Posted on 07/18/2005 2:55:09 PM PDT by Heartofsong83
Phoenix Bishop says "No Sunday Shopping" - A Wedge Issue in the Culture Wars
PHOENIX, July 18, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The Catholic bishop of Phoenix, Arizona, quoted in the Arizona Republic, told a congregation attending the most recent priestly ordinations that the world has suffered with the loss of the religious observance of Sunday as a day of rest. The article, which appeared in the July 17th Sunday edition, posed the question, "Whatever happened to Sunday?" It reflects the observation of many Christians that the day which used to be reserved to religious and family togetherness, has turned into "an extension of Saturday," filled with errands invariably including shopping.
Bishop Olmsted of Phoenix said, "Keep the Lord's day holy. . . refrain from all shopping and enjoy Sunday as a day of rest, a day of leisure, a day for family, a day for celebrating the Eucharist."
The trend to the loss of the observance of Sunday is another feature of the general de-Christianizing of western culture since the end of the second world war. Some say it is one small symptom among others, but others see it as the thin edge of the wedge and one which may easily be reversed. According to a 2003 survey by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as many as 33% of workers are at work on Sundays and holidays.
Steve Skojec, a married Catholic layman involved in the burgeoning Latin Mass community in Phoenix, says that his family as well as the other families involved in the traditional Catholic community take the Sunday religious and family observance as a serious part of their faith. Skojec, a realtor and father of two, told LifeSiteNews.com, that the observance of Sunday is worthwhile for its spiritual benefits. "For my wife and I, being in real estate, Sunday is a big money making day. But we feel, if we forego the ability to make money on Sunday, God will bless us."
The work of restoring Christian culture is one that interests many young Catholic and other Christian lay people. The leadership of Christian communities can help by encouraging the growth of genuine Christian social and political movements such as pro-life activity, a project at which the new bishop of Phoenix has excelled.
The diocese, which has recently made the Latin Mass much more available, has also encouraged other traditional Catholic measures to counter the secularizing trend. Bishop Olmstead recently welcomed five sisters from the same cloistered order of nuns as Mother Angelica of EWTN fame to his diocese. Fr. Frank Pavone of Priests For Life was also recently featured giving talks on the right to life in a Phoenix parish. Bishop Olmsted is also often seen protesting outside area abortion mills.
Skojec, 27, implied that the observance of Sunday, what Catholics refer to as the 'Sunday obligation' extends further than merely attending Church services. He said, "To us, if we forego the ability to make money on Sunday, God will bless us. In our minds, the avoidance of temporal gain on Sunday is rewarded with spiritual blessings."
Read Arizona Republic coverage: http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0717sundays.html
hw
Nobody will, but then no employer should damn well demand that a person who doesn't want to work on a day that holds religious significance to them should or else look for a job somewhere else. It works both ways. If fact, it was the non- religious who were demnading that the damn stores be open on their days off in the first place!
Couldn't this bishop have just issued a "Fatwa" and been done with it? :-)
"wasn’t the end of the world"
I think the most popular name for bars is "County Line Bar".
Sometimes the unions also play a role in throwing such requirements into union contracts...
Christ made no junk and told no lies.
Peter's latest successor is Benedict XVI.
I enjoy worshipping on the frist day of the week, moron.
Finally, someone who makes sense. I wholeheartedly agree, families have been torn apart since the Blue Laws were disbanded. I refuse to shop or bank on Sundays and holidays. Here in MA you can do your banking through a local supermarket chain which has bank branch offices located on the supermarket premises. Families need to be together more than one day a week and this would be a good start.
It depends. Much of southern and southeast Texas, for instance, was owned by Quakers. When people started piddling around with the idea of creating towns and townships, there was no place to put them as the land was already owned and occupied.
Many of those Quaker families donated land for city buildings, roads, schools, downtown “business area/square” etc, with the express condition that NO sales be conducted on Sunday (or alcohol/tobacco sales be allowed within the city/county limits, etc).
Granted, I’d have gotten that in WRITING (knowing what I know now – and after the fact) with the express provision that if the city/county EVER allowed any such thing they’d immediately be required to surrender ALL land granted to them – and clear it off to the state it was donated in when they were given it.
But they lived by handshake deals back then and relied on the other party to hold up their end. All they actually recorded on paper was the transaction. That’s the way it goes. Live a little, learn a little. Society is so much better off as a result though. Ha.
Agnostics might be granted a celebration of the birthday of Question Mark, lead singer of the Mysterions. Atheists might observe Ayn Rand's birthday, if capitalist, and Marx's birthday or Kerry's, if not.
Some individuals will decide NOT to patronize stores that insist on forcing employees to work on Holy Days and Sundays. Those individuals are also making THEIR OWN decisions.
I recall the Blue Laws in Missouri. Only those providing "necessities" were open, gas stations, etc. As a hypocrite, and one who even on football sunday "dashes out to pick up a six pack", I feel the Bishops remarks are a welcome topic. Sunday should be a day of rest, and time well spent with family and friends.
I meant to ping you to #52. Sorry!
Well, I guess we'll have to agree to disagree. Are you really suggesting that I, as an employer, should not be able to set the operating hours of my establishment, and the schedule of my employees? Who would you propose draw up the regulations limiting my rights to employee who I want, when I want? A fundamentalist Catholic bishop? A rabbi? Local government? State government?
If I have an opening in my business (be it an accounting firm, a retail store, or a bar) for a Saturday/Sunday shift, and you choose to subscribe to a religion that prohibits work on one of those days, then don't apply for the job. Really, it's not terribly complicated.
Absolutely, and employees and business can choose not to work or not to open on Sunday or holidays. I was objecting to the idea that government should force stores to close.
We don't need your advice on what constitutes the Sabbath and you don't need ours. You should be free as you please to avoid doing business on your sabbath and so should those who observe Sunday sabbaths. The government has no role to play in deciding whose sabbath is the "real" sabbath.
Any other idiosyncracies of your particular sect that you would like to impose as thought control or speech control on the rest of us, lest you might find yourself offended as a "victimized minority?" Would you like some nice reparations, too? What a burden it must be for you to have to bear up with people who do not submit to your dictates! Poooooor baby!!!!
Then we are on the same wave length.
"used to be reserved to religious and family togetherness"
The operative words are "used to be."
Libs have pretty much killed off religion and families so there is no "togetherness" today. I personally try never to shop onSundays as my own little boycott.
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