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From: alan@cae780.UUCP (Alan M. Steinberg)
Newsgroups: net.legal,net.religion,net.religion.jewish,net.politics
Subject: Re: Violation of separation church and state????
Message-ID: <886@cae780.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 16-May-85 02:05:46 EDT
Article-I.D.: cae780.886
Posted: Thu May 16 02:05:46 1985
Date-Received: Fri, 17-May-85 01:13:21 EDT
References: <1192@opus.UUCP>
Reply-To: alan@cae780.UUCP (Alan M. Steinberg)
Distribution: net
Organization: CAE Systems, Sunnyvale, CA
Lines: 51
Keywords: Blue Laws
Xref: watmath net.legal:1705 net.religion:6898 net.religion.jewish:1975 net.politics:9004

In article <1192@opus.UUCP> atkins@opus.UUCP (Brian Atkins) writes:
>Here is the example.  Here in Colorado, it is against the law to sell liquor
>(and automobiles) retail on Sunday.  Bars and restaurants can sell prepaired
>drinks and whatnot, but you can't buy bottles of the stuff in liquor stores.
>
>I presume that this law is motivated by the Christian sabbath, as I can
>see no other reason behind it (if this isn't the reason behind it, please
>let me know what is).  
>

I cannot see any reason about it either, in this century.  When blue laws
were started, everyone was of the same faith -- religiously Christian.  Since
these laws bettered everyone spiritually, they may  have been a good thing,
AT THE TIME!!!   But today, there are Jews, Moslems, Seventh-Day Adventists,
and Consumers, who regard Sunday as a day to do things like buying cars (and
liquor?! :-) ).  If a store-keeper wishes to keep his/her store closed
during his Sabbath, that is his prerogative.  But to have a law about it
not just on the books, but enforced, is very archaic and one-sided.  In
other words, it is a violation of the separation of church and state.  Any
act which is based on faith, and prevents those of other faiths (or without
any faiths) from their normal actions, is a violation of church and state.
It follows the addage: Your right to swing your fist ends at my nose.

This principle holds true when there is no vast majority of people following
one faith to the same degree, and when the country is declared as being
secular.  These problems take on a different twist in places like Israel,
where the country was set up specifically as a Jewish state.  The Great
Debate there centers around this principle.  How Jewish?  The majority of
the people, though Jewish, are not religous.  Should they then be prevented
from going to the beach on the Jewish Sabbath?  Or should the very religious
have to see people violate the laws which, to them, define Judaism?  

These are problems inherent in a country which defines itself as being of
a certain religion.  The U.S., however, was founded on the principle of
religious freedom for all, without bias towards one or another.  So why
still the blue laws? How can there be laws specifically geared towards a
certain segment of the population, but which affect all?

A whole bag of worms is probably being opened up now on the net, so get at
it.  Give your OPINION.  Just remember that it is just that, and not the
truth according to your specific beliefs.
-- 
           __
          /  0_____			Alan Steinberg
          |       .\		{ucbvax}!decwrl!amdcad!cae780!alan
          |   )----'
         / | \ \    "The wind doth taste so bittersweet,
         | |  | \    Like Jaspar Wine and sugar.
         | |__/  |   It must've blown through someone's feet,
          \_____/    Like those of Caspar Weinberger."
           |____)           -- P. Opus, distinguished flightless water fowl