. In no case are God's people to pay it homage" (Testimonies, Vol. 9, pp. 234, 235).

The author of the New York Times article, Anglican priest Tish Harrison Warren, can be reached at the following email address:
HarrisonWarren-newsletter@nytimes.com

Sources

[1] https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/16/opinion/work-rest-sabbath.html

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/psychology-today-says-that-we-need-a-weekly-day-of-rest-due-to-wars-hurricanes-floods-fires-homelessness-homicides-and-suicides-or-we-will-perish/

Article below from link above.

Psychology Today Says that we Need a Weekly Day of Rest due to Wars, Hurricanes, Floods, Fires, Homelessness, Homicides, and Suicides, or we will Perish

November 2, 2022 by Andy Roman

Psychology Today is a secular monthly magazine that is dedicated to human psychology and behavior and contains articles written by leading psychologists, psychiatrists, medical doctors, sociologists, and science journalists. On October 6, 2022, Psychology Today published an article written by Dr. David Roger Clawson titled: "Resilience, the Sabbath, and the Planet." In the article, the following question is raised:

• "With so much suffering and so many tragedies in the world today—war, hurricanes, floods, fires, homelessness, homicides, suicides, overdoses— there is much talk of resilience and the need to be resilient. But what does resilience really mean?" [1]

So, what is the solution to our planet's man-made and natural disasters, according to Psychology Today magazine? Their response is to secure a weekly day of rest for humans and the planet, or we will perish. Notice how they proceed to explain the science behind Sabbath rest and saving the world:

• "Ancient tradition, now, unfortunately, largely forgotten in the modern world, may give us some strategies to become more resilient. The ideas of the Sabbath and sabbatical have validity to improve the human condition." [1]

• "A Sabbath or a sabbatical need not have a religious connotation. A secular Sabbath is as valid as a religious one." [1]

• "As we move towards safety and recovery, so too we move into the other, the needs of the other person and the needs of the natural world around us. As we move the world towards safety and recovery, we build our resilience while we also build the resilience of the other—both people and the planet." [1]

• "As we give time to ourselves for a Sabbath and sabbatical to build our resilience, we can also give time to our planet for regeneration, rejuvenation, recovery, and resilience." [1]

• "As humans can tolerate some threat, the planet can also tolerate some threat if provided with periods of safety, but the planet cannot tolerate chronic sustained threat any more than we can." [1]

• "During the onset of the Covid-19 pandemic we saw the amazing resilience of our planet from just one month of near-total shutdown of human activity. The shutting down of nonessential activities had a remarkably restorative effect for the planet. What if we disconnected from our cars and technologies, devoted time to rest, nourishment, and connection to both each other and nature for one day each week?" [1]

• "These concepts of resilience, recovery, safety, and a Sabbath are not based in philosophy or religion but in physiology and biology—the physiology and biology of thriving. The provision of safety to the world leads to resilience and equanimity in the world." [1]

• "We may not, yet, be ready for these concepts, nor the adjustments to make a better reality. But at some point we will tire of our suffering and perhaps open up to them—or perish. Can we create a cultural contagion, a meme, of a respected secular Sabbath?" [1]

Psychology Today has just outlined the "scientific" reasons why we need a weekly day of rest for both humans and the planet. Even if they don't say which day should be the preferred day of universal rest, we can see where this is going. The scientific community's role is to present the science for a day of rest, but it will be the churches that put pressure on the government to decide which day that should be.

"The dignitaries of church and State will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance. Liberty of conscience, which has cost so great a sacrifice, will no longer be respected" (Great Controversy, p. 592).

Politicians, religious leaders, labor unions, economists, social organizations, and the media are calling on the world to keep Sunday holy by making it a day of rest. Historically, Sunday laws prohibited the operation of businesses, shopping centers, and secular activities on Sunday. The first blue laws were enacted in 321 A.D., when the Roman emperor Constantine decreed that all work be suspended on Sunday. Sunday laws in colonial America required citizens to keep the Sunday-Sabbath holy by attending church and also required all work to be stopped. This is precisely what the Sunday movement seeks to reestablish today.

Tragically, with all of the talk about restoring Sabbath rest and making Sunday the preferred day, what is being lost in this discussion is that Sunday, as a holy day, is solely dependent on the authority of the Catholic Church. There is no indication in the Bible that the weekly day of rest has been changed from Saturday to Sunday. Sunday was not honored by Christ, the apostles, or the early apostolic church.

This means that our current society is openly and persistently defying God's commandments and the faith of Jesus, which affirms, "The seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God" (Exodus 20:10). During this controversy, the conflict between the first day, the Sunday of the Papacy, and the seventh day, the Sabbath of the Lord, is on full display. Unfortunately, with the expectation of the Remnant people of Revelation 12:17, the entire world has joined the side of rebellion against the "Lord of the Sabbath" (Mark 2:28).

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/the-san-bernardino-sun-newspaper-thou-shalt-not-hold-the-rose-parade-on-a-sunday/

Quoted article below, from link above.

The San Bernardino Sun Newspaper: "Thou shalt not hold the Rose Parade on a Sunday"

The San Bernardino Sun is a daily newspaper that services San Bernardino County, Riverside County, and the Inland Empire County in Southern California. On December 12, 2022, The San Bernardino Sun published an article titled "Why the Rose Parade and Rose Bowl are on Jan. 2 in 2023." The Tournament of Roses Parade, one of the most well-known parades in the world, ushers in the new year. This parade always takes place on January 1st, followed by the highly anticipated Rose Bowl Football Game. However, since January 1, 2023, falls on Sunday, the San Bernardino Sun reports that the Tournament of Roses Parade and the scheduled football game will instead be held on Monday, January 2, 2023, in keeping with a long-standing tradition that says these events cannot take place on Sunday, the "Lord's Day."

The San Bernardino Sun reported:


"Thou shalt not hold the Rose Parade on a Sunday." [1]

"Thus spake Tournament of Roses officials in 1893, the first time New Year's Day fell on the Lord's Day. That year, organizers decided to move the New Year's festivities to Jan. 2 in order to avoid frightening horses tied outside local churches and disrupting worship services." [1]

"In keeping with this tradition, the 134th Rose Parade and 109th Rose Bowl game will be held on Monday, Jan. 2, 2023." [1]
                              
The "Tournament House," the organizational headquarters for the Tournament of Roses Parade, established a "Never on Sunday" policy that dates back to 1893, when Sunday laws were thriving across the nation. This rule, according to the Los Angeles Times, was put in place to prevent the Rose Parade from obstructing Sunday worship:

"The Rose Parade is an event tethered to traditions — the Tournament House, the Royal Court, and its strict 'Never on Sunday' policy. The policy dates to 1893, when officials decided to move the parade to Jan. 2 because New Year's Day fell on a Sunday. The festivities, they decided, disrupted local church services." [2]

The primary justification for not holding the Tournament of Roses Parade on a Sunday was that it ought to be a day of rest and worship, and noisy parades would disrupt those activities. The San Bernardino Sun added that it was morally wrong to interfere with Sunday worship because this would go against "the Lord's Day." As a result, there is a long-standing custom known as "Never on Sunday" that prohibits the Rose Parade and the Rose Bowl on the Lord's Day.

Is it wrong to play games on Sunday? Where do we look for answers? We can only turn to the Bible as the only reliable source of truth. So, what does God's word say about parades and playing games on Sunday? Absolutely nothing. The Bible does instruct us to keep God's Sabbath day holy in the Fourth Commandment (Exodus 20:8–11). But which day is this referring to? Not Sunday. The seventh day, or Saturday, is specifically mentioned as God's Sabbath.

Unfortunately, "Never on Sunday" is regaining popularity in America and around the world, and these policies are only based on tradition, not on the inspired word of God. The following summary demonstrates how the entire Christian world has turned away from the Bible and is instead exalting tradition over the Holy Scriptures:

"The Protestants claim to stand upon the written word only. They profess to hold the Scripture alone as the standard of faith. They justify their revolt by the plea that the (Roman Catholic) Church has apostatized from the written word and follows tradition. Now the Protestant's claim, that they stand upon the written word only is not true. Their profession of holding the Scripture alone as the standard of faith, is false. PROOF: The written word explicitly enjoins the observance of the seventh day as the Sabbath. They do not observe the seventh day, but reject it. If they do truly hold the Scripture alone as their standard, they would be observing the seventh day as is enjoined in the scripture throughout. Yet they not only reject the observance of the Sabbath enjoined in the written word, but they have adopted and do practice the observance of Sunday, for which they have only the tradition of the Church. Consequently the claim of 'Scripture alone as the standard.' fails; and the doctrine of 'Scripture and tradition' as essential, is fully established." [3]

Sources

[1] https://www.sbsun.com/2022/12/12/why-the-rose-parade-and-rose-bowl-are-on-jan-2-in-2023/

[2] https://www.latimes.com/socal/glendale-news-press/news/tn-gnp-1127-never-on-sunday-for-rose-parade-story.html

[3] https://www.romeschallenge.com/

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/the-jerusalem-post-has-called-for-legislation-to-make-sunday-a-day-of-rest-in-order-to-heal-israels-divisions/

Quoted article below from link above.

The Jerusalem Post has Called for Legislation to make Sunday a Day of Rest in Order to Heal Israel's Divisions

You know our world is in trouble when Sabbath-keeping Jews start calling for Sunday laws. We are unquestionably approaching the final crisis. The times that we have long anticipated are upon us. Prophecy is rapidly approaching its fulfillment. On December 11, 2022, The Jerusalem Post, a newspaper in Israel with a global readership, published an article entitled, "Heal Israel's divisions by giving Sunday off for everyone." In this article, a call is made to make Sunday rest a legal requirement in order to "ease tensions" by giving people more time to "live life to the fullest." The Jerusalem Post stated the following:

"Declare Sunday a weekly day off for the country, a proposal that has long been discussed at various times over the last years. The idea is to have a two-and-a-half day weekend from Friday lunchtime to Monday morning. This will free up time and space for sports, recreation and for people to visit family. And sacred time for Shabbat, our divine heritage." [1]

"91% are concerned that the tension around state and religion is undermining the unity of Israeli society. Most significantly, 83% of respondents said that making Sunday part of the weekend will reduce these tensions." [1]

"I believe that members of the new Knesset (Israel's Legislature) should pass legislation to declare Sunday a day off and, in the same act, officially recognize Shabbat as the national treasure and heritage of the Jewish people. This will give Shabbat the respect it deserves in the public domain as befitting a Jewish state, and grant the people of Israel the time and space of a free Sunday so that they can live their lives to the fullest." [1]

The Jews of Israel have been drinking from the wine of Babylon. They are urging lawmakers to make Sunday a day of rest through a legal enactment. Without a doubt, what we are witnessing defies logic. Why would Sabbath-keepers advocate for Sunday laws? These Sabbath-keeping Jews are, in fact, working with the Sunday Law movement to accomplish Rome's work. These developments, along with everything else going on in our world, indicate that intolerance and oppression will inevitably accompany the Sunday movement in the near future. Seventh-day Adventists who refuse to join the great Sunday movement will be regarded as distinct, peculiar, and a marked people in the end.

This should serve as a wake-up call to God's people that the hour of God's visitation is approaching. This should motivate us to work harder to spread the truths of the Third Angel's Message throughout the world. What are we doing to stem the tide of religious intolerance and oppression? We must educate the millions of people who are being misled by the union of church and state through Sunday-law legislation now more than ever. Through literature, evangelism, public discourse, and social media, we must raise our voices and warn politicians against making Sunday, a religious observance, a legal requirement.

"The Sabbath is the Lord's test, and no man, be he king, priest, or ruler, is authorized to come between God and man. Those who seek to be conscience for their fellow men, place themselves above God. Those who are under the influence of a false religion, who observe a spurious rest day, will set aside the most positive evidence in regard to the true Sabbath. They will try to compel men to obey the laws of their own creation, laws that are directly opposed to the law of God. Upon those who continue in this course, the wrath of God will fall. Unless they change, they cannot escape the penalty" (Testimonies, vol. 9, p. 234).

Sources

[1] https://www.jpost.com/opinion/article-724403

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/baptist-news-global-not-everyone-can-rest-until-we-set-aside-the-demands-of-productivity-and-capitalism-for-the-purpose-of-sabbath/

Baptist News Global: "Not Everyone can Rest until we set Aside the Demands of Productivity and Capitalism for the Purpose of Sabbath"

The Baptist News Global recently weighed in on the discussion of the Sabbath and society and spoke of the need for a "collective commitment" to rest. On February 3, 2023, Laura Ellis published an article in the Baptist News Global advocating the idea that Sabbath rest is not something only one person does, but rather "Sabbath happens collectively when entire communities agree to rest." Even though the article claims that it is not advocating for the return of Blue Laws, it does call for all businesses to collectively close for one day a week, in the same way that lockdowns were mandated during the pandemic, so that rest is not just a "luxury for the privileged" but rather a "basic human need for all."

If that isn't referring to the Blue Laws, then this article is partaking in some sort of fictitious fantasy because that is exactly what the Blue Laws accomplish. The Baptist News Global reported the following in part:

• "Communal Rest – During the height of the pandemic, countless articles were published about how the lockdowns were forcing society to rest as the hustle of life grinded to a soft murmur. Even the earth got a moment to breathe as emissions from planes and cars were drastically decreased. This kind of involuntary rest [mandates] was possible only because it was communal." [1]

• "Sabbath happens collectively when entire communities agree to rest. When I talk about the sabbath, I say it's not just non-work or non-productivity. It's absolutely collective non-work and non-productivity because I simply cannot stress this enough. If it's not happening collectively, it's not going to happen." [1]

• "Shulevitz cites the 1961 Supreme Court decision about Sunday closing laws when Justice Felix Frankfurter defended a societal need for collective rest. Frankfurter "talked about Sunday and Sunday quietness on the streets, near the stores. He talked about it as a cultural asset of importance, a release from the daily grind, a preserve of mental peace, an opportunity for self-disposition. ... It made our civitas a better society." [1]

• Neither Shulevitz nor I are pushing to reinstate blue laws, but Shulevitz is pointing to the reality that not everyone can rest until we've all committed to set aside the demands of productivity and capitalism for the purpose of sabbath. And when that happens, the whole of the community is bettered. [1]

• Shulevitz compares the biblical rules of Sabbath to a "mutual noncomplete clause" where closing businesses for one day a week, for example, is only possible if competing businesses do the same. Similarly, we are able to individually rest only because of the mutual societal agreement that we all rest. Without a collective commitment, rest is a luxury for the privileged rather than a basic human need for all. [1]

The Baptists are advocating in this statement that all businesses close on Sundays, as was done during the lockdowns that occurred during the Covid pandemic. They base this assertion on the idea that rest ought to be regarded as a fundamental human right. Rest and recreation are rights that belong to everyone. They used phrases like "forcing society to rest," "lockdowns," and "involuntary rest." That is referring to oppressive mandates that forced businesses to close. This is exactly what the Blue Laws were all about. In other words, the Baptists are saying that we cannot truly have a Sabbath rest in our nation until there is a "collective" action through "involuntary rest" (force) that will shut down businesses, productivity, and capitalism for one day a week.

That is tyranny with a smile. This is advocating for oppressive Sabbath rest measures disguised as benevolent or friendly. The Baptist News Global is presenting a fair front, with a lot of charm and charisma in order to gain the trust of the people. But behind the scenes and behind the false sense of security, there is a Blue Law that is ready to oppress the people and deny the rights and religious freedoms of seventh-day Sabbath-keeping Christians.

We live in a time when there are a great number of politicians and religious figures who profess to represent the will of the people while acting in an authoritarian manner. There are political and religious forces described in Revelation 13 that seem to be helpful and benevolent, but in reality, they will use their influence to control, manipulate, and persecute the people they claim to be serving.

"And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spake as a dragon. And he exerciseth all the power of the first beast before him, and causeth the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed." Revelation 13:11, 12.

[Rella]

http://adventmessenger.org/baptist-news-global-not-everyone-can-rest-until-we-set-aside-the-demands-of-productivity-and-capitalism-for-the-purpose-of-sabbath/

NO! Without the "Blue Laws" covering everyone it would not work.

Everyone includes even the ambulance, police and firefighters... and hospital workers.

IOW anyone who gets paid for anything.

It would be a start but not enough.... AND NO preaching by clergy cause they get paid also.

No radio and no TV as people get paid to work the technical ends....

And absolutely no football, baseball, or Nascar.

[DaveW]

Right idea, wrong day.

[Rella]

Right idea, wrong day.

To whom?

[Texas Conservative]

Baptist News Global isn't a source anyone should take seriously.  It is leftist.

We won't return to blue laws.  The Sunday law stuff is a bunch of crap.

[Amo]

We won't return to blue laws.  The Sunday law stuff is a bunch of crap.

Tell that to the millions of people living under them right now. In places where they never went away, and places they have recently been established, or reestablished. Constitutionally separated church and state will eventually go out the window, just like the rest of the Constitution has been and currently is. Mandates invading our personal freedoms and rights are taking place regularly. This one will just be one more by the powers that presently be responsible for many mandates here and abroad today. We are headed backwards, not forward. Politicians and religious leaders are increasingly back in bed together the world over, subjugating all under their thumbs. This is old, not new. The only thing new, is some new religions. Like Atheism, and Secular humanism, and oh yea, Evolutionism or perhaps one would say "Scientism". Folloooow the "science".

[Amo]

https://www.marketwatch.com/story/deaths-of-despair-may-be-driven-by-loss-of-religion-new-research-paper-argues-11673876749

The above article links deaths of despair, with doing away with the blue laws.

[Amo]

https://mercatornet.com/does-religion-protect-americans-from-deaths-of-despair/82681/

Quoted article below from link above. Emphasis is mine.

'Gimme that old time religion': did it protect Americans from deaths of despair?

The generation of millennials, which includes most Americans under 40, is the first one in which Christians are a minority. By the year 2070 as few as one-third of all Americans could be Christians according Pew Research Center projections. "Nones" – people without an allegiance to a religious faith, could be as many as 52 percent.

The dechristianisation of society is hard to assess and harder to predict. But we can ask: is this good news or bad news?

According to a research paper released last week by the National Bureau of Economic Research, a prominent think tank in Cambridge, Massachusetts, it is bad news. It is, in fact, literally deadly.

"Opiates of the Masses? Deaths of Despair and the Decline of American Religion" is a sobering look at the deaths due to overdoses, suicides, and alcoholic liver disease, medical conditions that increase when people believe that their long-term social and economic prospects are bleak.

Amongst middle-aged white Americans, the increase in deaths of despair has been so dramatic that mortality rates for all causes began to rise in the US after the year 2000. This perplexes demographers and economists and has been described as "one of the most important economic and demographic issues of our time". 

The three authors of the article believe that empirical evidence suggests that the reason for this deadly trend is the decline of religious practice. They write:

First, starting in the late 1980s, many measures of religious adherence in the US began a sharp downturn. This decline has been noted by researchers studying religion, but its proximity to the initial rise of deaths of despair has largely gone unnoticed. Second, religiosity is well known to be strongly correlated with health outcomes. Third, this religious decline was extremely large and widespread, so that it may have had quantifiable effects on mortality rates. We know of no other phenomenon that has these three characteristics.

This is a bold and controversial assertion. What proof do they put on the table?

In an original and thought-provoking use of statistics, the researchers examined deaths of despair after American states repealed their "blue laws". These were laws which banned commerce on Sundays so that people could observe the Sabbath by attending church services and spending more time with their families. Regulations varied from state to state, but typically the sale of alcohol was restricted or banned and department stores were closed. Many of the repeals took place in the 1980s.

What happened as a result? They report that

We find that for middle-aged Americans, the repeal of blue laws had a 5- to 10-percentage-point impact on weekly attendance of religious services and increased the rate of deaths of despair by 2 deaths per 100,000 people. Applying these results to the decline in religion at the end of the century suggests that this decline could be responsible for a reasonably large share of the initial rise in deaths of despair.

The usefulness of discussions about religion based on population-level statistics is limited, but intriguing. It's important to observe that church attendance is not the same as personal spirituality. Some people attending church regularly might not appear very spiritually-minded. Some very spiritual people might not attend church. "The impact that we witness seems to be driven by the decline in formal religious participation rather than in belief or personal activities like prayer," they write. 

Furthermore, other confounding factors could be at work – the opioid epidemic, downturns in the economy, unemployment, and so on.

But it does appear that church attendance, or "religiosity" as the social scientists call it, protects people against drug addiction, alcohol abuse and suicide. "The initial rise in deaths of despair in the US was preceded by a large decline in organized religious participation and ... both trends were driven by white middle-aged Americans," they say. 

Perhaps that's one reason why it might be better to live in Texas than in Arizona, or in South Carolina rather than in North Dakota. "States with high levels of religiosity have suffered less from mortality due to alcohol, suicides, or drug poisonings ... States that experienced larger decreases in religiosity have had the largest gains in the rate of deaths of despair.

There is much more to be said about the consequences of rapid secularisation in the United States and elsewhere. But this look at the dark side of social change is provocative. There are many lessons to be learned.

First, those who applaud the decline of religion in the public square in the US should be careful what they wish for. Church attendance protects some vulnerable people from social isolation, introversion, alienation and even death. Regular attendance draws people into faith communities, gives them supportive fellowship and enhances a sense of meaning in their lives.

Second, it is often observed that a decline in church attendance does not necessarily mean that people are less "religious". Many of them are said to be still attuned to spiritual themes. People who fret over empty pews are supposed to take comfort in this small consolation. However, the more atomised, individual ethic underlying the retreat from a religious community still makes people susceptible to "despair".

Third, the law of unintended consequences is always at work. We have all experienced this with the Covid lockdowns. Back in the 1980s, repealing the blue laws was meant to make life more convenient. For most people, it did. But for an unlucky few, it turned their lives upside down.  It even killed them.

[DaveW]

The above article links deaths of despair, with doing away with the blue laws.

Tell me Amo, would you be OK with blue laws that outlawed business/work on Saturday instead of Sunday?

[Amo]

Tell me Amo, would you be OK with blue laws that outlawed business/work on Saturday instead of Sunday?

Absolutely not. The government has no business dictating religious conviction or faith. Worse yet, a religion using government to enforce their dogmas.

[DaveW]

Absolutely not. The government has no business dictating religious conviction or faith. Worse yet, a religion using government to enforce their dogmas.

So it would be ok for the government (or industry) to FORCE you to work on Saturday?

From an email I got today from the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ):

David,

Biden is waging a clandestine war on your Christian faith at the Supreme Court. And TODAY is the deadline.

He's astonishingly asking the Supreme Court to restrict your right to go to church. This case WILL have a major impact on your religious liberty.

The U.S. Postal Service started forcing postal workers to work on Sunday, denying their religious accommodation request to attend church. A federal court ruled that these workers have NO RIGHT to go to church.

If this outrage is allowed to stand, your employer could do the SAME THING. And that's just the beginning of the radical Left's assault on your faith. The outcome will impact numerous similar cases we are fighting.

We WILL NOT let Biden and the radical Left erode our religious liberty. Church is essential, and our federal and constitutional rights to religious liberty MUST BE PROTECTED. If they can block you from going to church, what's next?

I've been arguing these kinds of cases at the Supreme Court for decades. TODAY, we are filing a critical amicus brief at the Supreme Court to defend YOUR right to go to church. As we battle against Biden's assault on your faith at the Supreme Court, we need your support.

[Amo]

Of course not. What does such a thing have to do with liberty of Conscience? Biden is a papal puppet. If he is doing as you suggest, it is only to arouse resistance and help bolster a movement for Sunday sacredness protection laws.

[Amo]

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2023/01/discussion-blue-laws-reconsidered/

DISCUSSION: Blue Laws Reconsidered?

In today's post on suicide and the loss of religion, we mentioned that researchers found a correlation with "blue laws," suggesting that getting rid of Sunday closing laws may have had the unintended consequence of increasing the suicide rate.

I found that a bit of a jump, but said that I had never thought of the dismantling of Sunday closing laws as a factor in the decline in church attendance, but it is surely a factor.  If you have to work on Sunday, you can't go to church.  Most of us probably know people in that predicament.

Even after the blue laws were abandoned, communities tended to protect Sundays.  No more, even here in rural, Bible belt, Oklahoma, where soccer practices and little league tournaments are often scheduled on Sunday mornings.

Ironically, though, most European countries and Australia, which I know most about, have kept most of their blue laws, even though they are far more secularized than the United States.  Most people there don't use Sundays to go to church, which was the origin of those laws, but they prize them as a day of rest.

We Americans still try to go to church, but we have given up our day of rest.  Consequently, we are more busy than we should be, which also has unintended consequences for our mental health.

Now there are problems with rigid, legalistic approaches to the Sabbath, which gave rise to the blue laws.  German Lutheran immigrants encountered hostility from the Reformed majority for breaking the Sabbath.  On Sunday afternoons, after church, the Lutherans would play or watch sports, attend concerts, and, worst of all, relax at Beer Gardens.  Lutherans knew that "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath" (Mark 2:27).  And what man needs on the Sabbath is both worship and rest, including innocent recreation and time with family and friends.

Today any Sabbath laws would have to be packaged as days of rest with many exceptions and accommodations, as in Europe and Australia.  No one religion could be privileged.  Christians have Sundays as the day of worship, Jews have Saturdays, and Muslims have Thursdays.  The work week and the number of hours Americans work per week are said to be contracting.  Most Americans work only five days a week, but these can be different days.  But is it helpful for the whole society to have days off in common?  We still have weekends.  We could institutionalize a three day weekend, beginning with Thursdays rather than adding Mondays, to accommodate the Muslims, thereby keeping a religious dimension to these days of rest.

So our discussion topic for this weekend is "would it be a good idea to bring back Sunday closing laws or their equivalent?"

[Rella]

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/geneveith/2023/01/discussion-blue-laws-reconsidered/

In today's post on suicide and the loss of religion, we mentioned that researchers found a correlation with "blue laws," suggesting that getting rid of Sunday closing laws may have had the unintended consequence of increasing the suicide rate.

Good grief.

And I suppose that the covid restrictions did so as well? Especially when we could not shop for weeks on end or dine out, or see a movie?

I just have not read any increase for that based on covid

[Amo]

I could agree that choosing to spend one whole day a week in greater communion with God, could help prevent depression and or possibly therefore suicide. But I can't agree that forcing people to do so by law, who would rather be doing something else, might have such an effect.

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/catholic-archbishop-herouard-we-want-to-protect-the-right-of-people-not-having-to-work-on-sunday/

Quoted article below, from link above. Link under quoted article, is to link of video discussed in article.

Catholic Archbishop Hérouard: "We want to Protect the Right of People not having to Work on Sunday"

In a video released on March 3, 2023, Archbishop Antoino Hérouard, President of the Social Affairs Commission for the Commission of Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE), reaffirmed the urgency to protect Sunday as the common day of rest for Europe. Archbishop Hérouard is a Jesuit-trained member of COMECE. [1] COMECE is the Vatican-led organization that represents Pope Francis in the European Union.

Catholic Archbishop Hérouard expressed the following in a video released by the European Sunday Alliance:

"As a founder of the European Sunday Alliance, COMECE is very well aware of protecting this particularity of the Sunday. Sunday has to be a different day for the people, a day in which they can not only have their habitual activities in their work, but to have the possibility of meeting the family, having other activities in social camps, in sports, in culture, of course, also, in spiritual and religious engagement. So we want to protect as far as possible the fact that all the people have to be able not to work on Sunday and be able to have these other opportunities in their live that are so important for everybody" (Twitter Post).

Rome is moving forward in its fight to secure Sunday closing laws across Europe. Even though Archbishop Hérouard claims his support for Sunday rest is about helping families and workers, he doesn't hide the fact that he also says it is for "spiritual and religious activities." Rome is taking advantage of every opportunity to establish Sunday as a day of rest in order to draw people to the church. That is the real motive.

The European Sunday Alliance is a coalition of civil organizations, trade unions, and religious groups from across Europe, and not only is COMECE a founding member of this alliance, but their stated goal is to "raise awareness about the unique value of Sunday for our society and on the importance of a common day of rest." [2]

Rome views Sunday closing regulations as a matter of abiding by the church's commandment. And instead of letting people decide for themselves whether Saturday or Sunday is the biblical Sabbath, the member nations of the European Union are being asked to do Rome's bidding by making Sunday a day of rest without our consent.

The campaign to secure Sunday by law is currently underway. This will force men and women to shut down everything on the first day of the week, even though God's commandments say "the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God" (Exodus 20:10). Those aware of the long history of Sunday laws dating back to 321 A.D. know that these movements happening in Europe today are bringing us one step closer to enforcing Rome's religion during the mark of the beast crisis.

Sunday agitations will only continue to grow as more and more calls are made to adopt these radical arbitrary laws. The biblical predictions found in Revelation 13 and 17 are coming to life before our very eyes. Rome is busy fulfilling her role by compelling all classes to observe her institutions. And what are the secular governments doing? They are lining up behind her. Let also the commandment-keeping people rise to the occasion and carry out their divinely appointed duty at this time:

"The people of our land need to be aroused to resist the advances of this most dangerous foe to civil and religious liberty." (Spirit of Prophecy, Vol. 4, p. 382).

"It is our duty to do all in our power to avert the threatened danger" (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 452).

https://twitter.com/intent/follow?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1631615934929551360%7Ctwgr%5Eb0d6b27501cf008a9f64a1d652115d2b99404000%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=http%3A%2F%2Fadventmessenger.org%2Fcatholic-archbishop-herouard-we-want-to-protect-the-right-of-people-not-having-to-work-on-sunday%2F&screen_name=SundayAlliance

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/hollywood-actor-mark-wahlberg-said-on-nbcs-today-show-no-matter-where-i-am-the-priority-on-sunday-is-to-go-to-church/

Quoted article below from link above. Video of the interview is on the above link as well. Bold emphasis is mine.

Hollywood Actor Mark Wahlberg said on NBC's Today Show: "No Matter Where I am, the Priority on Sunday is to go to Church"

Even famous celebrities support Sunday as the day to attend church for worship. One of Hollywood's highest-paid actors, Mark Wahlberg, has appeared in over 60 films. On February 22, 2023, Wahlberg appeared on NBC's Today Show to talk about his faith and the role it plays in his life. Wahlberg also promoted the Roman Catholic prayer app called Hallow, which was created to inspire people to pray and meditate.

During the interview with Savannah Guthrie, Mark Wahlberg stressed the importance of teaching his children that "no matter where I am, the priority on Sunday is to go to church." Given that he spoke these words on national television, his message that Sunday is for church worship spread beyond his immediate family. The live broadcast was viewed in homes all across the nation, helping to promote the popular perception that Sunday is for church and family. That was the message being communicated as Wahlberg interacted with his audience.

Sunday is being promoted by everyone. But when famous people support Sunday as the day to attend church, you know that will have an enormous impact on people in general. Celebrities can often get their fans to embrace whatever they are promoting. Movie stars have the power to shape followers' opinions and behaviors because they frequently have large fan bases on social media and other platforms. It is regrettable that God's commandments aren't being followed regarding the day He wants us to attend church.

"You know how it is with the papal power. The people have no right to interpret the Scriptures for themselves. They must have someone else interpret the Scriptures for them. Have you no mind? Have you no reason? Has not God given judgment to the common people just as well as He has to the priests and rulers? ... God help us to be Bible students. Until you can see the reason for it yourself and a 'thus saith the Lord' in the Scriptures, don't trust any living man to interpret the Bible for you. And when you can see this, you know it for yourself, and know it to be the truth of God. You will say, 'I have read it, I have seen it, and my own heart takes hold upon it, and it is the truth God has spoken to me from His Word'." (Faith and Works, pp. 77, 78).

[Amo]

http://adventmessenger.org/catholic-cardinal-sunday-worship-strengthens-church-and-community-life-and-those-who-deliberately-disregard-it-commit-grave-sin/

Quoted article below from link above.

Catholic Cardinal: Sunday Worship Strengthens Church and Community Life, and those who Deliberately Disregard it Commit Grave Sin

On March 11, 2023, the Catholic Archbishop of Singapore, William Goh, who was elevated to Cardinal status by Pope Francis in 2022, published a formal directive ordering people to return to church on Sunday. The order was called "Restoring the Solemnity and the Spirit of the Day of the Lord by Participation in the Sunday Eucharist." In his capacity as leader, Cardinal Goh cautioned clergy and laypeople alike that the Sunday Eucharist is the cornerstone of faith and the solution to "the world's despair." He added that it is a "grave sin" to purposely skip Sunday services. Additionally, he asserts that Catholic doctrine is "also important to strengthen the community and to help them walk together in faith."

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Singapore published Cardinal Goh's words, which stated the following:

"The Sunday Eucharist has always been held in great importance by the Church. The commemoration of the Lord's resurrection is a tradition going back to the Apostles and hence called the Lord's Day. Celebrating the resurrection of our Lord is the heart of Christian Faith. It is the basis of our faith in Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. It is also the answer to the world's despair and the meaning of life." [1]

"For this reason, the Church has legislated that "on Sundays and other holy days of obligation the faithful are bound to participate in the Mass"  (Catechism of the Catholic Church, No 2180 cf Canon Law 1247). It also states that "unless excused for a serious reason (for example, illness, the care of infants, or vulnerable to infectious disease) or given dispensation by their own pastor, those who deliberately fail in this obligation commit a grave sin" (CCC 2181, cf Canon Law 1245). This law is imposed not to make our lives inconvenient but to underscore the grave obligation that active participation in the Sunday Eucharist is vital for Christian life. We must not reduce Sunday, the Day of the Lord simply to a weekend of rest, shopping, dining, or engaging in cultural and sporting activities. Church Laws are given more for the weak, and not so much for those who are disciplined in their spiritual life." [1]

"Church Laws are also important to strengthen the community and to help them walk together in faith. That is why we should not merely fulfil the obligation in a perfunctory manner but interiorise the Spirit of the Sunday Obligation. Just "attending Mass" itself would not be the right spirit in fulfilling this obligation. One must participate in the Mass with the intention of giving glory to God, to consecrate the entire day to Him by sharing our life and love with our fellow Catholics and extending the love we receive with those who do not know Christ especially by our works of charity." [1]

It is clear from Cardinal Goh's words that he is not just speaking to his Catholic parishioners. The "community" at large and those who "do not know Christ" are both included. His message is that you are committing a great sin if you skip Sunday worship. What Cardinal Goh is saying is what the Roman Catholic Church has done for millennia. They are manipulating people, sowing seeds of doubt, and making people question what God Himself has said about the Sabbath day.

Sunday is not the Lord's Day or the day of rest and worship. Saturday is the true Lord's Day. The Sabbath has never been changed, will never be changed, and cannot be changed because it is a memorial of creation. It was blessed and sanctified by God and is enshrined in the Moral Law (Genesis 2:1–3; Exodus 20:8–11). And Jesus made it clear that He is the Lord of the Sabbath day (Mark 2:28).

You can deceive both yourself and other people by celebrating your birthday on a day other than the one on which you were actually born. You are welcome to host your friends and celebrate a day on which you were not born. You can proclaim your fictitious birthdate from the rooftops and perpetuate your fraud throughout the world. However, there is no way to alter the truth about when you were actually born or to rewrite history.

Today, the world has sanctified the first day of the week and is participating in an act of misrepresentation and fraud. Millions believe that Sunday is the day of rest, but as long as God endures, as long as His word is true, and as long as the earth remains, the seventh-day Sabbath is a rebuke to all those who are worshiping on the wrong day.

Before sin entered our world, the Sabbath was a memorial to the living God. Before sin destroyed the perfect peace and unity that existed in the Garden of Eden, the Sabbath had been established, blessed, and sanctified by the Lord. And this memorial of God will live on throughout eternity in the earth made new (Isaiah 66:22, 23). Yes, after this world has been purified and all the marks of sin have been forever removed, Saturday, not Sunday, will remain for all eternity as the true day of worship for the Creator.

The true Sabbath has not simply been forgotten by people; rather, it has been ruthlessly and purposefully trampled underfoot by the beast of Bible prophecy. Instead of keeping God's Sabbath, men have elevated a fictitious day of rest that has unholy origins. There is a power that is not godly and has sought to change the commandments of God for the traditions of men. It was the little horn (Daniel 7:25) who thinks that he could "change" times and laws. It was the mystery of iniquity, the man of sin, who changed the Sabbath from the seventh day to the day of the sun, Sunday, a day revered in paganism.

The Roman papacy officially decreed the change from Saturday to Sunday during the Council of Laodicea in AD 364:

"Christians shall not Judaize and be idle on Saturday but shall work on that day; but the Lord's day they shall especially honour, and, as being Christians, shall, if possible, do no work on that day. If, however, they are found Judaizing, they shall be shut out from Christ" (Strand, op. cit., citing Charles J. Hefele, A History of the Councils of the Church, 2 [Edinburgh, 1876] 316).

High-ranking Catholic leaders freely admit that the Catholic Church made this change:

"You may read the Bible from Genesis to Revelation, and you will not find a single line authorizing the sanctification of Sunday. The Scriptures enforce the religious observance of Saturday, a day which we [the Catholic Church] never sanctify." (Faith of Our Fathers, 92nd ed., p. 89).

"The Catholic Church, ... by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday" (The Catholic Mirror, official publication of James Cardinal Gibbons, Sept. 23, 1893).

"Protestants do not realize that by observing Sunday, they accept the authority of the spokesperson of the Church, the Pope" (Our Sunday Visitor, February 5, 1950).

"Of course the Catholic Church claims that the change [Saturday Sabbath to Sunday] was her act... And the act is a mark of her ecclesiastical authority in religious things" (H.F. Thomas, Chancellor of Cardinal Gibbons).

"The church is above the Bible, and this transference of Sabbath observance is proof of that fact" (Catholic Record of London, Ontario, Sept. 1, 1923).

"Prove to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible. It is a law of the Catholic Church alone. The Catholic Church says, by my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the first day of the week. And lo! The entire civilized world bows down in reverent obedience to the command of the Holy Catholic Church" (Thomas Enright, CSSR, President, Redemptorist College [Roman Catholic], Kansas City, MO, Feb. 18, 1884).

"The Pope has power to change times, to abrogate laws, and to dispense with all things, even the precepts of Christ. The Pope has authority and has often exercised it, to dispense with the command of Christ" (Decretal, de Tranlatic Episcop).

The true seventh-day Sabbath is rooted in the eternal word of God. It is as timeless as eternity. It is a memorial of God's creative and redemptive power (Deuteronomy 5:15). On the other hand, the Papacy, in its blind and blasphemous presumption, claims to be able to change the moral law of God by dispensing altogether with the Sabbath that He established. This is the same spirit that the Bible warned us about:

"For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them." Acts 20:29, 30.

"Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God." 2 Thessalonians 2:3, 4.

It appears that the "falling away" into apostasy started even in the times of the apostles, which is how the papal power came to be. Now, once again, they are making calls for the return of Sunday rest, not just for the church but for all of society. We are aware of where this is going. All the cries for tolerance and compassion, for coexistence and peace, will soon come to an end.

"God's Word has given warning of the impending danger; let this be unheeded, and the Protestant world will learn what the purposes of Rome really are, only when it is too late to escape the snare. She is silently growing into power. Her doctrines are exerting their influence in legislative halls, in the churches, and in the hearts of men. She is piling up her lofty and massive structures, in the secret recesses of which her former persecutions will be repeated. Stealthily and unsuspectedly she is strengthening her forces to further her own ends when the time shall come for her to strike. All that she desires is vantage-ground, and this is already being given her. We shall soon see and shall feel what the purpose of the Roman element is. Whoever shall believe and obey the Word of God will thereby incur reproach and persecution" (Great Controversy, p. 581).