Stupidist Blue Law Ever

Discussion in 'Miscellaneous' started by HatterDon, Oct 30, 2006.

  1. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2006
    Location:
    Peoples Republic of South Texas
    I know Fog is going to love this one ...

    ... All Blue Laws are stupid. They exist because the prevailing Christian sects in this country have tremendous political clout and have always had. Blue Laws mandate that certain things can't be open on at least part of Sunday because there's a tremendous fear that if there's anything else attractive available, people won't go to church, and this could cost these mega corporations millions.

    Sometimes Blue Laws are harmless and even cute: In Maryland, at one time,you could buy wood screws on Sunday, but not metal screws. Hardware stores had quilted plastic strips to cover what couldn't be bought on "the Lord's Day."

    Sometimes Blue Laws are damaging to the community. In Maryland, at one time, Sunday sports events couldn't begin until [1] after church services had ended and [2] people had time to drive to them after those services. Baltimore lost the Colts because their home games couldn't begin until an hour after everyone elses, and it was costing the NFL money in lost double-header revenue.

    But here's the stupidist Blue Law of them all. General elections have to happen during a work day because we can't have elections on Sunday like most of Europe. One major reason why our voting rates are down is because in an era when many families have to work multiple jobs in order to survive, getting away from work to vote becomes almost impossible. It's especially difficult in large cities.

    Here's the really stupid thing about this. All of this is based on "Remember the Sabbath Day and keep it holy. Six days shalt thy labor and do all thy work, but the 7th Day [is the Lord's day]. But, Hello! Sunday isn't the Sabbath. Saturday is. Even a first grader can point out the "Seventh Day" on the calendar. In addition to Jews, there are several Christian sects who worship on Saturday, but they're "minority" and so they don't count.

    What can be done about this? Who knows? It's just kind of bugged me for the better part of 60 years.

    And yes, I go to church almost every Sunday.

    Don't forget to vote, pards!
     
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  2. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2005
    Should'a gone to SUNDAY SCHOOL, Don, that would have been covered.. Christians observe the 'Lord's Day'.

    Mark 2:27 (KJS) And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

    IOW it is to be used for worship, rest and play. Remember it was the Pharisees who inssisted on strict interpretation of the 'LAW' ... as long as it was their interpretation.

    Yet the admonition was based on: Exod 20:8 (KJS) Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
    9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:


    Which they took to literally mean the Seventh Day. But in the first century the church began to observe "The Lord's Day" instead, since it was on Sunday that he arose.
    I believe it was also to finally sever itself, completely, from Judaism since they were being persecuted for apostacy, anyway.

    And, yeah, I had to look it up to refresh my memory of the reasons.. I can give you links.

    Ask me about how Jesus not only punned but used ironic humor when he tapped Peter as 'head of the church'.
    ;)
     
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  3. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2005
    Now.. let's cover those allegations about 'Mega-Corporation' churches being responsible for the blue laws. You cite Maryland which is not a good example of the rest of the country, since it is the ONLY state other than, arguably, Pennsylvania with a real connection to a particular church or denomination.

    In fact most blue laws were local and those state-wide were indeed passed to curry favor of 'GOOD CHRISTIAN FOLK' by 'demonstration of piety'. As church attendance decreased and those still religious realized how 'creating law' actually went against the gospel teachings they began to fall away.

    NOW... do you know of any employer that penalizes folks for being a little late or leaving early to vote? I havent heard of any... it was always a good excuse anywhere I worked. But i'm SURE that most big Corporations would rather it wasnt a weekday.
    As to voting on Sunday... if you think that would increase turnout, you're thinking left-handed. Voting's too much like work for many.
     
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  4. GaryBarnettFanClub

    GaryBarnettFanClub New Member

    Joined:
    Sep 29, 2006
    Location:
    Kingston-Upon-Thames, Surrey
    We vote on a Thursday, I have no idea why, but it is tradition. We use to have laws to protect Sundays but they have been eroded over the past 15 years. It started with all day drinking - I remember going out to celebrate it!!!!

    This is a difficult area. Should your laws protect the majority in their beliefs? If so, should preventing Sunday trading be enshrined in law? Eid has just finished, should that be a national holiday (I am all in favour of more multicultrual holidays!!!)

    I work with a muslim and we have set aside space in my server room for him to prey in. There is no legal requirement at present for this, but it could be argued that as an employer we are not meeting his human rights if we do not do this.

    Where it gets really interesting is recognising faith. At what point should a government recoginse a religion and protect it's followers? There are some fantastic faiths on the internet.

    If you have multi-faith blue laws then they will be abused by psudofaiths to pervert the original intension - eventually they will find a liberal judge who agrees and sets precident.

    Finally, law is only useful when it is enforced. Are the laws in Maryland enforced? There are plenty of stupid laws that never get taken of the statute.
     
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  5. americanmike

    americanmike Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2004
    Ugh, Blue Laws! A reminder of my 4 years of college in Connecticut.

    You can't buy beer from ANY outlet (Liquor stores, grocery stores, etc.) after 8 pm on any day and you also cannot buy beer on Sunday. You should have seen the line at the liquor stores on Saturday, 7:30pm.

    The best part is that my dad went to Providence for a year (so long ago, it was an all boys school) and it was the first year the blue laws were enforced in RI and CT...still in effect when I got there!
     
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  6. NJGlen

    NJGlen New Member

    Joined:
    Jan 7, 2005
    Location:
    New Jersey
    Blue laws are retarded, its a fact.

    I drove into NY State to purchase alcohol for my daughter's christening (yes, we Irish love to mix alcohol and religion wherever possible) and when I got to the liquor store I was able to buy plenty of wine but could not purchase beer. When I asked where the beer cooler is, the assistant sheepish looks at me and tells me that only supermarkets can sell beer....but supermarkets cannot sell wine. Its was far too much for me to comprehend so I drove back to New Jersey (before my tiny brain exploded with confusion) where liquor stores sell both wine and beer.

    As for protecting church attendence...it seems to me that in the New York metropolitan area we have a new religion that has full attendence every Sunday, without fail. Yes people turn up in the thousands and its impossible even to get a parking space. You may have visited one of these houses of worship - one is called 'Macys', another 'Sears' and I think the most pious one is 'Lord and Taylor'.

    Finally, voting during the week is idiotic. I run my own business and simply cannot take the time off to visit the local voting booth. As soon as the office is closed I head home to be greeted by the wife and kids and the evening ritual of dinner, bathtime and bedtime begins. When this is all finished and the dishes done and the kids are in bed, its about 8.30...and now I am expected to get back into the car and find a polling station. No sorry chief...weekends would make a lot more sense to me.

    I do, however, concur with P-Fog. Voting is too much like hard work for many. We also have another disease: too many people do not believe their vote will make a difference. Of course it will make a difference!!!! Oh, unless of course its a presidential election when the president's brother in Florida will decide who wins that one.

    Peace out.
     
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  7. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2005
    Had to get in a drive-by, dintcha!

    Of course there is no proof of that and several MSM looked for it... but hey... if it mobilizes the talking points.

    Just like Ohio... they all said there was smoke, they looked past the Dem controlled Franklin Co Board of Elections and found none.

    'Hanging Chads in Dade County'.. who ran the BoE?

    Here's MY drive-by..."It's not the facts in evidence, it's the seriousness of the charge!'
     
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  8. americanmike

    americanmike Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2004
    Re: RE: Stupidist Blue Law Ever

    I knew there was a reason why I kinda liked you.
     
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  9. FFCinPCB

    FFCinPCB New Member

    Joined:
    Feb 28, 2006
    Location:
    Santa Rosa Beach, FL
    Lived in Georgia for awhile, where you could not buy alcohol of any kind on Sunday in a store, grocery or otherwise, but you can go to the bars and get sauced up before you get in your car to drive home. Makes perfect sense....in Bizarro World. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bizarro

    Also, will be voting in my first general election in Florida in quite some time (lived in Miami many moons ago). I'll let you know how things go. Which oddly enough, the key lackey of the Republicans in 2000, Katherine Harris is running for Senator. A person responsible for stealing democracy in a position of possibly representing democracy,..Truly Bizarro!!
     
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  10. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2005
    MORE baiting... yes, she's an idiot.

    But would you care to prove your meme?
     
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  11. FFCinPCB

    FFCinPCB New Member

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    Location:
    Santa Rosa Beach, FL
    #11
  12. pettyfog

    pettyfog Well-Known Member

    Joined:
    Jan 4, 2005
    Huh?
    Yeah, like I said she's an idiot... our laws derive from English Common Law.
    BUT...
    Is that stupider than this?
     
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  13. americanmike

    americanmike Administrator

    Joined:
    Dec 30, 2004
    HIJACK ALERT!
     
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  14. HatterDon

    HatterDon Moderator

    Joined:
    Mar 18, 2006
    Location:
    Peoples Republic of South Texas
    The British equivalent of Blue Laws:

    When the Brits passed the Sexual Offenses Act in the late 60s, they decriminalized homosexuality. Male same sex was no longer against the law*. Interestingly, at least as late as 1992 when I last lived in Old Blighty, homosexuals who met at a pub and agreed to meet elsewhere for sex were guilty of "licenteous behavior." In other words, the act itself was not against the law, but discussing the act, planning the act, and going to a habitation to perform the act was against the law.

    * Interesting sidebar, lesbianism was not decriminalize by the SOA, because it had not originally been criminalized. A reputable history I read indicated that the original legislation condemned acts by both sexes, but that the PM of the day was concerned about distressing Queen Victoria with tales of ladies doing ladies, so they struck out that part of the bill.
     
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