The 7th Day Adventist Church mentions that before the end of the time, the Papacy and the USA will introduce a Sunday Law (known as Blue Law) which will enforce the keeping of Sunday as worship day (moment in which the Sunday would become the Mark of the Beast).
Because the recent election from the United States, a lot of speculations appeared (again) about this Sunday Law.
Even this morning, a friend even sent me this photo on Facebook:
It's obvious it's a fake image. From a quick Google search, I found the original/unedited image on the CNN website. Ironically, I have just learned from this very page I found what an executive order means. Seems that such an order doesn't have to be passed by the Congress.
I simply explained my friend that this is not the case yet, and it's just a terribly edited image.
But, a thought came in my mind: actually, how easy would it be to implement such a law at all?
The doctrine of 7th Day Adventists says the Sunday is not yet the mark of the beast, but it will be once such a Sunday Law will be enforced (in the US, and then in other countries). You can read more on this page.
Reading about Trump banning imigration from 7 countries and all the protests that followed, makes me curious how easy is it to introduce such a blue law and how easy would it be to block it. And this happened quite quikly (just a few days).
I also read a book (National Sunday Law, by Alonzo T. Jones) about the discussion which took place when such a blue law was going to be introduced, but thankfully it didn't pass, in 1888.
U.S. Senator Henry Blair (R-NH) introduced a national Sunday bill in 1888 which thankfully did not pass. Alonzo T. Jones, of the California Conference of the SDA church, spoke before the United States Senate Committee on Education and Labor about the subject. Jones also wrote a book, National Sunday Law, published in 1889.
–– Wikipedia
It looks like such blue laws existed, but not at national level, but only in few states. For example, Virginia and Connecticut:
Whosoever shall profane the Lord's day, or any part of it, either by sinful servile work, or by unlawful sport, recreation, or otherwise, whether wilfully or in a careless neglect, shall be duly punished by fine, imprisonment, or corporally...But if the court upon examination, by clear and satisfying evidence, find that the sin was proudly, presumptiously, and with a high hand committed against the known command and authority of the blessed God, such person therein despising and reproaching the Lord, shall be put to death, that all others may fear and shun such provoking rebellious courses
It seems that in 1988, they were repealed.
While, not enforcing (yet), in the EU, there is an orgnization called European Sunday Alliance which pleads for Sunday keeping, the arguments being: life-work balance, work-free day, spending time with families etc. They specifically chose Sunday, and not other day of the week.
The Bible does mention God resting on Saturday (the 7th day of the week), while Sunday is designed to be like a simple day (being also, the first day of the week).
2 By the seventh day God had finished the work he had been doing; so on the seventh day he rested from all his work. 3 Then God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it he rested from all the work of creating that he had done.
While I do support keeping of Saturday, because of my religious beliefs, I think each human being should be free to organize their life-work balance, that's being part of the basic rights we have as humans and it's not OK to enforce politically such things.
- So, in what conditions, would a National Sunday Law be enforced?
- Can we guess what would be the steps to such a change?
- How long it will take to be introduced (since we find about it and until the religion freedom will be limited to people)?
Will people oppose to such a law?
I'm sure it's not going to say directly: if you don't go to the church on Sundays, you'll die, but good arguments will be eventually found.
Maybe, will it be an executive order?
What would it happen if the president would sign tomorrow an executive order which will enforce the Sunday keeping?
Are there anyWhat are the ways to stop it?It doesn't have to last long since, in the view of the 7th Day Adventists, it will not take a long time since the Sunday worship enforcement and the second coming of Jesus.
While I'm totally against in sharing fake stories, like the one I received from my friend (the above image), I do keep an eye on this subject since I do support religion freedom.