Does this bother anyone else???

Religion & Spirituality Other Religion & Spirituality
1

While I was running my usual pre-work errands to Home Depot & Lowe's the other morning, I noticed a sign at Home Depot stating they would be in closed Easter Sunday. Good! But when I got to Lowe's, the beautifully designed sign with Easter Lilies in the background announced they would be open regular hours Easter Sunday. I was really taken aback! A bit angry & saddened too. Anyone else?

I know I'm in a small group of Christians that believe Sunday is a sacred day for faith & family- not shopping, and I love that Chick-fil-a & Hobby Lobby are closed Sundays for that reason, but DANG! Easter!? Shouldn't a few days be set aside in the retail world, such as Christmas & Easter, just out of respect to the 80% + of Americans that claim Christianity as their faith. And Thanksgiving, too- just for American tradition?

Ever controversial,
Darla

P.S. I 'd love to see "Blue Laws" return, but more importantly, I'd love to see "Keep the Sabbath Day Holy" carrying as much weight as the other 9 commandments do in our Sunday sermons & ideology. Thanks, Janet & Rebecca! AND I HATE WALMART, too!

2

This bothers me too. The problem is that those 80% of Americans who "claim" to be Christians are content to sit back and say nothing about the things that upset or offend them. So the 20% of Americans who claim some other form of religion or none at all stand up and scream at the slightest offense. We need to do something other than complaining to each other about things that bother us. We need to stand up and make this country hear our voices. The problem is, I don't exactly know how to go about doing that. I guess one place to start would be to get everyone who feels the same as we do about Sunday (especially Easter) together and not shop, go out to eat, etc on those days. That would send a very loud message! Anyway, thank you for taking the time to say something. Now lets do something.

3

I agree with you and with Janet! Shame on our society for being so money driven-whatever happened to family time???

4

As a former employee of Walmart, I can totally agree with this. While I may not attend church much, I am a Christian, and I consider Sundays, Easter and Christmas to be sacred. Thanksgiving too, but more in respecting our country's beginnings than the Christianity aspect. Anywho, in the almost 3 years I worked at Walmart, I had one Christmas and one Thanksgiving off. I worked every Easter Sunday during my time there. And from a not so religious standpoint since it's not what Easter is about, it's horrible to have to miss your child's excitement over their Easter baskets because you are leaving to go to work early in the morning.

I know the biggest reason for the retail companies to be open is money, but I also think they are afraid to be confronted with other religions asking for their holidays to be a "closed" day as well. Not to say that I don't respect other religions, I absolutely do. But this is what you see in the news all the time. If they close for a Christian holiday, they have to close for a Jewish one, Muslim one, etc.

I understand and respect people of other religions making that request and I think it should be offered by any business open on ANY religious holiday for the people of that religion to choose to work or not, without question, from the hourly all the way up through management. When I worked at UPS, it was that way. If you were of a religion celebrating a religious holiday, you were excused from work if you chose to do so. It's not so at Walmart. While I'm sure you could fight it and possibly get the day off, they will make it hard for you.

Well...that's my two cents, take it for what it's worth. :)

5

I apologize in advance for the length, but considering the amount of info provided, I tried to sum up the best I could. I hope my post is informative and inoffensive, so here goes....

First:
Although a Christian, I am against ANY type of Blue Law. I believe in freedom OF religion. I believe if we vote for those with Godly prnciples, we will see those Godly principle refected in making decisions. (that is the idea anyway!)

Second:
I admire your passion for the 10 commandments. Please know there ARE people that believe in all 10 (I just happen to be one of them)!!

Third:
You may have never researched WHY you consider Sunday the Sabbath – many vary interesting studies!

But, ask yourself, "What did Jesus do?" since we are supposed to do as he did……
So, what did Jesus do? "But pray ye that your flight be not in winter, neither on the Sabbath day." Matthew 24:20.
Jesus asked his disciples to pray that in the flight from the doomed city of Jerusalem they would not have to flee on the Sabbath day. This flight took place in 70 A.D. (40 years after the Cross).

What did His followers do after his death and resurrection?

"And they returned, and prepared spices and ointments and rested the Sabbath day according to the commandment." Luke 23:56

What about John?
"I was in the Spirit on the Lord's day." Rev. 1:10
(Mark 2:28, Isa.58:13, Ex.20:10, Clearly show the Sabbath to be the Lord's day).

To see what your church's statements on the Sabbath are go to: http://www.sabbathtruth.com/sabbath_quotes.asp

To see a 6,000 year history of the Sabbath vs Sunday, go to:
http://www.sabbathtruth.com/history/History_of_the_Sabbath.pdf

Just a few common questions…..

Was the Calendar Changed?

Yes. In order to keep up with the solar cycle the calendar was changed once in October 1582, but it did not alter the weekly cycle. Ten dates were omitted from the calendar following October 4, 1582. What would have been Friday, October 5, became Friday, October 15.

Shouldn't we Keep Sunday in Honor of the Resurrection?

No, Baptism is the memorial of Christ's death, burial and resurrection. The Sabbath is a memorial of creation. see Romans 6:4.

It is true that Jesus rose on the first day of the week, but nowhere is there the slightest intimation in the Bible for anyone to keep that day holy. The basis for Sabbath-keeping is the direct handwritten command of God.

Many wonderful events occurred on certain days of the week, but we have no command to keep them holy. Jesus died for our sins on Friday. That is probably the most significant event in all of recorded history. It marks the moment my death sentence was commuted and my salvation assured. But not one Bible text hints that we should observe this day of such great significance.
It was a dramatic moment when Jesus rose from the grave on that Sunday morning, but there is not a scintilla of biblical evidence that we should observe it in honor of the resurrection. Not one instance of Sunday observance has been found in the recorded Scriptures.

For these questions and lots more, see http://www.sabbathtruth.com/sabbath_questions.asp

Wasn't The Sabbath Only a Memorial of Deliverance out of Egypt?
We Can't Locate the True Seventh Day?
Shouldn't We Just Keep Any Day in the Seven?
The Sabbath Was Made Only for the Jews
Isn't There a "New" Law of Christ?
Not Under the Law?
Is It Possible To Obey the Law?
Is Obedience Legalism? - The Test of Love
No Sunday-keeping in Corinth
3 Days and 3 Nights
Feast Days and Sabbaths

I could go on and on, but I will stop here…..

All the best and many blessings to you!!
Elizabeth

6

I do believe that holidays should be observed at stores and give their emplyoees a chance to be with there families (esp the people who have little ones). I am so so sure they wont have to shut down b/c they lost so much money for being closed those few days. They are money hungry and Im sure they will have more than they ever need. I also think they should have a paid holiday as well b/c places like Lowes will let people volunteer to work and normally pay extra on holidays and people that are strapped for cash and cant afford to take of a holiday b/c of no pay tend to feel they have to volunteer to work to get paid.

7

Why does the retail industry bother you so much. While my true opinion on the matter will remain my own...I ask this...if Lowe's should close three times a year, what about the airlines, pharamcies, and hospitals. There are several Christians who work in those places and are forced to work. As a former flight attendant, I can guarantee that we were not given the choice and could be displined for not being at work when we were suppose to be...regardless of the day. Society today has gone past the true meaning of holidays and holy days and left it up to the indivuals to fulfill the true meaning however they see fit. Plus, how do you make it fair...and you can't say that people chose to work in the hospital and know they will have to work on holidays because obviously Lowe's is an occupational choice and open on holidays!! Just food for thought...

8

It bothers me, too. Just an FYI, this is the first year in a LONG time Home Depot has been closed on Easter. I know because when I worked at the Expo(Home Depot), I had to work on Easter! Yes, it stinks! And, yes, some people do volunteer to work on Easter. When I worked, we had some non-Christians who did not celebrate Easter and they did in fact volunteer to work the Easter holiday. Lowe's recently started staying open on Easter Sunday to keep up with Home Depot, who started staying open to keep up with Walmart. In this day, the retailers have to fight hard to compete. I do believe that even if one does not celebrate Easter, stores should still be closed. ITs down to two days a year major retailers are closed now, Christmas and Thanksgiving. And, employees do not even receive Holiday pay for Easter anymore! Maybe with Home Depot taking a stand against being open, some of the other stores will follow in the coming years. I sure hope so!!

9

I think closing on Easter would be right and the best thing but what I really wanted to say has to do with retail times in general. I have some friends who live in Germany. In the area they live in 98& of stores are closed on Sundays and after 6:00 pm. When they first moved there it was a huge adjustment for them but over time they have come to love it. They have 4 daughters and this has shown them that it is much better to spend your time with your children than running around to all of the stores. They have also learned to manage their time and resources better since they can't just run out and grab whatever they want in the blink of an eye. I know that if we were to do that here it would create an insane amount of chaos but it has shown them a way to focus on their family more and they have truly come to enjoy the time it has given them with each other. Great concept and even if the retailers won't do it we can incorporate it into our lives. Peace & Grace to you.

10

I find it interesting what people choose to be upset about. So now the supposed 80% of Christians should make the decisions for the rest of us as to how our Sundays should be spent?? You've got to be kidding me. You make your voice heard by your actions. If all the Christians are so against companies being open on Sundays then don't spend your money at those places, or any place for that matter. But don't impose all of your beliefs on everyone else. Everyone has a choice. If a person doesn't want to work on Sundays then they don't have to. Don't tell me that Walmart may be the ONLY place they can work. There are other jobs in other places, people CHOOSE to live and work where they do. I also think Walmart is evil, but that is a whole other story. I am sooooo tired of everyone (Christian's included) thinking that THEIR religion is the right one. I personally believe that everyone is right to a degree (with exception to those that believe in their religions so much that they take the lives of others in the name of their God) and if you just live by the golden rule then your place in Heaven (if that's what you believe in) shall be there when your time has come. The problem with today's society, in my humble opinion, is not that we are not religiously oriented enough, it's that we are not family oriented enough. Period. And you don't have to be a religious person to be so.

So there. ;)

11

Nope, doesn't bother me at all. I'm a Christian and I respect the retailers choice to be open whatever days they choose. I don't have to shop there on a particular day if I do not want to and hopefully, if an employee doesn't want to work a particular day, they can make arrangements to have that day off. I worked in retail for many years and I never had a problem getting off when I planned in advance. When I decided I didn't want to work on weekends anymore, I got into another field where I didn't have to work on weekends.

There will be many people, Christians and non-Christians alike who will be grateful that Lowes is open on Easter Sunday when their commode overflows and they need a plunger or some other home improvement need comes up unexpectedly. I'm sure there are some people who are looking forward to the time they can spend doing some stuff around the house. And I bet there will be some employees who are appreciative of the holiday pay they will get for working on Easter. Does that make them less of a Christian because they want or need the money and are willing to work to take advantage of the extra income? I don't think so.

People celebrate Easter, their Christianity and their love for Christ and family in different ways. "Keeping the Sabbath Day Holy" means different things to different Christians. It's not my place to judge or dictate to anyone else how they should or should not be spending their Sundays, Easter or otherwise. THAT, would be disrespectful to Christians in my opinion. :-)

12

Ok,

Enough responses on the Lowes thing, just wanted to jump in and take advantage of this oppty. to say...

I HATE WALMART.

13

Darling Darla--ever controversial. ;) And some pretty heated replies!!

I do agree with you--retailers should observe holidays. And although Easter is a Christian holiday (not really but that's a whole other discussion)it is also celebrated by non-Christians as a secular holiday--the Easter Bunny, eggs, Spring Equinox, etc. As is Christmas--Santa Claus. I can't say that I would go so far as to not go to retail establishments on Sundays b/c as a part-time working mom that's about the only time I get to run errands! But after church of course. :) (And I do like to go out ot eat so I don't have to cook.) And yeah, darn, my Chick-fil-a isn't open on Sundays but I applaud that they are closed for worship and family. I wouldn't be against "Blue Laws"--I can adjust.

I did want to point out that "separation of church and state" can be a misunderstood concept. From my understanding, the Pilgrims left England b/c they did not want a state-imposed religion (i.e. the Church of England). "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof." The purpose was to limit the federal government from exercising any authority in matters of religion. They wanted freedom OF religion--not freedom FROM religion. (I think you pointed that out in your follow up). The importance of the Christian religion is evidenced in the references to God in our government--the Ten Commandments hanging in government buildings (if the ACLU hasn't had them removed!), on our currency, in our pledge, prayer before government meetings, etc. Now, I do respect other people's religions--I may not agree with them but I do respect them. However, this country was founded on CHRISTIAN faith and principles--like it or not!

Sorry-I kinda went off-topic but I just have to speak up when it comes to the "separation of church and state" statement b/c the majority of the population is misguided in its understanding.

For more info on this please visit: http://www.faithandfreedomsunday.com/pdf/firstamendment.pdf

14

I agree that the Sabbath is a holy day and I choose to treat it as such. If people want to continue to shop on this day, that's fine for them. But if I as an employee, am asked to work on a day that is set aside by myself and religion as a holy day, and I remind them that I do not work on the Sabbath and get punished for that, then that is discrimination.

Christians have no rights anymore.

15

I agree that the Sabbath is a holy day and I choose to treat it as such. If people want to continue to shop on this day, that's fine for them. But if I as an employee, am asked to work on a day that is set aside by myself and religion as a holy day, and I remind them that I do not work on the Sabbath and get punished for that, then that is discrimination.

Christians have no rights anymore.

16

I agree that the Sabbath is a holy day and I choose to treat it as such. If people want to continue to shop on this day, that's fine for them. But if I as an employee, am asked to work on a day that is set aside by myself and religion as a holy day, and I remind them that I do not work on the Sabbath and get punished for that, then that is discrimination.

Christians have no rights anymore.

17

I agree that the Sabbath is a holy day and I choose to treat it as such. If people want to continue to shop on this day, that's fine for them. But if I as an employee, am asked to work on a day that is set aside by myself and religion as a holy day, and I remind them that I do not work on the Sabbath and get punished for that, then that is discrimination.

Christians have no rights anymore.

18

I don't know what Home Depot you went to but my store is open on Easter. The 8 years I have been with the company we never have been open on Thanksgiving...there were always talks of it but it always got shot down. I think that if people didn't shop at stores on Sundays or holidays then they wouldn't be open. When we do shop on Sundays we are just feeding the retailers need to earn more money. It also depends on which state that you live if you get time and a half for Sundays as well. In Mass. you do get time and a half for Sundays. Easter is also not a holiday pay date so people who are working tomorrow in some stores (not sure about all of them) are not getting paid extra for tomorrow. I also wanted to bring up that is is sad that schools can not sya that they are having an Easter party that it has to be a spring party. That kind of stuff is weird to me....anyway just figured I would put my 2 cents in...and say I HATE LOWES and I LOVE WALMART!!! Hope you all have a great holiday with your family and not spend it shopping!!

19

I wish I could share in your concern about Sabbath breaking but we "Christians" destroyed that Holy Day when we allowed the Pope to move it to sunday. Research it. The facts are not hidden from anyone who owns a computer and really wants to know. Oh yeah,thats also where easter and most other "Christian " holidays came from. The Sabbath has been defiled for centuries by well meaning people who simply didn't care to find the Truth and do it.

20

Interesting responses… a few more thoughts, too…

The comment about Germany REALLY surprizes me, as secular as Europe is, but perhaps it is not so much about religion, but family?

The retail industry bothers me so much b/c people CHOOSE to shop & engage in recreation (Six Flags, movies, restaurants, etc.) on Sunday. Medical services are pat necessities, so those who are there to serve the sick & infirm are in many ways observing the Sabbath the way Christ did serving others…whether that is their intent or not. Airlines, I think b/c of the time differences throughout the world, that one is a more difficult black/ white discussion. I know we try not to fly/ recreate on Sundays, but its a difficult thing to avoid sometimes…hmmm.

It is a secularist view that there is “separation of church & state” in the constitution- We have freedom OF religion, not freedom FROM religion guaranteed us. The ACLU, which was started by a communist (yes! do your research) & liberal activist judges started that non-sense back in the 60’s & society has degraded every since. There were many good things that came out of the 60’s, those changes related to pulling all religiosity out of the public arena, is not one of them. IMHO.

I know WHY Christians celebrate the Sabbath on Sundays, but the day is not near as important as the reason for the Sabbath. It was created as a day of rest, for ALL people. Requiring sales clerks, restaurant workers, entertainment industry workers, etc. to work for those of us lucky enough to have Sunday off is just CRUMMY & kind of self-centered, don’t you think?! If we weren’t shopping & having fun, they wouldn’t have to be there to serve us! But treating Sundays just like any other day become a habit, just like taking it off- like in Germany.

Concerning Home Depot…I THOUGHT they had been open previously on Thanksgiving, so that info was not a surprize. I’m glad to see they changed their policy this year, but that should just be a given not something that flips around every year! I know when I worked at Michaels/ MJD designs in the 80’s we got time & a half for Sundays, but I think that has gone by the wayside…much like family time.

We worry so much about what the minority thinks all of the time… when does the majority get a say? And when to they really take a stand when they have a choice anyway? Hmmmm… :wink:

All just my opinion- no exploding heads, please.