Keeping The Sabbath Day Holy Unless Something Really Cool is Happening

[ploomf]

It wasn't supposed to be that big, I don't know how to change the size.

[Anddenex]

It wasn't supposed to be that big, I don't know how to change the size.

The size is perfect, emphasizing the raw talent of this fisherman. If this is boring, than I need to find out what MoE is doing for a living and go back to school!

[MarginOfError]

Here's a sample of what I do.

http://revolution-computing.typepad.com/.a/6a010534b1db25970b0168e7889a6f970c-800wi

[pam]

MOE likes making pie charts.

[Guest]

I like pie.

That comic is awesome. :)

[MorningStar]

MOE likes making pie charts.

Mmmmm ..... I love pie. I like to eat it on Sundays.

[MorningStar]

One theory you could apply to these decisions also is the "will-I-ever-again" test. For instance, if I won tickets to a Super Bowl, I'd probably go to the game. It's unlikely I would ever again have the opportunity to participate in that spectacle.

If I had never seen Dave Matthews Band in concert and they announced their last ever tour and their stop in my city was going to be on a Sunday, I'd probably go because I'd never get the chance to see them in concert again.

If I get an invitation to go fishing, I'll probably decline, because fishing is boring.

That is an interesting thought, but I think the only exception for certain Sabbath activities is for emergencies, unless going to a concert is an emergency.

[Anddenex]

Here's a sample of what I do.

http://revolution-computing.typepad.com/.a/6a010534b1db25970b0168e7889a6f970c-800wi

Well then, I will stick with fishing.

[MarginOfError]

That is an interesting thought, but I think the only exception for certain Sabbath activities is for emergencies, unless going to a concert is an emergency.

I suppose it could be. I'd rather break a single sabbath than live in regret that I missed my one opportunity to witness something spectacular. The key is that these kinds of reasons have to be incredibly rare. If you find yourself having "once in a lifetime moments" very often, you've probably lost perspective.

[EarlJibbs]

I played competetive volleyball in Highschool. I joined a club team that traveled and played in tournaments.

We went to California (only Utah Team to go) and we played Friday evening, most Saturday and a good portion of Sunday. I actually didnt know we were playing on Sunday, but when I found out, I was already there. I played with a heavy heart. We then went to the beach to end the trip. By the end of the day, I forgot it was even Sunday and had this empty feeling in my heart. Now I wouldnt describe myself as especially spiritual at that age but I knew why I felt that way. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I will always remember it. But the sad part for me, is that I will always remember it first for the blatant all day disreguard for the Sabath... after that I remember everything else (like bleaching my hair with the rest of the team :) )

So it is a good memory, but tainted...for me anyway.

[Guest gopecon]

Somehow I don't think the "once in a lifetime" chance qualifies as a good exception in the eternal scheme of things. Would you want to get caught there when the Savior comes again? What about all of those stories kids are taught in primary about others kids who chose to pass up opportunities to play in championship games, or other big opportunities that came on Sunday.

In my early teens I chose to play in the big game, while an LDS friend on the team sat it out. I know which one of us made the right call - and it wasn't me.

[Tough Grits]

Well, I guess we are a bunch of heathens in my house. I am a rule follower, but since there is not an exhaustive list of what we can and what we cannot do on the Sabbath...we just stick to not doing anything that would require somebody to work.

So, if we feel like watching TV, playing games, reading, laughing, going for a walk, plinking with BB guns <gasp>, or anything else that fits our family's spirituality, then that is what we do.

However, I do have to admit...that our family has been to a dog show on the Sabbath with my father when visiting him. He is one of the top dog breeders in his state, and his life revolves around showing dogs. Not only does he, my step-mother, my sister, and my brother all show the dogs that my dad breeds, but they are handlers for other breeds and other kennels as well.

We ended up visiting him (he lives at least 10 hours away) during a weekend, and this meant either stay at his house and not spend time with him, or go with him and break the Sabbath.

We went with him. The kids loved seeing all the different kinds of dogs, we were able to strengthen bonds with my father and his family, as we probably only see each other once a year (if that).

I guess I am rationalizing. If so, then God will deal with me. But I believe in my heart that we did our best not to violate God's commandment.

Like I said...heathens.

[Tough Grits]

I played competetive volleyball in Highschool. I joined a club team that traveled and played in tournaments.

We went to California (only Utah Team to go) and we played Friday evening, most Saturday and a good portion of Sunday. I actually didnt know we were playing on Sunday, but when I found out, I was already there. I played with a heavy heart. We then went to the beach to end the trip. By the end of the day, I forgot it was even Sunday and had this empty feeling in my heart. Now I wouldnt describe myself as especially spiritual at that age but I knew why I felt that way. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, and I will always remember it. But the sad part for me, is that I will always remember it first for the blatant all day disreguard for the Sabath... after that I remember everything else (like bleaching my hair with the rest of the team :) )

So it is a good memory, but tainted...for me anyway.

My daughter was chosen one year to play on the all star softball rec team. None of the rec games had ever been played on a Sunday, and school was out for the summer, so it never even occurred to me to ask anybody on which day the tournaments would occur. We signed her up and she committed to play. They had exactly enough players, so everybody had to be there.

Well, we found out at the last minute after everything was signed and paid and obligated that the game would be on the Sabbath.

My daughter was crushed. I was crushed, as well as her father. But we had made a promise. Her father and I accepted the blame for not asking ahead of time the actual day/date of the tournament. I told my daughter that we had made a mistake, and we would learn from it. The next thing for my daughter to decide was whether or not to honor the commitment she made with her team. She agreed to honor her commitment, though she knew it was only because they would not have enough players to play without her.

I thought we were teaching her to honor her obligations, and to always find out on which day things would occur before obligating herself...I hope we were right.

[MorningStar]

My husband and I used to go round and round when we were dating. We noticed that there was always a large amount of people at The Olive Garden right after church in Provo. It surprised me that that many people thought it was OK to go to a restaurant on the Sabbath. He said, "Well, it shouldn't be open on Sundays." I said, "It's a non-LDS business. If there's a demand for it, then it will be open on Sundays. People should stop going and then they'll close on Sundays." "No, they should just close it so people don't have to work." "No, if people stop coming, they'll realize it's not worth the money to pay people to work and use all of that electricity when no one is eating." We did agree that we wouldn't be eating out on Sundays.

There was also a CD shop in town. On Sundays, there was a sign posted on the door that said, "We're closed. Go to church."

[Guest gopecon]

Morning Star - sounds like you had a which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg argument about Olive Garden. Of course the store could close if they wanted to (see Fil-A, Chick). The fact that they don't, does not excuse our patronizing someplace. For one, if they are less busy, then fewer people will have to work, even if the establishment as a whole is open.

[MorningStar]

I'm sure they were thinking, "The Sabbath is a day of rest and I'm resting by going to The Olive Garden!"

[MarginOfError]

Morning Star - sounds like you had a which-came-first-the-chicken-or-the-egg argument about Olive Garden. Of course the store could close if they wanted to (see Fil-A, Chick). The fact that they don't, does not excuse our patronizing someplace. For one, if they are less busy, then fewer people will have to work, even if the establishment as a whole is open.

I tend to be on Olive Garden's side on this one. If their personal moral code doesn't acknowledge the importance of the Sabbath, then I don't expect that they will close on the Sabbath.

[MorningStar]

I tend to be on Olive Garden's side on this one. If their personal moral code doesn't acknowledge the importance of the Sabbath, then I don't expect that they will close on the Sabbath.

Yes, in non-LDS areas, people can usually ask for Sundays off and offer to work every Saturday, but when pretty much everyone is LDS, they won't be able to have that day off, so I blame LDS customers for creating the demand in the first place.

[MarginOfError]

Yes, in non-LDS areas, people can usually ask for Sundays off and offer to work every Saturday, but when pretty much everyone is LDS, they won't be able to have that day off, so I blame LDS customers for creating the demand in the first place.

Exactly! But that assumes that the patrons are all LDS, or even active LDS. It's plausible that all of those patrons are inactive or non-LDS members (though I doubt it)

[Maureen]

Exactly! But that assumes that the patrons are all LDS, or even active LDS. It's plausible that all of those patrons are inactive or non-LDS members (though I doubt it)

It's plausible and possible. When my SIL went to BYU, my husband, daughter and I would visit her for our vacation. We were shopping once and mentioned to a store clerk that we were from Canada and she said she couldn't imagine why anybody would want to spend their vacation in Provo. :)

M.

[Guest gopecon]

I don't know what "moral code" Olive Garden is operating under, but the Sabbath is a fairly standard commandment - it's one of the 10. If operating a business on the Sabbath is wrong, it's wrong for anyone, not just Mormons. Certainly any Christian (Adventists and others who observe the Sabbath on Saturday aside) is under similar obligation to follow the 10 commandments as the LDS people are. The Lord may judge them less harshly if their religious culture is more Sabbath lax than ours is, but a sin is a sin. (Not that I am perfect in my Sabbath observance, but the Sabbath is much more of a general commandment that the Word of Wisdom prohibition against drinking tea).

[Tough Grits]

I can't figure out why people move to the "blink-and-you-missed-the-TWO-stop-lights" town that I live and work in...I mean seriously, how do people even know about my town unless they were born here?

I want to know how the farm workers in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and such find out about this town...are there posters in those countries for my "blink-and-you-missed-the-TWO-stop-lights" town?

I speak more Spanish here, in the middle of NOWHERE, than I did growing up in Miami.

I think my town is where people get dropped after being sucked into the Bermuda Triangle. Seriously.

What thread am I on?

[Tough Grits]

I don't know what "moral code" Olive Garden is operating under, but the Sabbath is a fairly standard commandment - it's one of the 10. If operating a business on the Sabbath is wrong, it's wrong for anyone, not just Mormons. Certainly any Christian (Adventists and others who observe the Sabbath on Saturday aside) is under similar obligation to follow the 10 commandments as the LDS people are. The Lord may judge them less harshly if their religious culture is more Sabbath lax than ours is, but a sin is a sin. (Not that I am perfect in my Sabbath observance, but the Sabbath is much more of a general commandment that the Word of Wisdom prohibition against drinking tea).

I agree.

However, "keeping the Sabbath day holy" does not come with any further instructions.

Didn't the Pharisees have only so many steps they could walk on the Sabbath?

The Savior was not pleased with what the Pharisees did with that commandment.

I don't know what the answer is, except this: follow the prophet and follow the Spirit.

Those who are not members of our Church do not have a prophet to follow, and they may not interpret that commandment as strictly as some members of our Church do, AND/OR there may be members of other faiths who are more reverent on the Sabbath than the majority of our members.

Who knows? I can't even get a definition of a Christian on my thread.

[MarginOfError]

I don't know what "moral code" Olive Garden is operating under, but the Sabbath is a fairly standard commandment - it's one of the 10. If operating a business on the Sabbath is wrong, it's wrong for anyone, not just Mormons. Certainly any Christian (Adventists and others who observe the Sabbath on Saturday aside) is under similar obligation to follow the 10 commandments as the LDS people are. The Lord may judge them less harshly if their religious culture is more Sabbath lax than ours is, but a sin is a sin. (Not that I am perfect in my Sabbath observance, but the Sabbath is much more of a general commandment that the Word of Wisdom prohibition against drinking tea).

As hard as it may be to believe, not every religion puts the same emphasis on various commandments as we do. Through the evolution of their theology, the emphasis on Sabbath observance may not have been a priority.

Keep in mind, that some religions are as equally perplexed by some of the things we don't practice, such as Lent, or that we don't use wine in our sacrament. I think it's a little unfair to apply our interpretation and application of the commandments into the modern world to other belief structures.

[Wingnut]

I can't figure out why people move to the "blink-and-you-missed-the-TWO-stop-lights" town that I live and work in...I mean seriously, how do people even know about my town unless they were born here?

I want to know how the farm workers in Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras, and such find out about this town...are there posters in those countries for my "blink-and-you-missed-the-TWO-stop-lights" town?

I speak more Spanish here, in the middle of NOWHERE, than I did growing up in Miami.

I think my town is where people get dropped after being sucked into the Bermuda Triangle. Seriously.

What thread am I on?

Read this book.