p. 21 | Presbyterians Vote in Favor of Blue-Laws by W. A. C.

Review and Herald Publishing Association · Tacoma Park Station, Washington, D. C. · Jun 13, 1907

Presbyterians Vote in Favor of Blue-Laws

By W. A. C.

Adopt Report Adverse to Sunday Sports, Sunday Newspapers, and Sunday Operations of Railroads. Fail to Taboo Sunday Shops. Latter Action not Regarded as Dignified.

UNDER the above head and subheads the Ohio State Journal, of May 18, 1907, publishes the following:—

“The first business session of the one hundred and nineteenth Presbyterian General Assembly was marked by action tantamount to a declaration in favor of the ‘blue-laws’ regarding Sabbath observance. According to the action of the assembly, expressed in the adoption of the report of the committee on Sabbath observance, Sunday newspapers should be tabooed, and Sunday sports are anathema marenatha. An effort to bring about the boycott of shopkeepers who do not observe Sunday was rejected on the ground that such action would be ‘undignified and irritating.’”

“The other two questions of special import given consideration were church co-operation and union evangelism. Neither of these excited the discussion caused by the question of Sunday observance.”

“The three matters of special report were those on church co-operation and union, Sabbath observance, and evangelism. The first topic did not arouse either opposition or special congratulation, as practically all matters pending touching the principles involved were in a state of suspense.”

“The Sabbath observance report brought out the usual debate between the radicals and liberals on the attitude of the church. The committee insisted that the outlook was optimistic, yet certain features of the desecration of the Sabbath were darker than ever, especially as regarding the attitude of the leaders of society as to sports and other amusements on the Lord’s day. The resolutions adopted committed the church to a most advanced form of observance, especially as regards the ministers and members in participating in games or sports, taking and reading Sunday newspapers, and acting so as to prevent others from having the Sabbath rest. The recommendation of the committee to only patronize on weekdays shopkeepers who observed the Sabbath was rejected on the ground that this was boycotting, and was undignified and irritating.”

‘It will be well to remember that the one hundred and nineteenth Presbyterian General Assembly, held at Columbus, Ohio, on May 17, 1907, decided against boycotting “shopkeepers who do not observe Sunday,” on the ground that to do so would be “undignified and irritating.” Not only so, but they might also have said that it would be unscriptural and un-Christlike. But the fact that the boycott was proposed in this assembly as a means of bringing about Sunday observance, is worthy of note, for the Scriptures have told us that this is one

of the very means by which this “mark of the beast,” the Sunday sabbath, is to be forced upon mankind in the last days. “And he causeth all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: and that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.” W. A. C.