the Newspaper

[irishman]

The Daily News
(by D. L. Moody)
Excerpt from “Temptations” Preached in Chicago, 1900
Circa, 1900

Then there are the newspapers. I would not dare to ask how many of you read the
newspapers. You think you must have them to find out the news. They have sermons,
too; fine sermons. Some one took pains to look over seven of the New York Sunday papers awhile ago, and this is what he found in them:

Murders and assaults, twelve columns.
Adulteries, seven columns - [first-rate Sunday reading!]
Thefts, etc., twenty-four columns.
Sporting news, eighty-one columns - [splendid Sunday reading!]
Theatrical notes, forty-four columns - [must have that for Sunday reading, you know!]
Gossip and fashion, seventy-seven columns - [your soul would get fat on that, wouldn't it?]
Sensational topics, forty-two columns - [people don't like sensational preaching, but they like
forty-two columns of sensationalism in Sunday papers.]
Fiction, ninety-nine columns.
Unclean personals, eight columns - [think of a Christian man putting that paper before his
children!]
Foreign news, forty-seven columns.
Political news, one hundred and thirteen columns.
Miscellaneous news, ninety-two columns.
Editorials, thirty-nine columns.
Specials, one hundred and ninety-nine columns.
Art and literature, twenty-four columns.
Religious, three and a quarter columns - [splendid sermons in Sunday papers!]
Nine hundred and eleven and a quarter columns, and only three and a quarter columns of them religious. That is Sunday reading! Gabriel himself couldn't hold an audience whose heads were full of such stuff as that. I tell you what we want is a revival that will sweep these newspapers out of our country.

There was a time when a man used to lock up his store Saturday night, and have a rest on the Sabbath. It was a time of meditation and prayer and food for his soul. But now he locks up his store, and he puts a flaming advertisement in the Sunday paper, and does a bigger business than any other day in the week.

[John81]

When I was a child almost everything was closed on Sunday. There was nothing open in this small town and very little open in the bigger towns.

Today it seems many places are open 7 days a week and some of them are open 24 hours a day.

Events folks would have never considered holding on a Sunday are now specifically held on Sundays because Sunday is viewed as a day that most people don't have anything else to do anyway.

Our pastor has tried to stand against this in our area. While a few stood with him years ago, he pretty much stands alone today. It seems the other area pastors and churches have given up and won't speak out against such things.

It's a shame when a sporting awards banquet is held on a Sunday and the area churches lose about half their congregation because the people choose sports awards over attending church. Believe me, the lost see this and remember.

[swathdiver]

Growing in the big metro area of Fort Lauderdale, Florida I thought those folks in and around Gainesville backwards for being closed on Sundays, not selling beer on Sundays and some counties being completely dry! What kind of town didn't have a Denny's open at 4am to quench our appetites after my buddies and I had spent the evening street racing and running from the cops?

After moving north to the next county, many places were closed on Sunday and wouldn't sell booze on the Lord's day. However, within a decade that all just about evaporated.

With the prompting of the Holy Spirit we now live an hour north and lots of places up here are closed Sunday. However this area has a form of Godliness but denies the power thereof, there are over 340 "churches" in the county and yet Democrats outnumber Republicans 2-1 and the Statists they've elected have spent the county into oblivion and crime is soaring.

In our last county, the softball league wanted our kids to play on Sundays, we objected and kept the practices and games from interfering with Bible Study on Wednesday and attending church on the Lord's Day.

[JerryNumbers]

Some of the restaurants would close on Sunday if it were not for the church people stopped eating Sunday diner with them. I fail to understand why many of the church people tell everyone they should attend church on Sunday while they are shopping for most anything on Sunday thus giving the business a reason to be open.

I was a fan of the 'Blue Law.'

[OLD fashioned preacher]

60% of our restaurants (not fast food) are closed on Sunday.

[JerryNumbers]

I would speculate those restaurants & or fast food places that are open do a booming business as the churches let out.

[John81]

I would speculate those restaurants & or fast food places that are open do a booming business as the churches let out.

Typically their parking lots are full when church lets out.

I agree with you about the Blue Laws, I was a fan of them too.

[Invicta]

Typically their parking lots are full when church lets out.

I agree with you about the Blue Laws, I was a fan of them too.

I think everyone at our church dash home for their roast Sunday lunch. Tomorrow, we have a fellowship lunch to meet a prospective new pastor. No doubt we will have roast beef. Edited September 10, 2011 by Invicta

[JerryNumbers]

In the old days Baptist pastors at such an occasion would surely have fried chicken.

[John81]

In the old days Baptist pastors at such an occasion would surely have fried chicken.

LOL!

[Seth Doty]

I agree with you about the Blue Laws, I was a fan of them too.

Question, and not one specifically directed at John but directed at anyone who wants to answer. What is the basis for basically declaring Sunday to be the "Christian" sabbath? I am well aware that Christ arose on the first day of the week and that believers have met on that day from the days of the apostles, but how did "Christianity" get from that to equating sunday with the sabbath? As I understand it that was what the "blue laws" were about. Just unbiblical puritanical holdovers?

[JerryNumbers]

The blue law, as for as I know, had nothing to do with the Sabbath. It seems whenever the importance of church attendance comes up, many will refer back to the Sabbath trying to defend anything, & or everything they do on Sunday that keeps them from attending church services.

If every child of God, brother & sister to Jesus, did that, them there would not be a single church in this world to carry out the mission He gave to His churches. And His Churches cannot carry out His missions if everyone ignores it & does not support it with their presents & with their money.

[Seth Doty]

The blue law, as for as I know, had nothing to do with the Sabbath.

As I understand it "blue laws" is a a term for laws that prohibits certain activities on sundays but allows them the rest of the week. Can't think of a reason to do that unless Sunday is being equated to the Sabbath. Actually, there is little doubt that is what they were doing at the time those laws were passed, even in the OP sunday is specifically called the "sabbath". The question is how did they get to that point and why would bible believers approve of such a thing as special laws for sunday even today?

It seems whenever the importance of church attendance comes up, many will refer back to the Sabbath trying to defend anything, & or everything they do on Sunday that keeps them from attending church services.

I don't see what church attendance has to do with "blue laws". I virtually never miss either of the sunday services or the wednesday night services at my church yet I think "blue laws" make no sense in the NT era from a biblical perspective.

[Wilchbla]

As I understand it "blue laws" is a a term for laws that prohibits certain activities on sundays but allows them the rest of the week. Can't think of a reason to do that unless Sunday is being equated to the Sabbath. Actually, there is little doubt that is what they were doing at the time those laws were passed, even in the OP sunday is specifically called the "sabbath". The question is how did they get to that point and why would bible believers approve of such a thing as special laws for sunday even today?



I don't see what church attendance has to do with "blue laws". I virtually never miss either of the sunday services or the wednesday night services at my church yet I think "blue laws" make no sense in the NT era from a biblical perspective.

I understand what you are saying about the "Blue Laws" being equated with the Sabbath but I still think it's not a bad idea. IMO it would be nice if there was one day of the week where businesses and commerce were shut down out of respect for the Lord. No boss telling you that you have to work Sunday either.

[JerryNumbers]

Yes, but few there be that have any respect for the Lord now days, while many have much disgust for the Lord & His children unless they have a god that they serve only on their terms. Usually their term are they live as they wish yet their god accepts everything they do with them still getting life in heaven with full rewards.


As for the blue law, I'm a fan of it for back in those days people, even business showed respect for the Lord & Sunday. And in those days the school & even some business would check with the local churches to be sure they did not have something going during church functions. Now that is far from true. But even more than that more people were attending church services in those days.


And if there were still blue laws in place it would remove many people's excuse for not attending church services on Sunday's. And it does have a connection with attending church whether a person sees it or not. And business being opne on Sunday does keep many people from attending services at one of Jesus' Churches.

If one has a business, & they shut it down on Sunday attending church services that is a great witness to the community