On the Sunday Law
David Aguilar
View the Video of the US Government's Endorsement of the SDA Church
Supreme Court rules on government Ten Commandments displays
Wednesday, June 29, 2005; Posted: 4:35 p.m. EDT (20:35 GMT)
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The Supreme Court struggled in a pair of 5-4 rulings Monday to define how much blending of church and state is constitutionally permissible, allowing the Ten Commandments to be displayed outside the Texas state Capitol but not inside Kentucky courthouses.
Source: http://www.cnn.com/2005/LAW/06/27/scotus.commandments.ap/
Editor's Comment: If you cannot gain constitutional permission to display the Ten Commandments on government property in support of "religion", how would one expect to interest government in passing a "National Sunday Law" "in the name of religion"?
Adventist News Network
December 13, 1996
Sunday Laws Not an Option Now
Silver Spring, Maryland, USA... [ANN] Any "so-called" Sunday law legislation is not
an option currently, according to United States congressman Roscoe Bartlett. During a
luncheon meeting on December 10 at the Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters
in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA, Bartlett, was questioned regarding Congress and Sunday
law legislation.
He forthrightly indicated that he saw under present circumstances practically no possibility for such legislation to be seriously considered, let alone enacted by Congress.
In his opinion, the oposition from the number of Jewish members of Congress and that of many others would be much to strong. Bartlett, who is a Seventh-day Adventist, explained that for any such legislation to come forward in a significant way, there would have to be "radical changes in American society."
For more than a century, Seventh-day Adventists have opposed work cessation Sunday blue laws, considering them to be religiously motivated and therefore unconstitutional, and furthermore discriminatory toward those observing another day of worship and rest.
French Government Reinstates Adventist Rights
Paris, France ... [ANN] French Seventh-day Adventist pupils can
once again
legally observe their day of rest due to pressure from a
religious freedom group.
In a letter to the French chapter of the International Association for the Defence of Religious Liberty (IADRL), the office of Minister of Education confirmed it was granting permission for Jewish and Seventh-day Adventist students to be absent from school on Saturdays.
"In making this decision, the French government has reversed its policy which discriminated against religious minorities," says Maurice Verfaillie, Communication director for the Adventist Church in central and southern Europe.
Until 1993, each new minister of Education wrote letters granting permission for Adventists to be absent from compulsory attendance on Saturdays at France's public schools. The 1993 Waco tragedy and 1994 Solar Temple suicides led some French authorities to identify certain religious minorities as "dangerous sects." According to Verfaillie, media campaigns against such cults led to some school directors to mistakenly identify Adventists as a kind of unusual religion that should not be granted any kind of toleration. "The attitude of French school authorities hardened," said Verfaillie. "Many practising Jews and Seventh-day Adventists were not granted the right to freedom of conscience regarding Sabbath (Saturday) absences for religious motives."
A 1992 decree passed after Islamic agitation was cited as a reason to restrict religious freedom. As a result, some school directors refused to grant permission for Saturday absence. Now that right has been reinstated.
"There is no objection to pass on my letter to the families so that they can mention it, in case of difficulty, to the relevant academic authorities,"said cabinet director Denis Soubeyran while confirming that permission has now been granted again. "This is a great help to Adventist families, not only here in mainland France but also in French overseas territories," says Verfaillie. "It is also a great advantage to show the public that the Seventh-day Adventist Church is not considered a sect but as a church by French authorities. The letter from the minister of Education takes on particular importance in the context of the emotional agitation regarding the new religious movements and religious minority groups."
March 21, 2005 Ashkhabad, Turkmenistan .... [Mark A. Kellner/ANN]
The resumption of weekly public worship for the Adventist Church in Turkmenistan may represent another milestone in religious freedom there. What is taken for granted in many parts of the world -- the right to peaceably assemble for worship and ownership of a church building -- has been a subject of great difficulty in the former Soviet state, now a republic, which is located in Central Asia, bordering the Caspian Sea, between Iran and Kazakhstan.
In November of 1999, a bulldozer began the demolition of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Ashkhabad. Last year, however, things began to change. In June, the Adventist Church received registration number 0001, the first Protestant congregation to be registered by the country's Ministry of Justice, church leaders said.
ANN Bulletin
Adventist News Network
Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters
September 5, 2000
Adventist Leaders Welcome Changing Relationship Between Church and
State in Sweden
Stockholm, Sweden .... [Bettina Krause]
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Eight months after historic legislation broke the more than 400-year
bond between the state and the Lutheran Church of Sweden, Seventh-day
Adventist Church leaders say the impact of the reform has been
significant.
Pastor Per Bolling, president of the Adventist Church in Sweden says that while the day-to-day operation of the Adventist Church in Sweden remains nearly the same, the change has been very important in another sense.
"From a legal perspective, we are now permitted to be a church," says Bolling. "Up until the beginning of this year, there was legally only one church in this country. The rest of the churches were organized as voluntary associations-like football clubs, for instance-or foundations, or as limited companies owned by shareholders."
"Consequently, we applied to become a church, and we were registered as such in July this year," reports Bolling.
Bolling says that the legislation will result in social and cultural changes that may take years or decades to develop, including a gradual erosion in the Church of Sweden's monopoly as provider of rites of passage such as marriage and burial. In the short term, the reform will mean a significant reduction in the amount of government financial support for the Church of Sweden. The Church of Sweden has also gained more freedom in ordering its internal affairs; the appointment of bishops and deans will now be ecclesiastical rather than government decisions.
Dr. John Graz, director of the public affairs and religious liberty department of the Adventist Church worldwide, has also welcomed the changes, calling them a "movement towards a healthier, non-discriminatory environment in which the religious liberty of individuals is respected by the state." Graz says the reform reflects the already high level of tolerance for diverse religious traditions in Sweden.
Eighty-seven percent of the Swedish population belong to the Church of Sweden, and until 1996, Swedish citizens became members of the Church at birth. The Adventist Church has been active in Sweden since 1901.
Breakthrough for Sabbath-keeping Students in France
Paris, France .... [Bettina Krause]
-------------------------------------------------------
A letter issued by France's Minister of Education last week will make
it easier for students to receive religious exemptions from school
attendance on Saturdays.
While affirming that the principal of each school still has the discretion to grant or deny requests, the letter by National Education Minister Jack Lang identifies religious accommodation as a valid reason for a principal to grant an exemption.
"This is a significant breakthrough," says Dr. John Graz, director of the public affairs and religious liberty department of the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide. "There has been an ongoing, deteriorating situation in France where Adventist students have been denied permission to be absent from school on Saturday-their day of worship."
Graz says that from 1950 to 1981, France's Minister of Education issued an annual letter recommending such exemptions "almost as a matter of course."
"Since that time it has became more difficult," Graz says. In the past three to four years, dozens of Adventist students have failed to gain their principals' approval for Saturday absences. An Adventist student from Versailles was denied Sabbath accommodation and took his case to the European Court of Human Rights in 1999. Although the court ruled in the student's favor, teachers at his school went on strike when the ruling was implemented.
The timing of the minister's letter is significant, coming just weeks after France's National Assembly adopted a proposed anti-sect law. The law, which prompted expressions of concern from religious and human rights groups around the world when it was adopted on June 22, targets a list of 172 so-called sects. If passed by the Senate, the law would provide for the dissolution of religious organizations engaging in the poorly defined crime of "mental manipulation." Although the Adventist Church was not included on the list of sects, Graz says the law foreshadows an increasingly hostile environment for all religious minorities in France.
"There is an ideological battle against the principles of religious liberty in France," says Graz. He says that "widespread secularism," "public apathy towards religious freedom issues," and "a media-driven fear of small or unknown religious groups" has contributed to the current environment.
Graz says that it is difficult to know why France's Ministry of Education released the letter last week after stalling on the issue for more than three years. International bodies-including the United Nations and the U.S. Commission on Religious Freedom-expressed concern about France's increasingly hostile attitude towards religious minorities, which may have played a role, Graz believes.
Jean-Paul Bargoun and Jimmy Trujillo, Adventist church leaders in France, have been credited with obtaining the letter. They say that while the minister's letter has no binding legal effect, it may have "persuasive influence" on the decisions made by school principals.
The Seventh-day Adventist Church, which teaches that Saturday-the seventh day-is a day of worship and rest, has operated in France since the 1880s. The Adventist Church is a longtime proponent of religious liberty principles, believing that individuals should have the right to follow the dictates of conscience in matters of religion and worship.
After issuing his guidelines on religious expression in the federal workplace President Clinton has been hailed as the president most supportive of religious freedom in our nation's history!
Rabbi David Saperstein, director of the Religious Action Center of
Reform Judaism said:
"[The Clinton administration] is the most supportive administration to religious freedom and religious liberty of American citizens of any administration in the history of this nation. Time and again, they have stood up on behalf of the rights of religious people in the schools, on behalf of religious freedom generally and now within the federal workplace."The recently issued guidelines tell federal employers to reasonably accommodate employees' religious practices, including allowing them off in order to keep the Sabbath.
Perez anticipates national laws will be passed that require Sunday worship. He contends enacting those laws would be a sign of the end of the world. Adventists believe Saturday is the Sabbath.
Reid said there is no danger of Sunday-law legislation. He also called Perez's ad campaign "manufactured danger."
"He's a loose cannon on the deck," Reid said.
Hector Avalos, associate professor of religion at Iowa State University, said he does not think the nation is moving toward Sunday laws. "I think we're moving away from them," Avalos said. "At one point the Supreme Court thought they were good, but legally and culturally we're far away from this happening."
Adventist News Network
Released by: Ray Dabrowski
Phone: +31-30-955-324 (June 29-July 8) or +301-680-6300
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
July 2, 1995
PARLIAMENT VOTES CHURCH - STATE ACT WITH THE SEVENTH-DAY ADVENTIST CHURCH
Warsaw, Poland... After five years of negotiations, the Polish Parliament (Sejm) has approved the text of a law which regulates the relations between the Polish Republic and the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
According to Zachariasz Lyko, the Church's counsel, who represented the Church in the legislative negotiations, "this Act of Parliament is of historical proportions. Our Church not only received a legal status in the country, but that status makes the Church equal before the law just like other denominations, including the Roman Catholic Church."
The parliament acknowledges that the Church in Poland is a part of the worldwide Seventh-day Adventist Church, and recognizes the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists as the highest authority in doctrinal and ecclesiastical matters. News of the parliamentary decision was announced by world Church president, Robert S. Folkenberg, to the participants of the world congress of the Seventh-day Adventist Church, meeting in Utrecht, The Netherlands, just hours after the vote of approval in Sejm on Friday, June 30.
The law establishes the Church's jurisdictions and describes its relationship with the state. It guarantees full religious freedom for Adventists, ensuring that their Sabbath rights in the work place and school will be honored. Free Saturday is also guaranteed for military personnel.
The Church has full autonomy in its operations, governed by its own statute. Freedom of its missionary work is guaranteed, together with the Church's public activities. Regarding the day of worship, the law recognizes Saturday as that day. Believers have a right to be free from work and studies between sunset on Friday and sunset on Saturday.
The law states that Adventists are awarded an opportunity to teach religion to Adventist students in public schools. The Church is also guaranteed the full right to establish and operate institutions, including schools of all levels, publishing houses, foundations and other entities. The Church is guaranteed the right to military chaplaincy.
The law received support of practically all members of parliament, with only three abstentions, and was part of a legal package that received parliamentary passage for three other churches, including Baptists, Methodists and Polish Catholics. Now, the law is being sent to the Polish Senate and will await the president's signature which will make it legally binding.
Dr. B. B. Beach, public affairs director of the world Church, states that, "The passing of this law is a remarkable religious liberty victory for the Polish Seventh-day Adventist Church. This marks the climax of many years of negotiations and increasing positive relations between the Polish state and the Church!"
The law is similar to recently passed legislations in Italy and Spain which gives separate and legal recognition to the Adventist Church and the religious needs of its members.
Source:
http://www.adventist.org/world_church/official_meetings/1995gcsession/070203ann.txt
Professional Licensure opens to Sabbatarians in Philippines
December 12, 2000 Manila, Philippines .... [[Raquel Floresta Operana/Charlotte McClure]
Philippine President Joseph Ejercito Estrada signed into law a significant bill for Seventh-day Adventists on December 8. The "Professional Regulation Commission Modernization Bill" ensures that Philippine professional licensure examinations will only be scheduled on weekdays and not on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.
Many Seventh-day Adventists in the Philippines had been denied professional licensure in the past because the examinations were scheduled on Saturdays, the Adventists' Sabbath day. "Because Adventists chose not to attend classes or examinations on their Sabbath, many professional people had to wait years to get licensed," says Jemima Orillosa, a native of the Philippines who currently works in Secretariat at the Seventh-day Adventist Church's world headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, USA. "A person applying for their Certified Public Accountant (CPA) license, for instance, might be able to take one part of the exam and then wait long years to find other parts of the exam scheduled for a weekday," she adds.
Congressman Harlin C. Abayon (First District, Northern Samar), who worked on this bill, intentionally sought chairmanship of the Civil Service Committee in the Philippine House of Representatives so that he could help members of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Together with Pastor Bienvenido Tejano, Philippine Ambassador to Papua New Guinea and religious liberty director for the church's North Philippine region, Abayon worked with the country's legislators for the bill to be passed first in the House of Representatives and later in the Senate.
Earlier in his term, President Estrada had issued an administrative order to the Professional Regulation Commission that examinations should not be done on Saturdays, but Pastor Tejano and Congressman Abayon wanted the assurance of seeing the intention put into law to ensure that Sabbath examinations be avoided in the future.
After signing the bill, President Estrada said, "I have fulfilled my promise."
Among the witnesses to the signing of the bill were Congressman Abayon and his wife, Ambassador Tejano, Violeto F. Bocala, president of the Southern Asia-Pacific region of the Adventist Church, Howard F. Faigao, associate publishing director of the Seventh-day Adventist Church worldwide, Alberto C. Gulfan, Jr., president of the Central Philippine Union Mission; Pastor Hiskia I. Missah, youth director and director of religious liberty in the Southern Asia-Pacific region, and Nestor D. Dayson, president of the North Philippine Union Mission.
Adventist News Network
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed Law Would Protect Brazilian Sabbath-Keepers
Brasília, Brazil .... [Siloé de Almeida/ASN/ANN Staff]
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Proposed legislation aimed at protecting the rights of Brazilian Sabbath-keepers moved another step forward last week when it was approved by a high-level government committee.
The Committee of Constitution and Justice of the Brazilian House of Deputies approved the "project," or proposed legislation, March 20 [2002].
The legislation, authored by Deputy Silas Brasileriro, is intended to protect citizens whose religious convictions do not allow them to undertake study or exams on Saturday. If passed, the law would allow for entry-exams for federal public administration to be held on Sunday, and would prevent other public examinations, college entrance examinations, and school tests being held on Saturdays.
"Such projects are based on the constitutional principle [assuring] the inviolability of freedom of conscience and belief, and reaffirming that no one will be denied rights because of religious belief or philosophical or political conviction," said Deputy Geraldo Magela, CCJ recorder.
The proposed legislation now goes for final editorial analysis and will then be considered by the Federal Senate. "The last step for this victory in the field of religious liberty will be approval in a plenary session of the Federal Senate," explained Magela.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Norway Considers Dramatic Reform of Church-State Ties
Oslo, Norway .... [Bettina Krause/ANN] [April 2002]
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
It's time to loosen the centuries-old ties between the Lutheran Church and the Norwegian government, according to a four-year commission into the country's traditional church-state relationship. The Church/State commission, set up by the Lutheran Church of Norway, released its recommendations earlier this month, saying that "all churches and religious societies in Norway should be treated equally." The report also calls on members of the Church of Norway to "take responsibility for their church, both financially and in practical leadership."
"This is indeed good news for all free churches in Norway," says Tor Tjeransen, president of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Norway. "Although free churches in Norway are given ample room to function and operate, there is no doubt that it is an anachronism to operate a state church."
Separation between church and state would require a change in the Norwegian Constitution, which in turn requires the vote of two different parliaments, explains Tjeransen. He says the issue won't be finalized before 2005, at the earliest.
Under the country's 1814 Constitution, the king is the head of the Church of Norway, and he exercises this power through the Government Council of State. The parliament deals with church finances and passes legislation relating to church affairs. Since 1660 the king had been responsible for appointing all church leaders, including parish pastors. Although this process was reformed in 1989, higher-ranking church officials continue to receive their appointment from a select state committee.
Recognition of Norway's growing religious pluralism was a significant factor in prompting this review of the church-state relationship, say leaders of the Church of Norway. Although there has been a steady increase over the past decade in Norway's Muslim and non-Lutheran Christian groups, an overwhelming majority of Norwegians still belong to the Church of Norway; at last count some 86 percent. In 2000, 82 percent of babies born in Norway were baptized into this church.
Norway remains one of the few countries of the world to maintain a state church. The commission's report, expected to generate significant public debate in Norway, follows the decision of the Lutheran Church in neighboring Sweden to sever church-state ties two years ago.
ANN Bulletin
Adventist News Network
Seventh-day Adventist Church World Headquarters
September 11, 2002
-------------------------------------------------------
New Hope for Sabbath-Keeping Students in Ukraine
Kiev, Ukraine .... [Valery Ivanov/Rebecca Scoggins/ANN]
-------------------------------------------------------
Ukrainian authorities have recommended that educational institutions
schedule all major exams on weekdays rather than on Saturdays or
Sundays, which are holy days for many religious groups.
The Voice of Truth (Golos Istiny), a Seventh-day Adventist periodical in eastern Ukraine, reports that the Ukrainian Ministry of Education and Science made the recommendation this summer in a letter sent to all public schools, institutes, and universities in the country. The action comes in response to a petition submitted by Ukrainian Adventists on behalf of students and parents who worship on Saturday.
"We are so happy that our voice has been heard in this case," says Valery Ivanov, communication director for Adventists in Euro-Asia. "This recommendation allows students to follow their convictions in celebrating the seventh day. It is important not only for Adventists in Ukraine but also for Jewish people, Sabbath-keeping Pentecostals, and other groups who honor the Bible Sabbath."
Although the Soviet Union was officially atheistic, school exams were rarely scheduled on Sundays even during the Communist era. However, Saturday was often a day for school and work, and this practice has continued in many former Soviet nations. Students who don't attend classes or take exams on Saturdays can fail their courses and lose the opportunity to attend universities.
Adventist students in Ukraine, Russia, and nearby nations usually deal with the challenge of Saturday exams by asking individual teachers and schools for permission to test on another day. Sometimes they are successful, but Ukrainian Adventists hope that the new recommendation will provide a stronger atmosphere of religious tolerance.
Ukraine is one of the most religiously diverse nations in Euro-Asia, with significant numbers of Orthodox believers, several branches of the Catholic Church, and numerous Protestant denominations. The country is also home to the largest remaining Jewish communities in the former Soviet Union.
CULLMAN, Ala. -- Cullman County residents will get the chance to vote for an amendment November 2 allowing businesses to open Sunday from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Currently the local blue law allows most retail stores to open only from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sundays. Supporters say people need a day off to attend church or be with their families, while opponents say people need the extra day for shopping.
Blue laws were common throughout Alabama until the 1970s and 1980s when court challenges, law changes and consumer complaints wiped them from the books or relaxed them.
The Alabama League of Municipalities has no record of any other county still enforcing laws limiting Sunday business hours.
A Wal-Mart manager said he supports a repeal of the law because it encourages Cullman shoppers to do business elsewhere on Sunday.
Source: http://www.nbc13.com/news/3833114/detail.html
Companies
Ban 'Christmas,' Not Worried About Backlash
American Family Association
COMMENTARY: When retailers are even considering to "ban the use
of 'Christmas' in their in-store promotions and retail advertising," you
can be assured that society is not favorable to vote for or promote a National
Sunday Law, honoring the "Christian Sabbath."
Not wanting to offend a handful of complainers, these companies are willing
to offend the vast majority who hold Christmas as a time to celebrate the birth
of Christ. Their attitude is that those who identify themselves as
Christians don't care if they eliminate "Christmas."
P O Drawer 2440
Tupelo, MS 38803
1-662-844-5036
Additional Related Links
Family Christian Stores Open on Sunday Nationwide
Lord's Day Alliance Answers Questions About Sunday Laws
A Social Statement of The American Lutheran Church
The National Suday Law Dilemma for Historic SDAs
Divine accommodations: Religion in the workplace
Sabbath observer wins suit on firing Pueblan awarded $2.25 million
For Many, Sundays are as Busy as the Rest of the Week
When Traditional Becomes Radical
On the Seventh Day - They Closed Shop
Brazilian Lawmakers Work to Insure Saturday Freedoms
Canadians "love to shop" on Sundays
CANADA: Sunday Closing and Weekly Rest
Sunday Closing Laws in Virginia
RELATED LINKS
The Creation Seventh Day (and) Adventist Church-- Canadian Field
The Creation Seventh Day (and) Adventist Church: United States Field
The Creation 7th Day (and) Adventist Church Official Site
Binary Angel Home Page
Seventh Day Adventist Religious Liberty Reclaimed
Seventh-day Adventism Under Fire
Seventh-day Adventist Faith
Creation Seventh Day Adventist Internet Radio
Creation SD Adventist Church
Creation 7th Day
Creation Seventh Day