Sabbath-day Stupidity by Geo. D. Ballou

Seventh-day Adventist Publishing Association · Battle Creek, Mich. · Aug 22, 1871

Sabbath-day Stupidity.

By Geo. D. Ballou

The Sabbath is a dull day to many people, especially to the laboring classes. That this should not be so is very evident to all who are conscientious; for if we consider the Sabbath a day in which we should remember the Creator’s works and earnestly seek for divine blessings, then it is plain that our minds ought to be clear and active; or in the best possible condition to think and reason correctly.

There is a cause for everything which exists, and there must be a cause for this Sabbath-day stupidity.

Many who are troubled by this stupidity wonder what its cause can be, yet the cause is much nearer than they imagine, and in my opinion, originates wholly from irregularity in their habits of living. Through the laboring part of the week the round of sleeping, eating, and working, follow each other in regular succession, and the person thus living enjoys an evenness of feeling and an activity both of body and mind which no other can enjoy. This week-day regularity is followed by the majority, and so far as it goes, is as it should be; for no person can have the best degree of health without observing regularity in all that pertains to life.

But when the Sabbath comes, these people who have lived so consistently through the week, seem to lose their habits of regularity in rising, taking their meals, and exercising; and instead of this we find them spending one or two hours of the morning, more than usual, in bed, thinking that there is no use of rising so early, for they have nothing to do that day. And thus they throw the whole machinery of life out of joint. As a consequence which follows late rising, breakfast must be late, and because breakfast is late, the other meals are thrown out of their proper time. All this is a gross violation of physiological law, and the natural result is, stupidity and listlessness both at home and in the house of God.

Every person of good sense is ashamed either to be called stupid or be found nodding in church, and there is no need of either if people will observe the same regularity of habits on the Sabbath that they do on other days of the week. I do not mean to say that work ought to be performed on that day, but people certainly should have some exercise, such as walking, and a good time to take this exercise is before breakfast, and again after each meal. Farmers generally get all needful exercise in caring for their animals.

There are some who will work immoderately on the day before the Sabbath and thereby place themselves in unfavorable conditions to keep it. Such must learn to do differently before they can reasonably expect to have their worship wholly acceptable in the sight of God.

If physical laws were obeyed in this respect ministers would have more attentive congregations and the word spoken would take deeper effect on the minds of the hearers.

GEO. D. BALLOU.

Owego, N. Y., June 16, 1871.