Posted on 02/17/2009 1:20:12 PM PST by ReligiousLibertyTV
The Protestant Church in Germany (EKD), COMECE (the Bishops Conference of the European Community), and the Church of England are calling upon the European Union Parliament to approve a Written Declaration on “on the protection of a work-free Sunday as an essential pillar of the European Social Model and as part of the European cultural heritage.”
In a press release issued February 11, COMECE provided the following rationale for the Declaration. “The economic and financial crises have made us more aware of the fact that not all aspects of life can be subject to market forces. Unrestrained consumption is neither a model for a sustainable economy, nor a healthy concept for human development. Men and women, who work on Sundays, are put at a disadvantage in their social relationships: Their family life, personal development and even health are verifiably affected.”
Describing Sunday rest as a “pillar of the European social model,” churches have called upon a broad-based approach to Sunday rest which would affect all people regardless of religious affiliation. Claiming an errosion of Sunday rest, COMECE claims that “Workers have experienced fragmentation of their private lives, while small and medium-sized enterprises, which cannot afford uninterrupted opening hours have lost ground in the market place.”
Thus, the general applicability of the Sunday rest requirements, regardless of the religious beliefs of the individual citizens, would prevent those who would operate businesses on Sunday from gaining an unfair advantage at the expense of those who rest on Sunday.
In order to be adopted, a majority consisting of 394 members of parliament must approve the measure by May 7, 2009. As of February 2, 59 had signed on. If 394 sign on, it will become an official act of the European Parliament to be adopted by the member states.
The legislation as written does not include provision for those who keep an alternate day of rest, but it could be inferred that this will be addressed by the individualized legislation of the member states.
Atheism/Socialism doesn’t give a day of rest.
Yep, that gives them all Sunday to plot and plan. (Old Gallagher joke)
How about "as an essential pillar of the Christian religion?"
Naw, I didn't think they'd word it that way.
Seriously My Grandmother on my Moms side was Catholic and held a strict rule that you did not work on Sunday. If she found out we were even mowing our lawn, she would give my mom a lecture.
Why not? It’s not like most of Europe isn’t already work-free the other six days of the week anywise.
Jews who can’t work on Saturday are at a disadvantage to Christians who can? Muslims on Friday? I know, they need to enforce a three-day weekend. If they get the rest days from other religions, maybe they can pull off the perfect socialist work-free week.
The way it used to be. Most stores were closed on Sunday and guess what??? We all lived and learned to work around it.
Spit into the wind...
The SDA-predicted Sunday laws?
So, in other words, the entire European Union would labor under one giant Blue Law if this is successful.
Sounds like faith-based tyranny to me, albeit far more lenient than what the mad moozzies would like to impose.
Oh, because they’re SOOOOOOO overworked over there. Puhleeze.
Colonel, USAFR
LOL! Beat me to it. Paid time off for the Hajj, too.
If you cherish having Sundays off, don't work in a place that's open on Sunday. Or at least make some kind of arrangement with the boss as a condition for accepting the job.
That's a lot better than asking the government to but in to the matter and forcing businesses to operate in a way that's convenient for you.
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