Religious Liberty is about to be seriously undermined by the 'religious'

[Alofa Atu]

"The new Italian government will introduce a ban on Sunday shopping in large commercial centres before the end of the year as it seeks to defend family traditions, Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Sunday. In a bid to spur economic growth, the then Italian Prime Minister Mario Monti liberalised Sunday trading in 2012, despite pressure from the Roman Catholic Church and unions who said the country needed to keep its traditional day of rest ... Earlier this year, Poland restricted Sunday shopping as the conservative government in Warsaw pushed ahead with what it said was a return to Roman Catholic values." - New Italian government plans to curb Sunday shopping - Di Maio

"... The trades unions will be one of the agencies that will bring upon this earth a time of trouble such as has not been since the world began.--Letter 200, 1903. {CL 10.2} ..."

"... Through the working of trusts and the results of labor unions and strikes, the conditions of life in the city are constantly becoming more and more difficult. Serious troubles are before us, and for many families removal from the cities will become a necessity. {AH 136.4} ..." - Adventist Home, page 136.4

"... For years I have been given special light that we are not to center our work in the cities. The turmoil and confusion that fill these cities, the conditions brought about by the labor unions and the strikes, would prove a great hindrance to our work. Men are seeking to bring those engaged in the different trades under bondage to certain unions. This is not God's planning, but the planning of a power that we should in no wise acknowledge. God's word is fulfilling; the wicked are binding themselves up in bundles ready to be burned. {CH 273.2}

We are now to use all our entrusted capabilities in giving the last warning message to the world. In this work we are to preserve our individuality. We are not to unite with secret societies or with trades unions. We are to stand free in God, looking constantly to Christ for instruction. All our movements are to be made with a realization of the importance of the work to be accomplished for God.--Testimonies for the Church, vol. 7, p. 84 (1902). ..."

"... The time is fast coming when the controlling power of the labor unions will be very oppressive. Again and again the Lord has instructed that our people are to take their families away from the cities, into the country, where they can raise their own provisions; [10] for in the future the problem of buying and selling will be a very serious one. We should now begin to heed the instruction given us over and over again: Get out of the cities into rural districts, where the houses are not crowded closely together, and where you will be free from the interference of enemies.--Letter 5, 1904. {CL 9.5} ..." - Country Living, page 9.5

 

[Alofa Atu]

"... OKLAHOMA CITY (BP) -- According to LifeWay Research, 77 percent of churchgoers say they take an intentional day of rest, with most doing so on Sunday. This idea of a Sabbath dates back to the Old Testament, even to the creation week itself.

Societies and nations impacted by Christianity almost always have viewed Sunday as special. In America, however, Sunday has increasingly been treated like any other day.

We see this through little league sporting events scheduled for Sunday and most businesses being open. So much of this is the case that when a business (like Chick-fil-A) stays closed on Sunday, the world remarks about the difference.

Previous generations of Baptists might be surprised to see the way today's Christians live, shop and work on Sundays. While some blue laws remain on the books, the rest of our culture has pretty much given up on the idea of Sunday as special, as a day dedicated for worship and rest.

Some years back, an international movement was born as a backlash to this societal creep into Sundays. The European Sunday Alliance, which is not specifically Christian or religious, has pushed for laws to protect Sundays. It proposed that Sunday "shall not be sacrificed for economic interests. It needs to be protected as the day of rest and of social gathering."

Thinking about America, what are some benefits of trying to reclaim Sunday as special?

A day of rest

In the Bible, the Sabbath was given as a gift to man (Genesis 2:2-3). Former U.S. Sen. Joseph Lieberman even wrote a book on the topic called "The Gift of Rest: Rediscovering the Beauty of the Sabbath." In our hustle-and-bustle world, a dedicated day of rest would be a huge blessing.

Dedicated worship time

"Super Bowl Sunday" is not the only time of year the world competes for a slice of Sunday. Closer to home, little league tournaments, for example, have many Christian families away from church on Sundays. In times past, secular groups understood Sunday was off-limits, that it is a day for worship. Each week, the ringing church bells and quieting of commerce were a testimony to our desire to turn aside for dedicated worship of God. It is not too late to realign our habits in this way.

Family time

The Baptist Messenger here in Oklahoma once published an in-depth series exploring family breakdown. One of the leading indicators of family health was the amount of time a family spends at the dinner table together. In America, through our fast-food reliance and disconnected culture, many of us have done away with the blessings of shared meal times and Sunday as "family day," all for the sake of a little more efficiency and alleged productivity.

While no good Baptist wants or would dare suggest a return to legalism that demands strict Sabbath observance, this can be one of those issues where Christians reexamine our habits and attitudes on Sundays.

In Christ, we have freedom in how to live. As the apostle Paul stated, "One person regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Each person must be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord" (Romans 14:5-6).

Yet taking back Sundays could yield some important benefits for you, your family and society as a whole. Whether it's making church attendance a bigger priority or simply taking a break from social media, each of us can be better blessed when we treat Sunday as special again. ..." - FIRST-PERSON: Is Sunday still special?

 

[Alofa Atu]

"... Kanye West has a new song called "Closed on Sunday" that references Chick-fil-A.

"Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A," the song begins.
Chick-fil-A closes all of its locations on Sunday because of founder Truett Cathy's Christian faith.
West is a noted fast-food fan, tweeting that McDonald's is his favorite restaurant as well as his favorite brand.

Noted McDonald's lover Kanye West has a new fast-food chain on his mind.

"Closed on Sunday" is the fourth track on "Jesus Is King," West's new album that was released on Friday. Prior to Friday, the song was in rotation during West's listening parties for his new songs.

"Closed on Sunday, you my Chick-fil-A," the song begins.

The song goes on to preach against Instagram ("Hold the selfies, put the 'Gram away") and the importance of faith ("Follow Jesus, listen and obey"). West ends the song with a cry of "Chick-fil-A!"

Chick-fil-A declined to comment on the song. But, the fast-food shout-out seems fitting for the gospel-influenced album. Every location of the fast-food chain is closed on Sunday.

"Closing our business on Sunday, the Lord's Day, is our way of honoring God and showing our loyalty to Him," Chick-fil-A's founder, Truett Cathy, wrote in his book "Eat Mor Chikin: Inspire More People."

In 2000, Cathy's children — including Dan Cathy, now the chain's CEO — pledged to uphold the company's commitment to closing on Sundays and to never take it public.

Read more: Chick-fil-A likely loses out on more than $1 billion in sales every year by closing on Sundays — and it's a brilliant business strategy

Like West, who has faced backlash for his support of President Donald Trump and numerous provocative statements, Chick-fil-A is no stranger to controversy. In 2012, the company faced boycott threats due to its significant donations to groups opposing same-sex marriage. Chick-fil-A has cut donations to controversial groups, with the exceptions of the Salvation Army and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, but it has continued to face criticism from certain progressive groups for its charitable giving.

West's love of fast food more generally is well documented. The rapper has a special appreciation for McDonald's, tweeting in 2018, "McDonald's is my favorite restaurant." The declaration followed a 2016 tweet from West that said, "McDonald's is my favorite brand."

A representative for West did not respond to a request for comment on Chick-fil-A's polarizing reputation and whether McDonald's was still the rapper's favorite restaurant.

West has also made financial investments into the fast-food industry.

In 2008, West bought the rights to open 10 Fatburger locations in Chicago. And, when West married Kim Kardashian in 2014, he reportedly bought her the rights to open 10 Burger King franchises located throughout Europe — though no locations were ultimately opened in the Kardashian-West name. ..." - Kanye West has a new song called 'Closed on Sunday' that heavily references Chick-fil-A

 

[Alofa Atu]

"... Working on Sundays and Holidays ("Blue Laws")

The Massachusetts Blue Laws control hours of operation for certain businesses and require some businesses to pay extra compensation (known as "premium pay") on Sundays and some legal holidays. These laws are enforced by the Attorney General's Office ..." - Working on Sundays and Holidays ("Blue Laws")

 

[Alofa Atu]

"... Those who save their weekly shopping for Sunday were in for a rude shock today when they realized that almost all the shops in Poland are closed.

It’s the result of a new law signed at the beginning of this year which limits shop openings to the first and last Sunday of the month. By 2020, even these are planned to be phased out so that every Sunday is a shopping-free day.

Supporters of the ban say that it will benefit workers and their families. Some have religious reasons for opposing Sunday labor as well.

Critics say that the new rule limits consumer and company choice, depresses the economy, may unfairly harm students who can only work on weekends, and contains loopholes which make the law easy to evade. (For example, an exception has been made for “fishery and agriculture products,” which has some businesses arguing that any shop which sells fish oil tablets should be technically allowed to remain open.)

Other exceptions which may be more helpful to the casual reader include petrol stations, pharmacies, post offices, animal hospitals, and commercial outlets at transport centers like airports and train stations. (That means you can probably find at least some open shops beneath Galeria Krakowska at the Main Rail Station.)

Some businesses, especially grocery stores, reported an uptick in sales yesterday as shoppers rushed to stock up in expectation of the first Sunday closure. Some analysts also predict that this could lead to a boost for e-commerce. ..." - Why are all the shops closed in Poland on Sunday? | The Krakow Post

 

[Alofa Atu]

"...Sabbath Law Law and Legal Definition

Sabbath means Sunday. Sabbath law is a statute regulating or prohibiting commercial activities on Sundays. Sabbath laws were common in olden days. However, they have declined since the 1980s, when many courts held them invalid because of their origin in religion. Sunday being the Christian Sabbath.

Ordinarily, Sabbath laws pass constitutional challenge if they are enacted to support a non religious cause; for example, a day of rest for workers.

Sabbath law is also known as Sunday law, blue law, Sunday-closing law, or the Lord’s Day Act. ..." - Sabbath Law Law and Legal Definition | USLegal, Inc.

 

[Alofa Atu]

"... Poland Bans Sunday Trading: Law and Justice Remembers the Sabbath

With the American market in the midst of the consumerist joys of the holiday season, other countries have paused for a moment of reflection on domestic consumer spending habits. In Poland, the conservative Law and Justice government has taken a decidedly regulatory approach.

On Sunday, November 24, the government approved a law to ban Sunday trading—the sale of merchandise on Sundays—within the next three years. If the law passes parliament, trading will be banned on two Sundays per month in 2018, increasing to three in 2019, and phased out altogether by 2020. The ban, however, does accommodate several exceptions. It does not pertain to gas stations, train stations, seaports, pharmacies, flower shops, and souvenir shops, and allowances will be made for the holidays. There will be seven trade Sundays permitted during the year, including two leading up to Christmas and one preceding Easter.

While this ban may sound strange to American ears, Poland would actually join eight other EU countries with regulatory legislation pertaining to Sunday shopping habits. Recently, increased demographic and work-related pressures have led many Europeans, and Poles specifically, to welcome Sunday trade bans as a way to improve quality of life.

For the Ban

In Poland, the trading ban has been a long time coming. It was preceded by a holiday trade ban in 2007, then formally proposed by Solidarnosc Trade Union in 2016, finally circulating across parliament and coming to fruition in a gradual plan with the potential to positively impact various aspects of Polish life.

For one, the government argues the Sunday ban will generate more free time for families, which in conjunction with the 500 zloty stipend for mothers—around $140—may contribute to a greater emphasis on family and the much needed population growth that comes with it. With a fertility rate of 1.32, anticipated labor shortages, and potential economic stagnation,Poland is in significant need of an increased birth rate, and it is through initiatives like the trading ban that the government hopes to cultivate Polish society.

Fertility aside, the ban is aligned with Polish values. For one, it appeals to the Christian understanding of Sunday as a day of rest, and in a country where 96% of people identify as Catholic and over 57% actively engage with the religion, this falls in line with traditional concepts of work-life balance. Furthermore, pursuant to values like equality and respect, the ban may serve to lift stigma towards low-income workers by allowing laborers and retail workers greater individual freedom and a reprieve from an overwhelming work week.

An Economic Question

These societal benefits aside, the ban’s economic impact is its primary point of contention. Opponents of the ban claim that it will have detrimental impacts on businesses; however,, it is expected that the ban will have little net economic benefit, while substantially improving quality of life for Polish citizens.

First, the ban provides openings for smaller businesses and local enterprises by removing much of the large retail competition on Sundays, consistent with a broader Polish economic strategy of revitalizing domestic businesses. Furthermore, with greater leisure time available, restaurants, bakeries and entertainment venues may see a spike in clientele and an increase in profits—Sunday losses experienced by other types of businesses are expected to be covered by increased purchasing during weekdays. The ban is also predicted to have no significant negative impact on the labor market.

Expectations of a net neutral effect are supported by historic implementation of the ban in other countries. In Hungary, for example, a Sunday trade ban implemented in 2015 left the economy largely undisturbed. Popular spending habits shifted to other days of the week, retail sales did not waver, and there were no major layoffs. Despite the absence of detrimental economic impact, the ban was lifted this year in conjunction with a decline in popular support. Hungary aside, Germany, France, Spain, Italy, and several other European countries implement Sunday trade bans to varying degrees, compensating for any side effects of regulation with other incentives and extended weekday business hours.

Of course, the Sunday trade ban is not without its flaws. It will likely disadvantage Polish businesses operating on the Polish-German border, generate a dent in tourism revenues which largely occur during the weekend, punish larger companies, lead to some layoffs, and paint a less favorable picture for foreign investment. Regulating Sunday trade will thus be a challenge, requiring careful mediation and gradual implementation on the part of the government. However, this ban holds both a cultural mandate and broad societal impact, giving it great potential to improve the Polish quality of life and rejuvenate family life. ..." - Poland Bans Sunday Trading: Law and Justice Remembers the Sabbath | Harvard Political Review

 

[Alofa Atu]

"... The Asbury Student Congress recently passed a bill to open the Kinlaw Library and the Luce Activities Center on Sundays from 2-10 p.m. I was one of just two people to vote against it, and here’s why:

Closing much of campus on Sundays is reflective of Asbury’s commitment to Sabbath, taking a day away from work and devoting ourselves to rest, worship and community. In doing so, the buildings on campus designed primarily for work, including not only the library and gym, but also the academic buildings, CPO and the practice rooms in McCreless, shut down. They are available only under special circumstances. Buildings designed more for community, such as the dorms and the Student Center, remain open.

I do not believe this bill is somehow an attack on the Sabbath or that the proponents of this bill do not care about the Sabbath. The holiness of our community does not depend on whether people are able to use the Luce on Sunday afternoons.

But I do not believe that by closing the Luce and the library on Sundays Asbury is “forcing” the Sabbath on anyone. It is certainly encouraging practicing the Sabbath on Sundays, but that isn’t the same thing as forcing me to take a Sabbath. I can study in my room or in common areas of the dorm and I can study with a group of friends in the Student Center. Is that an ideal situation? Perhaps not, but in my experience, it is functional enough.

The proponents of this bill point out that many students choose to Sabbath on Saturdays. I’m glad that they do. That said, scripturally speaking, as far as I can see when the practice of Sabbath is instituted in Exodus and Deuteronomy, it is given both to individuals and the community as a whole. As for why Sunday, while there’s nothing special about Sunday, it seems to make the most sense. A recent student survey conducted before the bill was proposed found that when students take a Sabbath, about two-thirds do so on Sunday, mostly Sunday, or some combination of Saturday and Sunday.

With regards to students taking the Sabbath on a Saturday, if that is what works for someone, great! But Asbury as a community has a legitimate interest in promoting a collective day of Sabbath rest, and Sunday appears to be the day to do so. As such, no one is forcing a Sunday Sabbath on anyone, but campus will not be the best place to do work on those Sundays.

I understand why keeping the library and gym closed on Sundays is unpopular. I understand that it puts athletes who compete on Saturdays at a disadvantage, as well as students who don’t have cars and can’t easily travel elsewhere. As an athlete who doesn’t have a car, I get that. In a perfect world, there would be another place closer to campus where students who aren’t taking a Sabbath could study or work out on Sundays.

Obviously, that’s not the world we live in and we are forced to deal with this tradeoff. Is the university’s encouragement of Sunday as a Sabbath day of rest worth the frustration and inconvenience of the library and Luce being closed on Sundays? With the available alternatives, imperfect as they may be, I believe the answer is yes.

Modern Christianity has a tendency to view the Sabbath as another relic from the Old Testament — a helpful guide, perhaps, but not something to be taken literally. Asbury, by letting much of campus lay idle on Sundays, stands opposed to this. I find that refreshing, and when we move beyond the tradition of shutting down most of campus on Sundays, I will be sad to see it go. ..." - The Pro-Sabbath Sunday

 

[Alofa Atu]

"...The son of man is Lord of the Sabbath
REFLECTIONS TODAY

Published September 7, 2019, 12:48 AM

In the Old Testament, Sabbath is a day set aside for rest and worship, since it is linked to God’s rest after creation, and it is made holy by God (cf Gn 2:2-3). It is a day of remembering God’s gift of creation, and its observance is enshrined in the Ten Commandments: “Remember the sabbath day—keep it holy” (Ex 20:8).

When Jesus declares, “The sabbath was made for man, not man for the sabbath” (Mk 2:27), he opens up a new vision to see every law in the context of human need. The Law is not self-serving but is meant to recognize the Lordship of God in all creation, which includes man as the highest of God’s creatures. The worship of God is translated into the care of all creation. “For the Christian, Sunday is above all an Easter celebration, wholly illumined by the glory of the Risen Christ. It is the festival of the ‘new creation’” (Dies Domini, 8). As Paul says, “All things were created through him and for him” (Col 1:16).

..." - The son of man is Lord of the Sabbath

 

[Alofa Atu]

"... We have a clear mandate in the New Testament not to forsake the assembling of the saints (Heb. 10:25). In other words, the New Testament’s simple language says that Christians are supposed to be in corporate worship on the Lord’s Day [they mean Sunday, the counterfeit Sabbath, as True Lord's day, Rev. 1:10 is the 7th day; Gen. 2:1-3; Exo. 20:8-11; Isa 58:13; Mar. 2:27, etc]. That means we’re supposed to go to church. That is usually seen as one of the ways in which the Sabbath is to be observed. All Christians I know of who believe that the Sabbath is still in effect agree that on the Sabbath we should be worshiping, and also that on one day in seven there should be rest from unnecessary commerce and labor. There are still provisions for commerce that must go on—hospital work, pharmacies, and such. But commerce just for the sake of merchandising ought to cease on the Sabbath. ..." - How Are We to Keep the Sabbath in Today's Society?

 

[Alofa Atu]

"...Reclaiming the Sabbath Posted on August 31, 2019 | by Fr. Dimitrios J. Antokas | Source

At the beginning of September, we celebrate Labor Day. From the earliest days of the Church, work has always occupied a central place in the life of the Christian. St. Clement of Alexandria, writing in the early years of the third century, reminded new converts that there was no need for them to abandon their occupations. “Practice farming, we say, if you are a farmer; but while you till your fields, know God. Sail the seas, if you are devoted to navigation, but meanwhile call on the Heavenly Pilot.” (from The Exhortaton to the Heathen)

For St. Clement, ordinary work is directly connected to the spiritual realities of the faith. While one does the task, one ought to realize that it has been given by God and is a means of coming to know Him. Work speaks of God and His continuing creative action in the world. St. Augustine reminds us that “the gifts of God’s creation come forth in a joyful and abundant harvest with the help of man’s effort.” (from The Literal Meaning of Genesis)

There is, however, a flip side to work, and from the Orthodox Christian perspective it is known as “holy rest.” This rest is enshrined in the practice and observance of the Sabbath, The Lord’s Day (Κυριακή) [they mean Sunday, the counterfeit Sabbath, as True Lord's day, Rev. 1:10 is the 7th day; Gen. 2:1-3; Exo. 20:8-11; Isa 58:13; Mar. 2:27, etc]. Our society has virtually erased the distinction between Sunday and the other six days of the week. With a vested interest in increased commerce and with a bow to the specter of secular influences that seem to expunge anything sacred from the public arena, Sunday has become practically indistinguishable from other days—except that we may “go to church.”

This idea is foreign to Orthodox spiritual living despite the fact that even many Orthodox believers fall in step with siren call of the secular—we give in, we collapse, we resist walking to a different faith agenda. Ironically, Labor Day is a propitious time to re-dedicate ourselves to living the Sabbath, from dawn to dusk, by remembering the fact that our relationship with God did not begin with what we have done; it is not sustained by what we do, and it is not guaranteed to the end by our effort or work. We are redeemed, from beginning to end, by the saving love of Jesus the Christ, of God whose selfless death and rising from the dead become our Sabbath song.

In Genesis 2: 2-3 we read that after the creation of the heavens and the earth, “God rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which He created and made.”

It is interesting that of everything He created, God chose to bless the seventh day of rest, first—before all else. It wasn’t a matter of God being “exhausted.” On the seventh day he stopped and hallowed time, he consecrated it and set it apart forever so that we too might not only see space as holy. We might also realize that the passing of the span of our life tells us of the permanence of the Divine Presence. In Exodus 20: 8-10, we read, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but on the seventh day of the Lord your God, you shall do no work…” The holiness and rest of the Sabbath is for us, it is not just another requirement from us.

In the Gospel of St. Mark 2: 27 the Lord tells his disciples that, “The Sabbath is made for man, not man for the Sabbath.” It is part of the spiritual healing of the soul, a time for re-creation of our persons, an opportunity each week to look within ourselves in peace and get a new perspective on our life lived in God. Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel, in his book The Sabbath: Its Meaning for Modern Man, wrote, “The world has our hands, but our soul belongs to Someone Else. Six days a week we seek to dominate the world, on the seventh day we try to dominate our self.”

The Lord’s Day [they mean Sunday, the counterfeit Sabbath, as True Lord's day, Rev. 1:10 is the 7th day; Gen. 2:1-3; Exo. 20:8-11; Isa 58:13; Mar. 2:27, etc] is a time when we ought to pause, to withdraw from the commerce and chaos of the other days to adjust our “selves.” It is a time for soul-craft—through Divine Worship, through quality time together as a family (family dinner!), through creative pursuits or activities, through relaxation and leisure, by spiritual reading and prayer, by simply being together with other believers. The Sabbath is a weekly time to slow down and to become aware of what the poet Gerard Manley Hopkins meant when he wrote, “The world is charged with the grandeur of God. It will flame out, like shining from shook foil; It gathers to a greatness, like the ooze of oil crushed.”

The Sabbath day is a day to see the “deep down in things,” in each of us and in our world. It is a day to let that oozing oil wash over our hearts and minds. How strange and even “outdated” this way of thinking may seem to us today. We who have gotten swallowed up by the tides of the world are dominated by the world’s pressing concerns and worries and by its subtle agenda to move us steadily, but unnoticed, away from “the holy” and ever closer to “the profane.” The productivity-driven culture can exercise a tyranny over us.

When William Wordsworth wrote, “The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers—Little we see in Nature that is ours; We have given our hearts away, a sordid boon!” he meant just that. We have given our hearts away, we have been complicit in turning the Lord’s Day from a holy one, dawn to dusk, to just another empty passage of the hours. Adopting the Orthodox phronema—φρόνημα (mindset) means restoring the holiness of the Lord’s Day as individuals and as families. In re-creating the Lord’s Day in our homes and lives, we need to consider three things.

We are designed to rest. Work and rest are not opposing forces. As God rested from His creative work, so human beings need to remember that our work has limits. There is a cycle between work and rest where our work days are in balance with our rest day. The Lord’s Day is appointed to celebrate His Resurrection and to provide us with time to rest our bodies and re-create our souls.

The Lord’s Day is a form of worship. The Sabbath provides a visible testimony that the Lord is at the center of life—that human production and consumption take place in a world ordered, blessed, and restrained by the God of all creation. Furthermore, by taking a full day of “holy rest,” including our Divine Worship, we repudiate the covetousness within us, the desire for more, the craving to acquire, to get, to spend. The Lord’s Day is a statement that all these things are not at the center of our lives—the Lord Jesus Christ is!

The Lord’s Day is meant for our good. In Luke 6: 1-5, Luke 6: 9, and Luke 14: 5, we read of Jesus healing on the Sabbath. The Pharisees accused Him of working on the Sabbath but Jesus made it clear, “The Son of Man is Lord of the Sabbath.” Jesus anchors His understanding of the Sabbath in the real needs of people. This suggests that keeping the Sabbath is grounded in understanding God’s heart rather than in developing rules and regulations. The Lord’s Day is a day for healing, a day for family’s warmth and nurturing, a day for recovery and re-creation. The Lord’s Day is good for us. Do you want to reorganize your life priorities? Have you been desiring to place Christ first in your life? Do you need to avoid the pull of secularism on your heart and soul? Then begin to keep the Lord’s Day, the entire day, for that purpose. It’s a choice you won’t ever regret! ..." - Reclaiming the Sabbath - The Catalog of Good Deeds

 

[Alofa Atu]

"... When I was a boy, Sunday, the Christian Sabbath, was a day of rest in which virtually all stores were closed, and normal commerce suspended. ... In my own lifetime, that convention has disappeared, swallowed up by the consumerism that has become the real object of our devotion. We have been as eager for the Sabbath to end so that we can engage in trade as anyone listening to Amos in ancient Israel. What does this mean for our society, and for each of us?" - Dr. David Rutledge retired from teaching at Furman University as the Reuben B. Pitts Professor of Religion. He is an elder in Westminster Presbyterian Church of Greenville, SC (PCUSA), and a former board member of the Phillis Wheatley Association, and the Interfaith Forum of Greenville. September 22, 2019 – NextSunday Worship

 

[Alofa Atu]

"... A UMC.org Feature by Joe Iovino*

Author's note: The United Methodist Church recognizes Children's Sabbath on the weekend of the second Sunday in October (October 12-14, 2018). The ecumenical date, traditionally the third weekend in October (October 19-21, 2018), normally conflicts with Laity Sunday.

On the second weekend in October, The United Methodist Church recognizes Children’s Sabbath, a time to reflect on God’s gift of children, and ways congregations and individuals can renew their commitment to care for, protect and advocate for all children.

The Children’s Defense Fund has led and organized The National Observance of Children’s Sabbath since 1991. This ecumenical celebration brings together people of all faiths to address the needs of children. ..." - Why United Methodists observe Children’s Sabbath – The United Methodist Church

 

[Alofa Atu]

"... (RNS) — Tiffany Shlain built her career by being online almost all the time.

She founded the Webby Awards, which honor the best of the Web each year. She also runs a film studio and creates online conversations to use the internet in “its best way, which is to bring people together on issues that unite us,” she said.

And yet every Friday evening for nearly a decade, Shlain and her family have unplugged their devices and spent the next 24 hours offline in what she calls a “Technology Shabbat.”

“As our society becomes more oversaturated with technology, I feel like it’s the thing we need right now,” she said.

Tech Shabbat is a modern twist on an ancient religious practice, which is attracting the attention of burned-out millennials and others who are exhausted by trying to keep up in an increasingly connected and fast-paced world.

And there’s some science to support the idea that practicing a day of rest — including time away from social media and digital devices — benefits longevity and both mental and physical health.

Tiffany Shlain, filmmaker and founder of The Webby Awards, speaks at PromaxBDA The Conference 2014, on June 11, 2014, in New York. (John Minchillo/AP Images for PromaxBDA)

It’s a practice that can benefit people of faith and those who don’t believe, alike.

“This can be adapted for anyone, wherever you fall on the belief spectrum, and it will bring meaning and value to your life in unbelievable ways,” Shlain said.

Shabbat — also known as Sabbath — is the day of the week reserved for rest and worship in Judaism and Christianity.

Jews observe Shabbat on Saturdays, beginning Friday nights with lit candles and shared meals. In addition to resting from work at their jobs during that time, Orthodox Jews also refrain from a number of other activities that are considered work, such as driving and switching lights off or on.

Seventh-day Adventists also take Sabbath seriously, worshipping, avoiding work and spending time with other church members on Saturdays.

Most Christians worship on Sunday, and their observance of a day of rest varies from church to church and even from Christian to Christian. In the past, the regular practice of Sabbath has included so-called “blue laws” that once kept many stores closed on Sundays.

Now some are urging their fellow Christians to rediscover the practice of honoring the Sabbath.

J. Dana Trent. Courtesy photo

J. Dana Trent is one of them. The ordained Baptist minister began observing a Sabbath after a visit to the doctor’s office.

The doctor told Trent she needed to “slow down.” At the time, she was working four different adjunct jobs and commuting up to two hours per day. She had also recently been diagnosed with chronic migraine syndrome, though her visit to the doctor had been for a Q-Tip she had lodged in her ear while in a rush.

Observing the Sabbath means trusting that if she takes time off, the world won’t spin out of control, said Trent, author of “For Sabbath’s Sake: Embracing Your Need for Rest, Worship, and Community.” It’s an act of humility that puts God at the center of her life, not herself.

Not everybody can take Saturday or Sunday or even a full 24 hours to rest — that’s a privilege for those who work 9-to-5 jobs on weekdays, she acknowledged.

“I think Sabbath can take lots of different shapes, but the idea is that we step out of what we’re doing every day — like the normal routine stuff — in order to make meaning,” she said.

It also makes sense to many others who are looking at the health benefits of unplugging from the world — and from devices.

Research presented last year at the annual convention of the American Psychological Association suggests that constantly staring at screens may be making us more “distracted, distant and drained.” Other studies of social media use have linked it to everything from loneliness to disrupted sleep.

For Shlain and her family, lighting candles, inviting people over, sharing a meal and logging off together guards against those things. She laughs more on Shabbat than any other day, she said. And at the end of the day, she looks forward to checking in again online.

There may be benefits to more traditional observances of Sabbath, as well.

Candles are lit for Shabbat. Photo courtesy of Creative Commons

In 2005, National Geographic published the findings of scientists, funded in part by the U.S. National Institute on Aging, who traveled around the globe to learn the secrets of longevity from populations that had high rates of centenarians, few deadly diseases and more healthy years of life. Among them were Seventh-day Adventists in Loma Linda, Calif. Scientists pointed to Adventists’ practice of Sabbath as one of the reasons for their good health.

An earlier study found the average Adventist lived four to 10 years longer than the average Californian.

A more recent 2014 study coauthored by Professor Jerry Lee of the School of Public Health at Loma Linda University, an Adventist school in Southern California, looked at the correlation between Sabbath-keeping and mental health and well-being. According to their research, Lee said, “refraining from secular activities on Sabbath was associated with better mental health and better physical health.”

The professor currently is working on another study measuring stress hormone levels before and after Sabbath. And most interesting to him, he said, is a study showing fewer deaths during Shabbat in Israel.

But, Lee said, more research would be “useful.”

“There have been a number of books, but most of the books that I’ve seen don’t really have a lot of empirical data,” he said.

Judith Shulevitz, author of “The Sabbath World: Glimpses of a Different Order of Time,” also cautions against practicing Sabbath for selfish reasons.

It’s not just a day of rest for individuals, she said. Instead, she said that it’s meant to be a “day of rest which is synchronized with the rest of society.”

“It’s not about you. It’s about us,” she said.

And the practice still is debated within some Christian circles.

Social media apps on a phone. Photo by Jason Howie/Creative Commons

A.J. Swoboda, pastor of Theophilus Church in Portland, Ore., said he decided to preach about Sabbath a few years ago when he noticed the people in his congregation were tired and in need of rest. So was he.

“Our souls and our bodies and our spirits absolutely need it,” he said.

Because he pastors a church on weekends, Swoboda and his family take their day of rest to unplug, eat pancakes and get outside together on Tuesdays — a “distinctly Protestant view of the Sabbath,” he said.

It seems others increasingly are interested in doing the same: Swoboda’s book, “Subversive Sabbath: The Surprising Power of Rest in a Nonstop World” recently was recognized in Christianity Today’s 2019 Book Awards. Taking a Sabbath reminds people that there’s more to life than being busy and plugged in all the time, according to the pastor.

“It’s a very threatening biblical concept because it completely undermines all of the assumptions of what we have come to believe being an American is all about, which is being productive,” he said.

Shlain, whose book about Tech Sabbath is due later this year, believes everyone can benefit from a day of rest.

Her family is Jewish, but they only began to practice a Tech Shabbat together after her father Leonard Shlain — the bestselling author, inventor and surgeon — was diagnosed with brain cancer.

Sometimes he only had one good hour a day, she said. She would turn off her phone to spend that time with him.

To Shlain, that time spent unplugged felt like “the most beautiful solution to this urgent problem in our society right now, which is that screens are just on all the time and everywhere, and you’re not being present with the people that you’re with, and you’re not really focused on any one thing.”

“I believe in this kind of modern take on it because I believe Judaism is all about reinterpreting based on the times we’re living,” she said. ..." - The science of Sabbath: How people are rediscovering rest—and claiming its benefits - Religion News Service

 

[Shoostie]

"The new Italian government will introduce a ban on Sunday shopping in large commercial centres before the end of the year as it seeks to defend family traditions, Deputy Prime Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Sunday.

Your argument is that Sunday churchgoers are taking away your freedom to shop on Sunday (you'd rather not shop on Saturday)?

I'm not going to lift a finger to confirm my belief that the new Italian government has not, and will not, ban shopping on Sunday. Do you know why? Because Christians have have such little power. And, most Christians are not interested in forcing others to close on Sunday.

People like you who blame Christianity for taking away your freedom often miss or ignore the secular, non-religious, reasons for alleged religious dictates. I live in Colorado. We have a homosexual governor. The first state to have legal recreational marijuana. The first to have legal medical hallucinogenic mushrooms. But, grocery stores aren't allowed to sell alcohol*. Do you think that alcohol ban is because of the political power of Christian Fundamentalists? Absolutely absurd!

Blue laws, which are practically gone, didn't exist because of Christians. It's because in the past, most businesses were mom-and-pop and they didn't want to work 7 days a week. If you're closed when others aren't closed, you'll lose business, so you lobby for a day for everyone to be closed. And, Sunday is the obvious choice (and that day of choice, yes you can blame Christians). But, like I said, they're practically gone, so why do you act like they're not? Even if you happened to have lived in the past, not being able to shop on Sunday wasn't worse than a mere inconvenience, unlike all the Left's war on religious freedom which would be nothing if only inconvenient.

*Until this year, grocery stores could sell nothing stronger than weak 3.2 beer. Starting this year, grocery stores can sell any beer but not distilled alcohol. It's not the doing of Christians trying to keep alcohol out of people's hands. It's the doing of the liqueur store lobby that doesn't want to compete with grocery stores.

 

[Alofa Atu]

"... Lower House (Antigua & Barbuda) passes the Public Holiday (Amendment) Bill 2019
Article Published: October 30, 2019

Sunday is one step closer to being concretised as the 12th public holiday recognised by the laws of Antigua and Barbuda.

Yesterday, the Public Holiday (Amendment) Bill 2019 was passed in the Lower House of Parliament at which time the Minister of Legal Affairs Steadroy “Cutie” Benjamin stated that a decision was made to uphold the recommendations made by stakeholders in the recent consultations.

“Antigua is over 80 percent or more Christian and what came through this discussion Mr Speaker, is the fact that we understood the significance of maintaining Sunday as a common law holiday.

“But we went further Mr Speaker, and…this government is very happy to endorse the recommendations of those persons who got together. And we will make Sunday, for the first time in Antigua and Barbuda, a recognised public holiday,” he said

Benjamin, however, highlighted that provisions have been made in the Bill to bar individuals from seeking the premium rate for working on a Sunday (150 percent) and from withholding their labour.

The Attorney General said: “Whereas on Good Friday and Christmas Day employees required to work are compensated at the rate set up in the Labour Code, this is not given to employees working on Sundays.

“The law does say that if it’s a holiday, nobody can force you to work but that doesn’t apply in this case. You see, we must understand that Antigua and Barbuda is a service society. The hotel industry, LIAT, hospital, the police, the pharmacies, the supermarkets, the dry cleaners, the small businesses — they require work on a Sunday.”

On the other hand, the amendment was met with slight resistance by some members of government, such as Minister of Health Molwyn Joseph, who questioned the significance of referring to Sunday as a holiday and suggested it be called a rest and worship day.

“We should, as a country, decide that if we accept both Sunday and Saturday as religious rest days for worship, we should so say in the law and it does not attract overtime if anyone works,” Joseph remarked.

Prime Minister Gaston Browne then acceded to that recommendation saying: “They are really rest and worship days; that’s how it should be reflected. We don’t have to continue that archaic tradition of a holiday. Sunday is not a holiday. It is really a rest and worship day and, as you said, we captured both the Adventists and the Sunday worshipers.”

However, Minister of Social Transformation, Samantha Marshall stated that the amendment should remain as agreed upon by the stakeholders.

“Based on the Bill that was presented, we had consultations with all the necessary stakeholders and the necessary stakeholders have all agreed to what is presented here. If we want to recognise further an actual worship or rest day, I think that requires us having a more holistic consultation on a number of other aspects.

“So, I believe at this stage, let us not go against what those stakeholders agreed on. Let us proceed with this but agree that this cannot be the end,” Marshall said.

The Bill was therefore passed without amendments.

Meanwhile, it was noted that a few other amendments will be made to the law.

The Public Holiday (Amendment) Bill 2019 states that “when Christmas falls on a Saturday or Sunday, the following Monday and Tuesday shall be public holidays” and “when Boxing Day falls on a Sunday, the following Monday and Tuesday shall be public holidays.” ..." - Lower House passes the Public Holiday (Amendment) Bill 2019 - Antigua Observer Newspaper

 

[Alofa Atu]

Christian sues US Postal Service over Sunday work shifts

"... The complaint also requests for the agency to create policies that provide equal employment opportunities for religious observance of Sabbath on Sundays. ..."​

They are pushing hard. They will get what they want, but it will cost them everything.

Notice the contrast between Sunday and Sabbath, as it happens all over again:

"... WASHINGTON, Feb 24 (Reuters) - The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday handed a victory to Walgreens, turning away an appeal by a fired former Florida employee of the pharmacy chain who asked not to work on Saturdays for religious reasons as a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church.

The justices declined to review a lower court ruling in Darrell Patterson's religious discrimination lawsuit that concluded that his demand to never work on Saturday, observed as the Sabbath by Seventh-day Adventists, placed an undue hardship on Walgreens...." - U.S. Supreme Court turns away religious bias claim against Walgreens​

Sunday is being elevated as untouchable, while Sabbath will be trampled more and more.

 

[Alcott]

When you do all that copy and paste, you don't really think anybody bothers to read it, do you?

 

[Alofa Atu]

When you do all that copy and paste, you don't really think anybody bothers to read it, do you?

Italian Minister Rages Against The Machine

StopFundingisrael

Fruit, Goats and other things come up positive for corona.

NS VIKING

NC Nurse speaks out

the way to lasting peace

Cop speaks out about violation of rights:

Falsifying Death Certificates

sentidocomun

Yet another medical staff, respirator shortage?

mashroob

White House Hot mic

SixthSense

Italy is lying

Scenery On The Road To Tyranny

CBS caught reusing footage from Italy, for New York:

Ashesx

Blockade in Australia? not so much:

Mark of Melbourne

12 Dr's - 12 statements.

ǴnōskōǴn̥h₃sḱétiΓιγνώσκNōbĭlĭŏr III

Wow ...

overlogg

Cal. Docs (banned from youtube)

techtiptricks

Cal Doc Doubles Down

NS VIKING

Cal Doc interviews Dr Wittkowski

yabba

W.H.O. 'Remove people from their homes'?

EarthNewspaper.com

More duplicity, same photo, differing names, places

SixthSense

Pope - corona - NWO and UBI

Pope says coronavirus vaccine must be shared worldwide

Here’s what Pope Francis said about the global economy that drew a ‘wow’ from a former presidential candidate

Pope Francis says it might be 'time to consider a universal basic wage' in Easter letter

DARPA and BARDA and the carbon footprint connection also:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/pentagon-agency-darpa-searches-most-231403878.html

https://www.fool.com/investing/2020/05/01/moderna-prepares-to-manufacture-a-billion-doses-of.aspx

https://www.yahoo.com/news/stop-blaming-other-climate-crisis-152754612.html

Forced Global famine coming?

https://www.bitchute.com/video/DrHLpTqM6m86/

Bill Gates background:

https://www.bitchute.com/video/ksxYRX5psA6M/

The woman in the Microsoft Advert for Hololens 2. High level satanist - dark side.

https://www.bitchute.com/video/cImeFcwmVxBy/

Invisible 'tatoo' Vaccination:

https://www.bitchute.com/video/8QiGS8CGGtjd/

Global Plandemic:

https://www.bitchute.com/video/wGTRPQu2hnDt/

Video on the World At Home show:

https://www.bitchute.com/video/POw0bKWa3vvr/

Wow, youtube owners saying they will remove videos that say that Vitamin C, Turmeric (natural remedies) will cure:

https://www.bitchute.com/video/RMXtf9YJs1S6/

Can you pass this quiz?

https://www.bitchute.com/video/0EeMOgaRiX9c/

 

[Yeshua1]

Well, at least you're half-right.

Are you still awaiting the time when the Pope gets declared worldwide Sunday worship, and those of us still going then get tagged with 'mark of the Beast?"