T here are few times when an argument in defense of dining out on the Sabbath has come across as more self-serving than the one presented by the United Church of God in which it defines what a business is. According to the "research" offered up by its doctrinal committee, doing "business" on the Sabbath only involves the providing of services, not the consuming of them. In other words, although they reluctantly admit it is a sin to sell products on the Sabbath, they claim it is not a sin to purchase them. This assertion is made despite the fact that Nehemiah condemned both behaviors (See Neh. 10:31; 13: 15-21).

   What the UCG advances as Biblical truth is a remarkably silly observation and one that must truly disappoint God Almighty. In effect, these learned men are making God a hypocrite. Such arguments are not borne out of a genuine desire to understand what the Lord of the Sabbath expects of His people, but rather are an attempt to justify a behavior the scriptures soundly CONDEMN. These Biblical minds have twisted the clear intent of God's word in an effort to engage in an activity so offensive to the purpose of the Sabbath that it actually requires people to desecrate this holy time.

    Watch how this major COG group makes their point by ignoring the obvious. However, before you do, consider the following sign posted on a prominent mall in the Great Northwest.  Notice that the world has no difficulty understanding that consumers are conducting BUSINESS. However, the United Church of God argues otherwise for obvious reasons. Furthermore, they trivialize the role of the consumer.

~~~

Notice!

This Is Private Property

Persons not conducting authorized business within this complex and/or

specific business with its tenant are considered trespassing.

Violators will be subject to arrest and/or citation for criminal trespass

pursuant to B.C.C. 10A.53.080 or RCW 9A.52.070 or 9A.52.080

~~~

United Church of God:

Question:

Aren’t you participating in a business transaction when you eat out on the Sabbath? You most certainly will be expected to pay for the meal that you consume on the Sabbath.

Answer:

This is not running your business on the Sabbath. It is simply paying for the meal you received. There is nothing in Scripture that declares this act to be a violation of the Sabbath.

Perhaps the UCG forgot this one.

Nehemiah 10:31
                  

"And if the people of the land bring ware or any victuals [food] on the sabbath day to sell, that we would not buy it of them on the sabbath, or on the holy day..."

Our Response:

    Consider what this statement is actually saying about the True God and His great Sabbath Law. According to UCG wisdom, the True God forbids what is being done at restaurants every Sabbath, but permits His people to help finance the very act He forbids. That's right, FINANCE! Because restaurants are sustained by the revenue they generate from the sale of their products. That revenue comes from consumers like those in God's Church who purchase them. Can you say "HYPOCRACY"?

    This UCG argument makes about as much sense as a get-away driver for a bank robber claiming he doesn't break the eighth commandment ("thou shalt not steal") because he does not participate in the actual robbery. He only drives the car, and there is no mention of get-away cars in the Bible.

    Here is a question for you. If God told you He absolutely detested what was done in restaurants every Sabbath, do you think He would be pleased if you told Him you buy the products they labor to make on that day? The United Church of God actually thinks He would be. 

    At one point in their doctrinal paper, the UCG correctly states that even though the sole owner of a business can't prevent his employees from working somewhere else on the Sabbath, he should still close his business down on this day. This is because these employees are working on his behalf. 

    However, the UCG then contends that God's people may purchase the services of restaurant personnel who also labor for their benefit because they are already working for someone else and can't be prevented from doing so. Here is how they express this reasoning.

United Church of God Continued:

If you are the sole owner of a business, you should close it down on the Sabbath day. But the people who work for you still don’t keep the Sabbath. They may choose to work a second job for another employer or they may choose to do other activities that would not be in keeping with the Sabbath. If you don’t go to the restaurant, the waitresses will still be working. You are not causing them to work by eating out in the restaurant, nor are you causing them to break the Sabbath.

Our Response:

    According to this logic, if the business owner's employees were all contracted from an outside agency he could keep his business open on the Sabbath because they wouldn't be his employees. They would be working for the agency. Furthermore, if the agency didn't provide their service to him they would provide it to someone else. Does anyone really believe this is how God thinks?

    It is true that the decision to work on the Sabbath rests solely in the hands of restaurant personnel. But it is equally true that the decision to support that labor rests solely in the hands of those who purchase their goods and services. To assert that the consumer of services plays no part in the business being conducted is TOTAL NONSENSE! It also misses a greater point. The Sabbath is a profoundly sacred day. It was created by a Holy God as a memorial of both His physical and His spiritual creation. It demands to be hallowed.

    God gave the fourth commandment to ensure that His people would render the proper level of respect the Sabbath deserves. Furthermore, He has made it abundantly clear that labor profanes His day and as such should be avoided. When the UCG doctrinal committee dines out on the Sabbath, they are purchasing services that trample on something their God made holy. They may find consolation in the fact that restaurant personnel would be trampling on God's Sabbath anyway, but as Ambassadors of His Kingdom, we don't.

    The bottom line regarding this argument is really quite simple: You may not be able to prevent restaurant personnel from working on the Sabbath. But you most certainly can prevent them from working FOR YOU on this day!

Counter Argument

United Church of God

Advisory Committee for Doctrine

Dear Mr. Fischer,

Blow the Trumpet states the following:

"Consider what this statement is actually saying about the True God and His great Sabbath Law. According to UCG wisdom, the True God forbids what is being done at restaurants every Sabbath, but permits His people to help finance the very act He forbids, That's right, FINANCE! Because restaurants are sustained by the revenue they generate from the sale of their products. That revenue comes from consumers like those in God's Church who purchase them. Can you say 'HYPOCRACY'?"

     Public transportation revenue also comes from those in God's Church, though the Blow the Trumpet paper understands this to be permissible on the Sabbath. Is that hypocritical?           

Sincerely,

Advisory Committee for Doctrine

Response from Dennis Fischer

Dear Friends,

     What the UCG doctrinal group is suggesting is that Blow the Trumpet is being hypocritical for suggesting that it may be appropriate to for God's people to take public transportation to services when there is no alternative, while not extending the same accommodation to them for dining out on the Sabbath when there are alternatives. They presented the same argument earlier in their letter. At that point they claimed it was not "farfetched" to see both behaviors as morally equivalent. Here was my response.

"In all due respect to the UCG, there is a huge difference between having to take public transportation to Sabbath services because there is no alternative, and making Friday evening dinner reservations at a nice restaurant for you and some brethren. To suggest that it is "not farfetched to apply the same rationale" to both behaviors is not only untrue, it is insulting, and mocks the very Savior these men claim to worship. Sadly, this is typical of the UCG approach concerning this issue.

    Jesus Himself taught that there are times when genuine emergencies may require us to alter our Sabbath behavior. However, when advocates of dining out on the Sabbath attempt to blur the lines between those emergencies and what they simply want to do on Holy time, God's purpose is never served. Sadly, this is exactly what the United Church of God does with respect to this issue--THEY BLUR THE LINES. In essence these Church leaders are asking, 'What is the difference between, having to sit alone on a bus with a bunch of non-believers as it takes you to assemble on God's Sabbath, because it is the only choice you have, and them pro-actively seeking out the services of unbelievers working at a restaurant simply because it is an enjoyable place to fellowship?'

    Their goal is to persuade you to believe that if one can pay for the right to sit among non-believers on a bus, then they can pay for the right to have non-believers serve them in the comfort of a restaurant. Personally, I would not want to present this argument before God Almighty."

    Although the UCG claims that we at Blow the Trumpet are applying a double standard here, that is simply not true. The differences between what the UCG advocates and what some of God's people may be forced to do to attend services, is gigantic--and they should be ashamed of themselves for suggesting otherwise.

Respectfully,

Dennis Fischer

Counter Argument continued

United Church of God

Advisory Committee for Doctrine

Dear Mr. Fischer,

     Consider Deuteronomy 14:21: "You shall not eat anything that dies of itself; you may give it to the alien who is within your gates, that he may eat it, or you may sell it to a foreigner; for you are a holy people to the LORD your God..." The Israelites remained a holy people, despite their involvement in the exchange of forbidden food. The same is possible for spiritual Israelites in the exchange of food in restaurants on the Sabbath. While we all should be careful of hypocrisy, every situation is individual.

Sincerely,

Advisory Committee for Doctrine

Response from Dennis Fischer

Dear Friends,

    Throughout the UCG letter, their advocacy of dining out on the Sabbath is defended with terms like: "possible," "plausible," "not farfetched," and other vagaries. This seems like a fairly weak foundation on which to build such an important Biblical argument. However, this is what they offer. It sure would be allot easier if they could cite an example of Jesus dining at a local inn on the Sabbath. There certainly were such places. But alas they don't, for obvious reasons. 

     In this particular phase of their case they suggest that because God permitted the Israelites to give meat to non-Israelites that was prohibited for them (Israelites) to eat, it is now "possible" that God permits His people today to seek out unbelievers and pay them to prepare their meals on the Sabbath. Personally, this makes absolutely no sense to me. These two acts are immensely different. Consider just a few facts pertaining to this passage.

     The UCG may find great consolation in their logic, but it is nothing short of human reasoning run amuck. It is woven from desperation not objectivity.

Respectfully,

Dennis Fischer

Pardon the Interruption

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