From: Stephen Buckley <sbuckley@sfu.ca>
Newsgroups: alt.atheism.moderated
Subject: Re: Sunday Liquor Sales
Date: Fri, 14 Aug 1992 19:39:10 GMT
Distribution: world
Organization: Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, B.C., Canada

JAMES ZAKANY <spzkny@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov> writes:
>In article <qJ55oB2w165w@mantis.co.uk>, mathew <mathew@mantis.co.uk> writes...
>>Stephen Buckley <sbuckley@sfu.ca> writes:
>>> JAMES ZAKANY <spzkny@lims01.lerc.nasa.gov> writes:
>>> >One question that nags me is this: just WHY does my state (Ohio) prohibit 
>>> >the sale of alcoholic beverages before noon on Sunday?
>>[...]
>>>  much to the chagrin of many humanist zealots in the free world, church/
>>> state separation does not mean the church cannot interfere in the 
>>> affairs of a society.  in the united states, the church/state separation
>>> was intended to keep the government from oppressing the rights of all 
>>> individuals to worship according to their beliefs.  now it's being flaunted
>>> as religious people aren't allowed to influence society in the ways that
>>> anyone else is allowed to influence society.
>> 
>>OK.  Let's assume that your statement above is true, and that religion is
>>only influencing society in ways anyone else is allowed to influence society.
>> 
>>I want to prevent anyone from selling alcoholic beverages before noon on
>>a Tuesday.  How do I do this?

>Start a religion and claim that you and your followers are a "downtrodden 
>minority deserving of special protections."  Should work.

  christians don't want special protections so we can unduly influence
our culture.  we just want people to stop misquoting political acts
for the purpose of keeping us from a fair and equal lobby in society.

>My point was that such an ordinance is DIRECTLY related to the religious 
>actions of a group.  Consider that I can't pick up a six pack because YOU 
>are having an event during which you are imbibing wine!  If you're at mass, 
>you certainly wouldn't be offended observing me purchase anything.  Might 
>as well revoke my privledge to purchase condoms on Sunday 'cause YOUR 
>religion frowns upon such devices!  Or, perhaps, make ham sales illegal on 
>Saturdays...

  it's not what's being sold on sunday as much as keeping sunday for
god so people can hang out, relax and be with god on that day.  i do
not realistically expect a culture so secular as north america to live
without sunday shopping.  i don't mind advocating for a casual relaxed
non-working sunday, but i don't expect to see it.  nor do i expect
to have the totalitarian privelage of being able to revoke your privelege
to do something i don't agree with [not that i disagree with your buying
condoms on sundays :) ].  

>Those with strong religious beliefs DO influence society.  I also do 
>realize that we have freedom OF religion, not FROM it.  Fine.  But how can 
>you justify prohibiting Sunday liquor sales?  What's the point?

  i'd like to prohibit sunday work, which mainly falls into the category
of shopping.  i respect sunday as a pretty groovy day to respect the day
christ was risen, and to hang out and be with god.  but just as jesus
did not live for the sabbath [he said the sabbath was for us, not for the
sabbath] there is nothing sacred about sunday; my relationship with god
can't be dependent on a certain day--and it isn't; and it isn't a hindrance
in my relationship with god that sunday is not a sabbath for everyone.

>PS. I'm no zealot.  I just question things.
>                                                  James S. Zakany

---                          
     Stephen Buckley        /    the meaning of life is the answer
     sbuckley@sfu.ca       /      to God's question in the Bible:
   TrueNorthStrong&Free   /        
      1-800-REALITY      /    "What are you going to do with my Son?"