Pardon the Interruption
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NOTICE This restaurant rejects God’s law and profanes His Sabbath. We serve another god. He is our master. So come on in and enjoy the best food and service in town.
Imagine that you and some friends decide to go to your favorite restaurant after Sabbath services and enjoy a delicious early dinner and some wonderful Christian fellowship. This has been a long standing tradition of yours and you never once questioned it. As you pull into the parking lot, you immediately notice something different. The name of the restaurant has changed. You then proceed toward the entrance and see a small announcement board with a notice that informs all customers that this is a God-rejecting, Satan-worshipping restaurant. Aside from that, nothing has changed. The personnel are all the same. The menu is identical to the one that was there before. Now here is our question: Would you feel as comfortable eating there as you did prior to this "renovation"? If your answer is "no," then you are simply a victim of good advertising. You may never find this sign or the accompanying announcement, but every Sabbath, you will find the restaurant they describe. It is the one many of God's people visit every week. "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light."
Respectfully, Blow the Trumpet
Counter Argument United Church of God Advisory Committee for Doctrine
Dear Mr. Fischer, The outlandish hypothetical situation given above has no relationship with reality. It is inconceivable that such an announcement would be posted. It seems that the point being made is that a restaurant open for business on the Sabbath is by definition a "God-rejecting, Satan-.worshipping restaurant." Hence, we should not patronize such an establishment. If this indeed is the point being made, we would also have to logically conclude that we should not patronize such an establishment any day of the week, Why would we patronize at any time a business that openly declares itself to be a "God-rejecting, Satan-worshipping restaurant"
Furthermore, if this logic is followed, we should only patronize restaurants that are closed on the Sabbath (from sunset Friday to sunset Saturday) and Holy Days. In the unlikely event that such a restaurant could be found, there probably would be other objections to patronizing such a restaurant-for example, what if unclean meats are served, what if smoking is permitted, etc.? Indeed, if the logic of this hypothetical situation is followed, it would be impossible to eat in any restaurant at any time unless it is owned by a Church of God member and its employees and patrons are only Church of God members! Sincerely, Advisory Committee for Doctrine
Response from Dennis Fischer
Dear Friends, I actually agree with the UCG on two points. First, the illustration employed in this section is, in fact, a hypothetical one. I also agree that it is inconceivable that a restaurant, or any other business for that matter, would post such an announcement. However, I also don't believe Osama Bin-laden would ever call himself a terrorist or, that the Babylonian Mystery religion would ever refer to itself as a false church. The point in this "hypothetical" is that what takes place in a restaurant on God's Sabbath goes entirely against His great moral law. On that day, restaurant personnel serve the god of this world, and do his bidding, whether they are aware of it or not. In a very real sense, restaurants that profane God's Sabbath are, for that day, "The Devil's Diner." Simply because they don't post this fact on a sign may provide consolation for the United Church of God, but such an omission carries no weight with the Almighty. Both Israel and Judah went into captivity because they forgot about His Sabbath. I believe the same fate awaits His people today, if they continue to engage in this sin. Certainly that was what Nehemiah suggested (Neh. 13: 17-18). What the UCG fails to grasp is that a real God-rejecting devil has blinded the minds of those who profane His Holy Sabbath by laboring in restaurants on this day (2Cor. 4:4). Furthermore, that devil has also blinded the minds of the UCG doctrinal group in this matter. While they claim they would never patronize a restaurant called "The Devil's Diner," they actually consent to doing just that. The bottom line is this: Satan desperately wants restaurant personnel to reject God's Sabbath, and he desperately wants the UCG doctrinal group to purchase the fruit of this sin. So far he is having his way with both. Respectfully, Dennis Fischer
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