Sunday'Blue'laws' In'the'USA'

Transcription

1 Sunday'Blue'laws' In'the'USA'

2 Every man and woman shall repair in the morning to the divine service and sermons preached upon the Sabbath day (Sunday), and in the afternoon to divine service, and catechizing, upon pain for the first fault to lose their provision and the allowance for the whole week following; for the second, to lose the said allowance and also be whipt; and for the third to suffer death... America s First Sunday Law, Virginia,

3 Further bee it enacted that whosoever shall prophane the Lord s day by doeing any servile worke or any such like abuses, shall forfeite for every such default ten shillings or be whipte... Massachusetts Sunday Law,

4 Whosoever shall profane the Lord s day, or any part of it shall be duly punished by fine, imprisonment, or corporally [If] the court upon examination, by clear, and satisfying evidence find that the sin was proudly, presumptuously, and with a high hand committed against a known command and authority of the blessed God, such a person therein despising and reproaching the Lord, shall be put to death, that all others may feare and shun such provoking rebellious courses... Connecticut Sunday Law,

5 Be it enacted... That from and after publishing this law, no person or persons shall work or do any bodily labor or occupation upon the Lord s Day, commonly called Sunday... nor shall abuse or profane the Lord s Day by drunkenness, swearing,... And if any person or persons... shall offend in any or all of these premises, he... shall forfeit and pay for every such offence the sum of one hundred pounds of tobacco... Maryland Sunday Law,

6 He'had'two'horns'like'a'lamb,'and'he'spake'as'a' dragon ' Already'the'ques5on'of'an'amendment'to'the'Cons5tu5on'restric5ng'liberty' of'conscience'has'been'urged'upon'the'legislators'of'the'na5on.'the'ques5on' of'enforcing'sunday'observance'has'become'one'of'na5onal'interest'and' importance. '''''5T'711' The'Na5onal'Reform'movement,'exercising'the'power'of'religious'legisla5on,' will,'when'fully'developed,'manifest'the'same'intolerance'and'oppression'that' have'prevailed'in'past'ages. '5T'712' 1863' 'Representa5ves'of'eleven'Protestant'denomina5ons'met'in'Xenia,' Ohio,'to'create'a'na5onal'Chris5an'theocracy.' David'McAllister'(spokesman'of'the'Na5onal'Reform'movement)' those'who'oppose'this'work'now'will'discover,'when'the'religious'amendment'is' made'to'the'cons5tu5on,'that'if'they'do'not'see'fit'to'fall'in'with'the'majority,' they'must'abide'the'consequences,'or'seek'some'more'congenial'clime. 'American' State'Papers'August'1887'Lakeside,'Ohio' 6

7 Be it enacted by the Senate and the House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress Assembled, That no person shall perform any secular work, labor, or business to the disturbance of others, works of necessity, mercy, and humanity excepted on the first day of the week, commonly known as the Lord s day to secure the whole people rest from toil during the first day of the week the religious observance of the Sabbath day... The Blair Bill, 50th Congress, 1st Session, S. 2983,

8 The'Blair'Bill' Bill'died'in'commi[ee' Supporters'changed'their'tac5cs'and'made'an'effort' to'cul5vate'the'support'of'labor'on'the'basis'that'a' Federal'blue'would'serve'a'public^welfare'purpose' and'promote'the'interest'of'the'laboring'man' Breckinridge'Bill'proposed'Feb.'18,'1890' Bill'never'brought'to'a'vote' 8

9 9

10 10

11 Current'Events' In'1961,'the'Supreme'Court'decided'cases'challenging' the'cons5tu5onality'of'sunday'closing'laws.'the' Supreme'Court'went'through'a'lengthy'analysis'of'the' origins'and'the'nature'of'sunday'laws'at'the'5me'of'the' cases.' Thus,'as'Sunday'laws'now'protect'worker's'rights'rather' than'enforcing'religious'doctrine,'they'do'not'establish' a'religious'belief.'in'addi5on,'the'court'also'found'that' Sunday'laws'do'not'violate'the'Equal'Protec5on'Clause' Or'the'Free'Exercise'of'Religion'Clause'of'the' Cons5tu5on.''' 11

12 Other'Cases' 1961'McGowan'v.'Maryland'(Sunday'laws'are'not'laws'pertaining'to'the' establishment'of'a'religion)'' 1961'Braunfeld'v.''Brown'(Sunday'laws'do'not'violate'the'guarantee'of' freedom'of'religion'or'equal'protec5on)'' In'1990'the'Supreme'Court'decided'Employment'Division'v.'Smith.'Jus5ce' Scalia'Wri5ng'for'the'majority'of'the'Court'in'this'case'used'Sunday'laws'as'an' example'of'the'types'of'laws'that'impact'on'people's'ability'to'prac5ce'their' faith'but'that'are'nevertheless'cons5tu5onal.'' He'stated:'"Subsequent'decisions'have'consistently'held'that'the'right'of'free' Exercise'does'not'relieve'an'individual'of'the'obliga5on'to'comply'with'a'"valid' and'neutral'law'of'general'applicability...'in'braunfeld'v.'brown,...we'upheld' Sunday^closing'laws'against'the'claim'that'they'burdened'the'religious' prac5ces'of'persons'whose'religions'compelled'them'to'refrain'from'work'on' other'days."'' 12

13 Sunday'Blue'Laws' One'of'the'last'remaining'blue'laws'in'the'United'States' that'covers'virtually'all'selling'is'found'in'bergen' County,'New'Jersey.'It'has'produced'the'ironic'situa5on' that'one'of'the'largest'and'most'popular'commercial' shopping'cores'of'the'new'york'metropolitan'area,'is' almost'completely'closed'on'sunday'(grocery'stores'are' allowed'to'operate).' According'to'KVIA^TV'El'Paso,'as'recently'as'March' 2006,'Texas'judges'were's5ll'ruling'to'uphold'the'state' Blue'Law'that'requires'car'dealerships'to'close'one'day' each'weekend.'they'must'now'choose'to'open'either' Saturday'or'Sunday.'' 13

14 14

15 15

16 Our'Part' We'are'not'ready'for'the'issue'to'which'the' enforcement'of'the'sunday'law'will'bring'us.'it'is'our' duty,'as'we'see'the'signs'of'approaching'peril,'to'arouse' to'ac5on.'let'none'sit'in'calm'expecta5on'of'the'evil,' comfor5ng'themselves'with'the'belief'that'this'work' must'go'on'because'prophecy'has'foretold'it,'and'that' the'lord'will'shelter'his'people.'we'are'not'doing'the' will'of'god'if'we'sit'in'quietude,'doing'nothing'to' preserve'liberty'of'conscience. '5T'713^14' h[p://ola.adven5st.org' 16

17 To'Be'Con5nued'With'You.' 17