Evening star., 1944-07-04
Letters to The Star
The Calendar Reform Proposal
Objected to a. 'Irrelitious'
To the Editor Of The Star:

ne AalenOof Reform FrOpOSaI
Objected to a. IrreliSious'
To the Editor Of The Star:
1t Is deplorable that In this time when
cooperation for building the postwar
world is 80 indispensable and when there
are 80 many important principles people
Of all faiths could unite on, there should
be projected into postwar planning the
controversial, disrupting factor Of cal
endar revision.
Highly financed propaganda is being
carried on for the adoption. beginning
with 1945 OF the so-called world cal
endar." House concurrent resolution
80, If passed, would request the Presi-
dent to urge this blank-day devisive,
irrelisious project upon the nations Of
the world at the peace table.
The world calendar, with its blank or
zero day proposal, would destroy SUM-
day and Sunday observance as we have
known 1t through the centuries. 1t is
an insidious attack ON the worlds great
religions, for it would set aside the fixed
days considered sacred by Catholics.
Protestants, Jews and the Islamic peo-
pies.
What it proposes is that Sunday, De-
cember 81, 1914. shall be blasted out of
the calendar altogether. and that no
Sunday thereafter shall be religiously
observed until 1850.
1t does not do this openly. But that
Is clearly the effect of what it proposes.
December 81, 1914, is Sunday, the first
day Of the week. The starry-eyed cal
endar reformers would take away its
name and its place in the week They
would call it IAN extra Saturday." and
count 1t no day." turning what has
been considered holy day into a holi-
day, with no place In the calendar ex-
cept as December w." whatever that
may mean.
Then they would move Monday, jan
uary /, 1945, the second day OF the
week, up to take the place and name of
Sunday. 1t would be called Sunday
and would be counted the nrst day. And
throughout l945 devoted observers of
Sunday would be expected to keep this
newly chrtstened Sunday. which In real
ity would be Monday, while they call the
real Sunday by the name Of Saturday.
Then in 1916. Tuesday, the third day
of the week, would take the place Of
Sunday, while the real Sunday would be
called Friday. In 1947. Wednesday
would be given Sundays name and place
and observed as though it were holy. In
lS4s, being leap year, Thursday. for the
first six months, and Friday for the
last six months, would be named Sum
day. In l949, Saturday would be count
ed and observed as Sunday. Not until
1850 would Sunday again be Sunday,
After that the unfortunate procedure
would commence all over again.
All this, mind you. In order TO make
. 3o5k day year into a 364-day year,
solely IN order that it may be divided
evenly into four equal quarters of 81
days each. To accomplish this a dav
must be Topped of each year, and two
taken OH each leap year.
Such 4 proposal is = direct attack on
the great religions of the world It sets
their hxed religious days wandering
through the week. 1t is anti-Catholic,
anti-Protestant anti-Jewish, anti-relig-
ious, anti-God.
France tried to destroy the never
broken uniformity of the ssven-day
week during the French Revolution
when 1t adopted the ten-day week. But
1t was candid about it and avowedly did
1t to destroy religion. Russia tried to
break the seven-day week when It
adopted the 5-day week, later the g.
day week. 1t, too. was candid about 1t,
doing it in the name of atheism In an
attempt to ban religion.
Neither succeeded. They both came
back to the age-long n-day week.
But We can have some respect for the
forthrightness and honesty Of their
avowed purpose. The world calendar
proposal is different. 1t seeks to break
the divinely established seven-day week
by Its blank or zero day proposal. But
1t does 1t In the name of improved COM
parative statistics. and oonceals its anti
religious character
Sunday observance is an institution
OF the Catholic Church. That church
established that observance by its own
authority. To set aside Sunday and
Sunday observance Is an affeont to
every Catholic.
sunday observance has been adopted
by the overwhelming majority of Prot
estant churches. 1t is their claim that
they observe Sunday in honor of the
LORDS resurrection which took place on
that day. To set aside Sunday, Danish
II from the calendar, and do away with
Its observance by transferring it to a
day that has nothing whatever to do
with the Lords resurrection, Is an AZ
front to every Protestant.
Jews and some Protestant Christians.
such as Seventh-day Adventists and
Seventh-day Baptists, observe the sew
enth day Saturday. This day, too, BY
the adoption of the world calendar,
would be detached from its place in
the week and set to wandering, being
called Friday in la45, Thursday in 19A6.
Wednesday in 1947, Tuesday and Nom
day In 19%8, Sunday In l949, and would
become Saturday again only In 1850.
Ins IS an af1ront to every Jew and
Sabbath-keeping Christian.
In the interests of peace and har.
mony these misguided world calendar
enthusiasts should be advised to cancel
their hurtful propaganda and withdraw
House concurrent resolution 80.
CARLYLE B. HAYNES,