The Paranoia of Saturday-Sabbath-Worshippers
Sunday Blue Laws
January 19, 2008
by Russell Earl Kelly, PHD
Sabbath-Worshippers
are paranoid and act like we are living in the 1700s and 1800s when religion and fanaticism ruled the day. They act like the
Sabbath (both Saturday and Sunday) was the only offense for which people were being punished.
How wrong can one be!! In Europe Catholics, Episcopalians, Lutherans and Presbyterians were killing each other over religion (and
the Sabbath was far down the list). And all four of them were killing Baptists just for the sport of drowning them!
In the early USA before laws enforcing religious
tolerance were enacted each colony had its own church preference and much of the persecution continued. Once again Baptists
were targeted and killed in New England. Those guilty of witchcraft, homosexuality, sodomy, incest and bestiality were also put to death. Lesser offences such
as Sunday-Sabbath-breaking were not punishable by death but blue laws were enforced in most states.
Things have changed
drastically! Sunday blue laws are either non-existent or very seldom enforced. When I moved to Georgia in 1960 there were no
stores open on Sunday. Now almost every store is allowed open on Sunday. It is no longer an issue.
Now society and law
do not consider it to be a crime to be a witch, homosexual or commit sodomy in a consensual relationship. Incest and bestiality
do not draw death sentences. Sabbath blue laws have very little or no enforcement at all. They are indeed at the very bottom
of the list for most people (except Saturday-Sabbath-worshippers) to worry about.
Yet Saturday-Sabbath
worshippers keep trying to act like non-existent Sunday blue laws are the most important event of the near future. Ordinary
citizens (most of whom do not even attend church any day of the week) just look at them in a funny way.
Let’s for a moment
be bold and place ourselves into God’s mind. He wants to punish mankind for runaway sin. Which do you think he will
punish first? Atheists?, those who commit bestiality?, those who commit incest?, those who commit homosexual acts?, those
commit sexual sodomy in marriage?, those who worship Satan through witchcraft? – or those who worship on the [?wrong?]
day of the week? Ask many Saturday-Sabbath worshippers and they will answer something about the day of the week. How ridiculous
can you possibly be?
In my opinion Saturday-Sabbath
worshippers need to “clean their own house” before hurling Sabbath-breaking comments at others. The commandment
literally tells Israelites, not only to refrain from all work on the Sabbath, but to not cause their slaves or animals or
anybody else to work on their Sabbath either!
At least Saturday-Sabbath
worshippers have stopped owning slaves. But they fall short in the other part of the commandment they so often quote. When
I lived in an SDA town from 1973-76 (Collegedale, Tn) non-SDAs were not allowed to open businesses inside the SDA city from sunset Friday until sunset Saturday –blue
laws in reverse.
Do SDAs “rest”
on the Sabbath? “No!” And “no!” again!! It is the busiest day of the week! Almost nobody stays at
home. You will get run over if not careful crossing the street! “Pulling the ox out of the ditch” allows them
to FORCE almost everybody else to work on their Sabbath!
Forget the fact that
Moses had a man stoned to death for picking up sticks on the Sabbath day! Today SDAs force the police to work to monitor their
own heavy traffic on their Sabbath; they force the electric company to work by using electricity on their Sabbath; they force
the water and sewage departments to work by running water and flushing the toilets on their Sabbath; and they force wreckers
to tow their cars when they have accidents on their Sabbath!
It seems to me that,
if God is going to punish “Sabbath-breakers” then He will start with those who claim to be “Sabbath-keepers”
--- the SDAs themselves. In the meantime we will carefully watch to see if and when they put their own house in order.
Russell Earl Kelly,
PHD, author of Exposing Seventh-day Adventism
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Excerpt
from “Pathlights”
In Maryland, a man was arrested
on the charge of husking corn on Sunday. The accuser was a local minister who, passing on the road, saw him doing this act
on the porch of his house. A constable was sent with a warrant for his arrest, which at the court trial he admitted serving
on Sunday. The accused' a Mr. Judefind, conscientiously kept the Bible Sabbath (which is the seventh day, Saturday), and so
was doing light work on Sunday around home. The judge sentenced him to thirty days in jail, with the comment that though the
state law favored Sunday, free exercise of religion was permitted by it to all in the state. At Shady Side, Maryland, a "Watchman's Association"
was formed for the avowed purpose of spying on the Sunday conduct of folk in the community. Several citizens were jailed as
a result. It was being seen that a stiff enforcement of Sunday legislation brought a return to the tension and tattle and
fear tactics of the early colonial religious laws.
You
can read the whole thing here:
http://www.pathlights.com/theselastdays/tracts/tract_23d.htm
A group of seventh-day worshippers centered in Newport RI under the leadership of Stephen Mumford in the 17th
century didn’t fare much better. These folks all preceded SDA.
History does repeat itself! All make and manner of ‘religious’ atrocities occurred in the Colonies during
the 17th century. I still have vivid first-hand memories of Sunday ‘blue laws’ (along with hotly contested
letters to the editor) in southern PA where I grew up and the enforcers weren’t what I’d call gentle.
Can’t happen in 21st century USA? Don’t bet on that! Our 1st and 2nd
amendments are already under attack.
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