A thought on the Sabbath and religious liberty:
Currently Russell Moore and the ERLC of the Southern Baptist Convention are making efforts to defend the religious liberties of mosques, and thus, there are many baptists stating that Christianity was never the law of the land nor was America ever conceived as a Christian nation and that our country's ideals demand total religious pluralism and not merely non-preference for any of the Protestant sects through taxation. I believe, on the other hand, that this religious liberty and "separation of church and state"had to do with no state preference for any religion and that by "religion" was meant competing Christian sects (thus, Missouri could not be officially Methodist, etc, nor have taxpayer monies build Methodist churches).
Sabbath laws ("blue laws") were in effect until about 1970, and most states required most businesses to close on Sunday. Why were Sabbath laws seen as never violating the 1st Amendment? Were these Sabbath laws appropriate? Don't they assume a Christian basis for civil society?
Was this an oversight or a Christian prejudice that we did not give equal weight to the same "sacred" time of Friday mosque prayers? Was it oppressive to infidels that the laws would require them, in a civil fashion, to keep the Sabbath somewhat against their will?
What of Muslims who pray on Friday afternoons?
Was it assumed that Christianity (though not State-Sponsored forms of such) and Christian principles would rule our land? Or were they just ignorant that other religions had other holy days but that these would not be upheld through the force of the law?
I think i know what theonomists might say. But for any non-theonomists or baptists out there, what do you think? Can baptists hold to Sabbath laws?
Currently Russell Moore and the ERLC of the Southern Baptist Convention are making efforts to defend the religious liberties of mosques, and thus, there are many baptists stating that Christianity was never the law of the land nor was America ever conceived as a Christian nation and that our country's ideals demand total religious pluralism and not merely non-preference for any of the Protestant sects through taxation. I believe, on the other hand, that this religious liberty and "separation of church and state"had to do with no state preference for any religion and that by "religion" was meant competing Christian sects (thus, Missouri could not be officially Methodist, etc, nor have taxpayer monies build Methodist churches).
Sabbath laws ("blue laws") were in effect until about 1970, and most states required most businesses to close on Sunday. Why were Sabbath laws seen as never violating the 1st Amendment? Were these Sabbath laws appropriate? Don't they assume a Christian basis for civil society?
Was this an oversight or a Christian prejudice that we did not give equal weight to the same "sacred" time of Friday mosque prayers? Was it oppressive to infidels that the laws would require them, in a civil fashion, to keep the Sabbath somewhat against their will?
What of Muslims who pray on Friday afternoons?
Was it assumed that Christianity (though not State-Sponsored forms of such) and Christian principles would rule our land? Or were they just ignorant that other religions had other holy days but that these would not be upheld through the force of the law?
I think i know what theonomists might say. But for any non-theonomists or baptists out there, what do you think? Can baptists hold to Sabbath laws?