What is this Sunday Law agitation all about?

Who should we believe?

What should we believe?

1) We can follow the idea that a national Sunday law is just a hoax.
2) We can follow the idea that a national Sunday law is a fact.
3) We can follow the idea to suspend judgment until more is known.

Some may have concluded that this matter of an approaching Sunday Law is utter foolishness so we shall try to update these pages on new developments - especially what people in Europe say about it.

They may say that the idea of a Catholic/Ecumenical conspiracy to coerce the U.S. Congress to enact a National Sunday Law would be totally impossible for years to come.

Yet both the Bible and Prophecy have predicted that this is exactly what is going to take place! The working out of religious and secular events, combined with natural disasters, clearly indicate that we are living at the end - and that such a law is imminent. [GC 433-450, 563-592, 603-612.]

July 7, 2009

This is the 3rd encyclical `Caritas in Veritate (Cherity in Truth)' released as the rich leaders of the world meet in Italy. The Pope says such an authoritative approach is urgently needed to end the current worldwide financial crisis (which his office started up in the first place). The encyclical, a major teaching, is a theologically dense explication of RCC social teaching that draws heavily on actions in this area by former popes, especially by Paul VI's critique of capitalism 42 years ago and John Paul II's words, "every economic decision has a moral consequence," echoed by the current pope.

The encyclical also echoes the pope's many speeches, saying that to reach a sound global economy every responsibility and commitment must be rooted in the values of Christian truth.

Without that, he says, "there is no social conscience and responsibility." Neither, he says, are mere "good sentiments" enough. Human progress requires God, and today's choices concern "nothing less than the destiny of man."

Although the pope says the church has no "technical solutions to offer," he asserts that religion has a role in the public square. His very specific suggestions on the economy, ecology and justice are addressed not just to Catholics, but to everyone, from heads of state to household shoppers.

Other commentators noted the "strong language here on the redistribution of wealth — not something people like to talk about in the USA. If the Catholic right is against the redistribution of wealth, they're against the pope. He doesn't believe an unregulated marketplace is going to solve all the problems of economy and poverty."

Whenever the head of the RCC speaks of "religion"or at other times, when he speaks of "with the Lord's grace - and only with it - can we ever have a new hope that the future will be better than the past," we know it means the religion of the mother church and her daughters (Rev. 17:1-5), and the "grace" which is grace only for those who belong to this mother/daughter world wide body.

Sunday legislation agitation reoccurs ever so often. According to the cnn.com Law Center, July 1, 2004, "Penalties include a fine of up to $500 for each offence."

Virginia's Department of Labor and Industry asked state Attorney General Jerry Kilgore whether the law could be interpreted on its intent -- not the outcome. The answer was: `Probably not.'

Democratic Gov. Mark Warner, who signed the bill into law, said he would support legislation in the January session that would fix the bill retroactively.

But Kilgore spokesman Tim Murtaugh said that solution will not work either because the attorney general would essentially be asked not to enforce a law.

Attorney Gregory B. Robertson said he is advising his corporate clients to abide by the law unless there is any change. He said they should prepare to honor all written requests from employees who want off Sunday or Saturday as a rest day.

This "accidental" "Day of Rest" law is not forcing employees to honor it, but is forcing employers to honor it. The wicked powers do things very nicely in a way, most would not expect. The Constitution says, "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The article uses the word "Sabbath" in describing what this law is "respecting" with a penalty of "a fine of up to $500 for each offence." What kind of "radical changes in American Society" must come before such an "accidental" law as this can fool millions of people, and help lead to the Sunday law that God says is coming?

How long will it take? The prophet of God cries out, "While the Protestant world is making concessions to Rome, and danger is increasing on every hand, let us arouse to comprehend the situation, and to see the contest before us in its true bearings. .. Are we ready for the issue involved in the Sunday movement? Any movement in favor of religious legislation is really and act of concession to the Papacy, which for so many ages has steadily warred against liberty of conscience. When our nation shall so abjure the principles of its government as to enact a Sunday law, Protestantism will in this act join hands with the Papacy; it will be giving life to the tyranny which has long been eagerly watching for its opportunity to spring into active despotism."

Therefore, wake up America. Lift up your voice and give the clear message of God for this time, for if the trumpet gives an uncertain sound, who shall prepare himself for this spiritual battle? . . . A great crisis awaits the people of God. A great crisis awaits the world. The most momentous struggle of the ages is before us.

Swiss Sunday Rest Law of 1947 and changes by 2003

"The Sunday law mirrors the societies circumstances as they existed in 1947. So it was not permitted on public days of rest to do the following: a) To go out hunting
b) To engage in professional and profitable fishing,
c) To engage in profitable collection of berries
d) To engage in prize-fighting
e) To move on that day to a new house
f) Expositions of all types
g) Singing and shooting
h) Exercises and inspections of the fire department
i) shooting and gymnastic events and training for them
j) playing of cards, bowling, javelin street jousting, etc.

Later these explicit restrictions were discontinued and instead a more flexible form of law adopted which states, that the following is not permitted:

a) On public holidays (church holy days) it is not permitted to disturb the rest which would spoil the character which the particular day of rest deserves.
b) The appointed Directorate can issue exceptions if a need is proven and the majority interests of rest are not affected.

Punishment could include arrest or a fine of 5000 Swiss francs, (Art. 9).

The government of Croatia was pressured to pass a Sunday law which will take effect January 2009.

During the papal visit in Sidney, Australia, the current pontiff attracted some 500,000 people, `the world wondering.' One of the upshots of the visit for the occasion of a Catholic World Youth Day, was that a `Thou shalt not annoy on Youth Day' law was passed which allowed police to arrest and fine people $5,500. - Civil libertarians had never such a law before. In comparison, if someone flashes obscenely a World Youth Day participant they could be fined $1,100, if they were a T-shirt with an anti-Catholic slogan, the fine is $5,500. But really the law was broader and could get even people in trouble who would happen to stand near someone with such a T-shirt. If such T-shirts even existed is not known at this time.

Such a law was also passed during the WYD in New South Wales in 2006.

So, here we see a government protecting the rights of one religion over all others. Not only that, Australia also paid more than half the 150 million dollar bill, to the tune of 86 million dollar, claiming that this religious event would generate 200 million dollar for the local economy. Who are they trying to fool with such arguments? It should be obvious that you cannot violate a fundamental constitutional principle for the sake of helping the economy. The constitution doesn't really mean anything if you violate it for these kinds of reasons. The Australian WYD was also the occasion for the pontiff reviving medieval undulgences, only this time in Australia, and no Martin Luther stood up and spoke out against it. These WYD are designed to get young people to become nuns (God forbid) and priests (God forbid). The main sponsors were Coca Cola, Mercedes-Benz, Quantas Airline, Telstra Telecommunications, The Daily Telegraph, Avis, Sanitarium and 15 others. The company called `Sanitarium' in Australia owns the `Sanitarium Health Food Company'. They, "in a small ecumenical gesture provided `Weetbix' for the pilgrims' breakfasts."
[http://www.ethics.org.au/ethics_forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3196]

I "When was this change made? The RCC declares, `Perhaps the boldest thing, the most revolutionary change the church ever did happened in the 1st cent. The holy day, the Sabbath, was changed from Saturday to Sunday. The day of the Lord was chosen, not from any direction noted in the scriptures, but from the churches sense of its own power. People who think that the scriptures should be the sole authority, should logically keep Saturday holy.'" [St. Catherine Church Sentinel, Albanick?, MI, May 21, 1995.]

II "Some theologians have held that God likewise directly determined Sunday as the new day of worship in the new law. That He Himself had explicitly substituted the Sunday for the Sabbath. But this theory is now entirely abandoned. It is now commonly held that God simply gave His church the power to set aside whatever day or days she would deem suitable as holy day. The church chose Sunday, the first day of the week, and in the course of time added other days as holy days." [John Lock, A Course in religion from Catholic High Schools and Academies, Ed. 1936, Vol. I, p. 51.]

III "The Cath. church for over 1000 years before the existence of a Protestant, by virtue of her divine mission, changed the day from Saturday to Sunday. The Protestant world, at its birth, found the Christian Sabbath too strongly entrenched to run counter to its existence, it was therefore placed under the necessity of acquiescing in the arrangement, thus implying the Cath. Church's right to change the day for over 300 years. The Christian Sabbath is therefore to this day the acknowledged offspring of the Catholic Church as the spouse of the Holy Ghost without a word of remonstrance from the Protestant world." [James Cardinal Gibbons, `The Catholic Year, Sept 23, 1893. ]

IV "The authority of the church could therefore not be bound to the authority of the scriptures, because the church had changed the Sabbath into Sunday, not by the command of Christ, but by its own authority." [`Canon and Tradition,' p. 263.]

V `To Tell You The Truth' - "For example, no where in the Bible do we find that Christ of the apostles ordered that the Sabbath be changed from Saturday to Sunday. We have the commandment of God given to Moses `Keep holy the Sabbath day,' - that is, the 7th day of the week - Saturday. Today, most Christians keep Sunday because it has been revealed to us by the RCC outside the Bible." [`The Catholic Virginian, Oct 3, 1947, p. 9.]

VI "They (the Protestants) deem it their duty to keep the Sunday holy. Why? Because the Cath. Church tells them to do so. They have no other reason. The observance of Sunday thus claims to be an ecclesiastical law entirely distinct from the divine law of Sabbath observance. The author of the Sunday law is the Cath. Church." [`The Ecclesiastical Review,' Febr 1914.]

VII "It is well to remind the Presbyterians, Baptists, Methodists and all other Christians, that the Bible does not support them anywhere in their observance of Sunday. Sunday is an institution of the RCC and those who observe the day, observe a commandment of the Cath. Church." [`The News,' Elizabeth, N.J., March 18, 1903.]

VIII "It was the Cath. Church which has transferred this rest to Sunday in remembrance of the resurrection of our Lord. Therefore, the observance of Sunday by the Protestants is an homage they pay, in spite of themselves, to the authority of the Cath. Church." [Monsignor Louis Figure, `Plain Talk about Protestantism of Today,' p. 213.]

IX "Protestants accept Sunday rather then Saturday as the day for public worship after the Cath. Church made the change. In observing the Sunday they are accepting the authority of the spokesman for the church, the pope." [`Our Sunday Visitor,' Febr. 5, 1950. ]

X "I have repeatedly offered one thousand dollars to anyone who can proof to me from the Bible alone that I am bound to keep Sunday holy. There is no such law in the Bible, it is a law of the holy Cath. Church alone. The Bible says, `Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.' The Cath. Church says, `No! By my divine power I abolish the Sabbath day and command you to keep holy the 1st day of the week. And lo, the entire civilized world bows down in reverend obedience to the command of the Holy Cath. Church." [Father T. Enright, Redemptory College, Kansas City, `A Lecture at Hartford, KS, Feb. 18, 1884. In `History of the Sabbath,' p. 802.]

The bill propsed by Senator Blair reads as follows:

"In the Senate of the United States, May 21, 1888, Mr. Blair introduced the following bill, which was read twice, and referred to the Committee on Education and Labor:

`A bill to secure to the people the enjoyment of the first day of the week, commonly known as the Lord's day, as a day of rest, and to promote its observance as a day of religious worship.'
`Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled. That no person, or corporation, or the agent, servant, or employee of any person or corporation, shall perform or authorize to be performed any secular work, labor, or business, to the disturbance of others, works of necessity, mercy, and humanity excepted; nor shall any person engage in any play, game, or amusement, or recreation, to the disturbance of others, on the first day, or during nay part thereof, in any territory, district, vessel, or place subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the United States; nor shall it be lawful for any person or corporation to receive pay for labor or service performed or rendered in violation of this section.'
`Sec. 2. That no mails or mail matter shall hereafter be transported in time of peace over any land postal route, nor shall any mail matter be collected, assorted, handled, or delivered during any part of the first day of the week: Provided, That whenever any letter shall relate to a work of necessity or mercy, or shall concern the health, life, or decease of any person, and the fact shall be plainly stated upon the face of the envelope containing the same, the postmaster-general shall provide for the transportation of such letter.
"Sec. 3. That the prosecution of commerce between the State and with the Indian tribes, the same not being of necessity, mercy, or humanity, by the transportation of persons or property by land or water in such way as to interfere with or disturb the people in the employment of the first day of the week, or any portion thereof, as a day of rest from labor, the same not being labor of necessity, mercy, or humanity, or its observance as a day of religious worship, is hereby prohibited; and any person or corporation, or the agent or employee of any person or corporation, or the agent or employee of any person or corporation, who shall willfully violate this section, shall be punished by a fine of not less than ten nor more than one thousand dollars, and no service performed in the prosecution of such prohibited commerce shall be lawful, nor shall any compensation be recoverable or be paid for the same.
"Sec. 4. That all military and naval drills, musters, and parades, not in time of active service or immediate preparation therefor, of soldiers, sailors, marines, or cadets of the United States, on the first day of the week, except assemblies for the due and orderly observance of religious worship, are hereby prohibited, nor shall any unnecessary labor be performed or permitted in the military or naval service of the United States on the Lord's day.
"Sec. 5. That it shall be unlawful to pay or to receive payment or wages in any manner for service rendered, or for labor performed, or for the transportation of persons or of property in violation of the provisions of this act, nor shall any action lie for the recovery thereof, and when so paid, whether in advance or otherwise, the same may be recovered back by whoever shall first sue for the same.
"Sec. 6. That labor or service performed and rendered on the first day of the week in consequence of accident, disaster, or unavoidable delays in making the regular connections upon postal routes and routes of travel and transportation, the preservation of perishable and exposed property, and the regular and necessary transportation and delivery of articles of food in condition for healthy use, and such transportation for short distances from one State, district, or Territory, into another State, district, or Territory as by local laws shall be declared to be necessary for the public good, shall not be deemed violations of this act, but the same shall be construed, so far as possible, to secure to the people rest from toil during the first day of the week, their mental and moral culture, and the religious observance of the Sabbath day."

Rev. A.H. Lewis, D. D., representative of the Seventh-day Baptists, had spoken, and asked that a section be added to the bill granting exemption to observers of the Seventh day; but in answering the questions that were asked by the Chairman, Mr. Lewis compromised his position, and was followed soon after by Dr. Herrick Johnson, of Chicago, who remarked that Dr. Lewis had "given his whole case away." This is what is referred to in my (A.T. Jones') introductory remarks to the effect that we did not intend to "give our case away." A.T. Jones.
[The whole procedure on how this Blair bill was defeated, thank God, by the testimony of A.T. Jones is described in the actual minutes recorded in his book, `The National Sunday Law', Argument of Alonzo T. Jones before the United States Senate Committee on Education and Labor; Washington, D.C., Dec. 13, 1888. Anyone wondering hondering how important it is to keep church and state separate ought to read this book]