Originally Posted by Jie-Huli

Just to address the issue of utilities (such as water and electricity) generally, I would say that these are quite different from the other matters raised in the opening post, and we should be careful that these queries do not become a means of calling everything about Sabbath observance into question, or make it seem as though the teaching of the Christian Sabbath is some labyrinthine doctrine which is so difficult to apply that in the end it must simply be left to each person to decide for himself what is acceptable. (I am certainly not saying that is what you were doing, by the way).

I believe that utilities may properly be used on the Sabbath because:

(1) My understanding is that there is no incremental need for more employees to be working at the facilities based on how much of the utility is being used at any particular time and, thus, my use of water or electricity is not itself causing anyone to work; and

(2) Any work that does need to be done at utility companies on the Sabbath is in the nature of keeping watch on certain processes which must be kept running all the time (and are not affected by the amount of the utility being used on the day), and are required for, amongst other things, hospital equipment, police communications, traffic lights and other things which could legitimately be classified as necessities. Thus, arguably, the performance of the minimal work needed to keep the public utilities operating is itself a work of necessity.

If it could be shown that personal increased use of utilities actually did require extra personnel to work on the Sabbath, I would indeed curtail my usage.

Kind regards,

Jie-Huli