SUNDAY LAWS

The future enactment of Sunday laws has been one of the main criticisms against the Seventh Day Adventist Church. Many wonder how we can believe that this country will violate human rights, and that the final decision between the righteous and the wicked will be keeping the fourth commandment (Saturday). First, I invite you to look at the history of this world and the number of times individuals have been persecuted because of their religious beliefs such as: the crusades, the persecution of Christians in Roman times, the inquisition and of course the Holocaust. Many might argue that we have changed and that society has progressed and while to a certain extent that might be true, Jesus reminds us of the reality in the last days.

Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other...*1

The reason for this:

Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold.*2

We can see how evil has increased through the rise in crime and violence all around the world. Might we honestly say that we have improved when our moral principles have “shifted”? I refer you to an article concerning the possible prosecution of several federal officials who used torture tactics to interrogate prisoners.*3. It is interesting that some political figures argue that these cases should not be brought because torture tactics are necessary to protect the country. This exemplifies human nature, in order to protect our self-seeking interests we are willing to go to any lengths and use whatever means necessary. This same mentality will lead to the persecution of all those faithful to God's law who continue to worship on Saturday when the entire world will be calling for worship on Sunday.

I should also mention that the separation of church and state seems increasingly narrow. I won't go into detail on blue laws *4 which many states have recorded in their books, but I will mention some points that go against this principle. The late Chief Justice Rehnquist writes in a dissenting opinion to Wallace v. Jaffree:

It is impossible to build sound constitutional doctrine upon a mistaken understanding of constitutional history, but unfortunately the Establishment Clause has been expressly freighted with Jefferson's misleading metaphor for nearly 40 years...

"The real object of the [First] [A]mendment was not to countenance, much less to advance, Mahometanism, or Judaism, or infidelity, by prostrating Christianity; but to exclude all rivalry among Christian sects, and to prevent any national ecclesiastical establishment which should give to a hierarchy the exclusive patronage of the national government. It thus cut off the means of religious persecution (the vice and pest of former ages), and of the subversion of the rights of conscience in matters of religion, which had been trampled upon almost from the days of the Apostles to the present age. . . ."

Interestingly enough the first amendment was based on past religious prosecution and in that we see the irony. He goes on to say,

The "wall of separation between church and State" is a metaphor based on bad history, a metaphor which has proved useless as a guide to judging. It should be frankly and explicitly abandoned.*4

Religious groups in this country have always played a political role in the quest to restrict abortion rights, gay rights and the right to bear arms. But this is the first time I have seen a president actively seek the support of these religious groups to promote public health care. Two specific groups have launched campaigns in which the president has requested their support. In one of his remarks the president made reference to a commandment, "not to bear false witness" in order to combat misinterpretations of his plan.*5. Interestingly, as I entered this group’s web page their top priority is to remove abortion rights. While this may seem normal, what is unusual is the president promising the pope after his meeting in July that he would reduce the number of abortions in the United States. *6. During this meeting, the pope also gave the president a copy of his encyclical calling for a world political authority to control the global economy. The reason we are in this economic crisis he says, is that capitalism has caused people to lose their moral principles and only focus on accumulating wealth. While I agree, I also “wonder” what world power he was referring to. It also calls for a redistribution of wealth to help the poor. I do not want to speculate further, but the president did mention that in order to reduce the number of abortions he would try to improve their economic environment. I also highlight the fact that the political party to which he belongs to normally favors and advocates abortion rights.

The Spirit of Prophecy mentions that there are many dealings made behind the scenes that will eventually lead to the enactment of Sunday laws. The only reason they have not yet been established is because God has placed people in strategic places to prevent such laws from being enacted until the chosen are sealed. I leave you with this thought, what possible negotiations or secret dealings are taking place right now to establish Sunday laws? The time is much closer than we believe. Now is when we must seek the Lord for guidance.

JESUS IS COMING SOON!

1* Mathew 24:9-11
2* Mathew 24:12
3* http://www.reuters.com/article/latestCrisis/idUSSP478656
4* Wallace V. Jaffree, 472 U.S. 38 (1985).
5* http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_law
6* http://www.marketwatch.com/story/obama-pitching-health-reform-to-religious-groups-2009-08-19
7* http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE5693XC20090710