No eating out on Sundays?

[Amazing_Grace]

I have a question!

I know you aren't supposed to work on Sundays, but I was wondering...should we go to places that are open on Sundays? Is it okay to support a business that makes employees work? Are we violating a rule by going shopping, to see a movie, eat at a restaurant, etc. on Sundays?

Also, I know we are called to rest on Sundays. I don't work at my job on Sundays, but I have done light housework in the afternoons. Is that okay?

Just wondering if anyone knew about this...I want to do what is right!

 

[Gina B]

Posted by Amazing Grace: "I know you aren't supposed to work on Sundays"

Who made that rule and where can I find it?

da Gina

 

[Helen]

Amazing Grace,

The commandment is to work six days and rest one. That's it. My dad used to be a radio announcer and Tuesdays and Wednesdays were his days off! (Ski lifts are NOT crowded on those days....grin)

I am very grateful for those emergency service personnel who take a day off other than Sunday.

Or Saturday.

Saturday is considered the traditional Sabbat, or Sabbath. Sunday is the day most Christians have chosen as a celebration of the Resurrection.

But we don't know what day God started creation on! So we don't know which day was HIS seventh day!

The only thing I can think of which might prohibit dining out on a Sunday is if it might be a bad witness to the waiters and waitresses, and that is something you have to follow the leading of the Lord on. He knows who will be serving you; He knows what is going on in everyone's hearts.

Give each day into HIS hands and let HIM lead you in your decisions. Then, if there is a waiter or waitress who needs to hear some remark about the sermon or God at your table, that will be the right time and the right place to dine out, eh?

God bless!

Helen

 

[Amazing_Grace]

I guess I misunderstood that whole Sunday thing. No one ever explicitly said not to work or go out, but I know many in my church who make it a point not to do so.

Thanks for your insights!

 

[redwhitenblue]

Once again, a religious rule that has nothing to do with actually serving Christ. Working or dinning out on Sunday is perfectly fine, if you have a conviction about it, then well you need to listen to what God is saying but don't let a religious thing stop you from living your life...who's to say that you couldn't show the love of Jesus on the job or even at dinner on Sunday? I can pretty much tell you that any waitress or waiter would only find it a bad wittness if you didn't leave a descent tip or acted rude towards them.

karen

 

[redwhitenblue]

Once again, a religious rule that has nothing to do with actually serving Christ. Working or dinning out on Sunday is perfectly fine, if you have a conviction about it, then well you need to listen to what God is saying but don't let a religious thing stop you from living your life...who's to say that you couldn't show the love of Jesus on the job or even at dinner on Sunday? I can pretty much tell you that any waitress or waiter would only find it a bad wittness if you didn't leave a descent tip or acted rude towards them.

karen

 

[Ps104_33]

I know you aren't supposed to work on Sundays, but I was wondering...should we go to places that are open on Sundays? Is it okay to support a business that makes employees work? Are we violating a rule by going shopping, to see a movie, eat at a restaurant, etc. on Sundays?
Read Mark 2:23-28

 

[Brian]

Christ caused a disturbance by healing on the sabbath and when called on this by the religoius leaders of the time asked this question (my paraphrase) Is it better to do good or evil on the sabbath? And then pointed out that if need arose that anyone would do things the Jews classified as work.
Anyway I have gotten to the point that I try not to spend my money on Sundays. I do this in the hopes that it will be better for the bussiness' not to be an impediment ro employee worship. Is it wrong in itself? no. Does it look bad? IMO yes and I try to avoid doing bussiness of any kind on Sunday. Not for leagalistic reasons but the impression it leaves on unbelievers and the harm it may do to my witness.

 

[Dr. Bob]

Legalism (trying to gain favor with God or man by keeping any set of rules) made lousy Jews and even worse Christians.

God has given us a freedom that is a refreshing change from Judaism.

Personal opinion? I try NOT to do activities on Sunday that I COULD do on another day of the week - trying to keep it a special day. So I get gas on days other than Sunday, etc.

Am I more spiritual as a result? No. God doesn't love me any more or any less because of ANYTHING I do. But in my own conscience I am at peace.

 

[Bro. Curtis]

I don't do anything on Sundays that would keep me out of church. Wednesdays either, but I see nothing wrong with dining out, or any other activity, so long as YOUR sabbath is kept.

 

[ChristianCynic]

Christians have no obligation to observe a special day of week, any festivals, or such times; yet the practice of doing so or not doing so is a matter for no person to judge another-- Romans 14:5, Colossians 2:16.

 

[SaggyWoman]

This is my sunday.

8;30 at church.
9:30 SS help, then practice for the service
1045 service
11:45 children's church

1:00 lunch

2:30 home for nap mostly. Once in a while shopping.

4:30 back to church to set up.

6:00 p.m. service and children's activities.

I work on sundays. I take another day off for rest.

 

[Optional]

Whoa - no eating out on Sundays? If that was the case my family would never get lunch - cuz mamma don't cook on Sunday afternoon.

Actually, eating out, I have found, is the most opportunistic witnessing time. You sort of have a captive audience with the waiter or waitress.

 

[redwhitenblue]

I can't possibly see where it could be a bad wittness to resturant staff for a christian to be eating out on Sundays...if anything I think it would make it look good...even working..not a problem.

karen

 

[Larry]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Dr. Bob Griffin:
Legalism (trying to gain favor with God or man by keeping any set of rules) made lousy Jews and even worse Christians.

God has given us a freedom that is a refreshing change from Judaism.

Personal opinion? I try NOT to do activities on Sunday that I COULD do on another day of the week - trying to keep it a special day. So I get gas on days other than Sunday, etc.

Am I more spiritual as a result? No. God doesn't love me any more or any less because of ANYTHING I do. But in my own conscience I am at peace.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ditto what Bob said,


Just three quick thoughts

1) When I do go out to eat on Sunday, I am often ashamed of the conduct of other Christians in the restaurant.

2) We are using the Gregorian calendar NOT the Hebrew calendar. One is based upon the lunar cycle and the other the sun. How can anybody say in confidence that Saturday (named after a pagan god) is the chronological Sabbath? The day of the week that Jesus arose was the first day of a Hebrew week, how do we know that that day doesn't correspond with Thursday?

3) That being said, when I do business on Sunday, am I potentially causing a Christian brother to stumble by giving his employer an insinuative to insist that he work instead of go to Church?

 

[Mike McK]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Larry:


That being said, when I do business on Sunday, am I potentially causing a Christian brother to stumble by giving his employer an insinuative to insist that he work instead of go to Church?<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Larry, the law says that as long as there is someone else available to work that day, the employer has to honor an employee's "sincerely held religious beliefs" or else prove that allowing the employee to have time off to attend religious services would cause a hardship to the business, which, in cases of religious discrimination, is very difficult to prove. The courts almost always rule in favor of the employee.

Mike

http://www.aclj.org

[ December 11, 2001: Message edited by: Smoke_Eater ]

 

[Larry]

Smoke_Eater

That probably works with the Fire Department and many other jobs. A cook or waitress however, I don’t think so.

On most applications the question is asked, "what days can you work". If you are applying for a job waiting tables, you probably don’t have many marketable job skills in the first place and saying that you will not work on one of the busiest days of the week, well it's not likely to get you the job.

What kind of a witness would it be to the rest of the staff when "little Ms. Goody Goody" gets off every Sunday and you cant get a Sunday off to be with your family because of her?

 

[superdave]

The Sabbath was made for man, not the man for the sabbath.

Besides which, Sunday is NOT the sabbath, so what in the world are all you crazy Baptists doing out Christmas shopping on Saturday, huh!

My job occasionally requires work on the First day of the week, generally not during church (I can usually adjust the schedule) and I am also on call during some sundays.

Church is a high priority for me, and I don't miss without good reason. I do not see a problem with working on Sunday, but if work is making it impossible to worship with God's people on a consistent basis, than I do think that is a problem.

And I have no problem running to Meijer for Baby Tylenol on Sunday afternoon, or hitting the drive through on the way home from church to grab some vittles at Ronald's Baptist Steakhouse. My patronage, or even the patronage of every Baptist in the world would not cause most business owners to decide there is no demand. However, I have noticed that the Bible Bookstore is closed.

Another thought. If Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest, how come it wears me out so much, even if all I do is church. Sunday services morning and evening are another Tradition we hold to, not Biblical mandate. Still, since my church has them, I go.

 

[Larry]

<BLOCKQUOTE>quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by superdave:
[QB] Sunday is NOT the sabbath, so what in the world are all you crazy Baptists doing out Christmas shopping on Saturday, huh!

QB]<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

That’s an absolute statement. Do you have absolute knowledge that Saturday is the "real Sabbath"?

The fourteenth day was a Sabbath and so on, BUT we are using a calendar that is based upon the Sun not the Moon. If memory serves me, we have more days in our calendar and most days are named after pagan gods, so who can say that the seventh day in this pagan Roman calendar is the same as the seventh day in the Hebrew Calendar?