p. 20 | Sunday Observance in Alberta by Henry Block

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Takoma Park Station, Washington, D.C. · Jul 11, 1907

Sunday Observance in Alberta

By Henry Block

SUNDAY observance is now being agitated all over the so-called Christian world, and it has attained quite considerable proportions here in Alberta. Some time ago one of our brethren, a farmer, was accused before a justice of the peace of violating the Sunday laws by making hay on his farm. The magistrate said to the one who brought the charge against our brother, “I think we had better let these Seventh-day Adventist people alone, as they are a good class of people.” But the accuser was not satisfied with this, as he wished to have the farmer arrested. As he insisted on pressing the charge, the magistrate, who is also a business man, got out his books and showed the Sunday advocate how the people in the community stood on them. He pointed out the names of those who paid their bills and those who did not, and it happened that there were accounts on the books against quite a number of people who belonged to the same church the Sunday man did, some of the accounts being of long standing, while the Seventh-day Adventist people had clear records on the books, nothing standing against them. Finding that he could not influence the magistrate, the man went to his minister and induced him to write to the officer, urging him to do his duty in enforcing the Sunday laws, and in arresting the Sunday law violators, but no attention was paid to the letter.

In my home town, Leduc, the Methodist minister thought it to be his duty to watch our people very closely on Sunday. One brother, a blacksmith, was the object of his special attention. One Sunday, as he came into the blacksmith shop to see if the man was at work, the blacksmith asked him, “Are you our town policeman, Mr. —?” “Why?” “Why, if you are a policeman, you had better lay off your preaching coat and put on a red jacket, so that we shall know you when you come, because the police all have that uniform. But if you are a preacher, go and attend to your proper calling.”

This man tried after this to drive our people out of town, but while making a most vigorous campaign, he took sick and died. Since that time our people have increased in numbers to such an extent in and around Leduc that we now rent the city hall for our meetings. We are endeavoring to uphold the banner of Christ in this place, and with God’s help will continue steadfastly to obey God’s holy law.—Henry Block, in Northern Union Reaper.