What is in Kelvin's Head?

  • Sunday Trading and the Churches

    Dear the Churches of England

    If you campaign against Sunday trading you are going to seem to the People of England to be as bad as you are. Campaign instead for the rights of shop workers of all religions who work at all times and the People of England might be more convinced. If you take on the Sunday trading thing you are going to lose anyway.

    Here in Scotland things have been much more liberal for a long time. We did have quite strict liquor laws which meant you couldn’t buy booze on a Sunday morning anywhere. This meant you couldn’t buy an emergency bottle of wine for communion on a Sunday morning in case it led to drunkenness, which always seemed to me to be a little odd. Even this law has been relaxed now.

    Seriously – the fight against Sunday trading isn’t one that churches can win and look sensible or fair. Please don’t make the rest of us look foolish.

    Remember the Sabbath day and what it was about and keep what it was about holy. It was about making sure workers got rest. It was about making sure there was time for leisure. It was about making sure that there were opportunities for worship. Churches should campaign for all those things. In multicultural Britain these things do not coalesce any more in the idea of one shared day off a week which is inevitably on a Sunday.

    Dear churches of England and the Church of England in particular – pick your battles wisely.

    Thank you for your attention.
    KELVIN

3 responses to “Another day, another new ministry now begins”

  1. Eamonn Avatar
    Eamonn

    Thanks be to God. I have family in New Westminster, and have been visiting there for the last 13 years. So I am acutely aware of how difficult and painful things have been in some parishes.

    Reply
  2. Eamonn Avatar
    Eamonn

    Interestingly, though +Michael Ingham has taken a great deal of flak over the blessing of civil partnerships, the pressure to provide a service of blessing came initially from the laity, about 20 years ago.

    Reply
  3. Father Ron Smith Avatar
    Father Ron Smith

    Thanks for this, Kelvin,

    I’m taking the liberty of putting this on my ‘kiwianglo’ web-site in New Zealand.
    We are always interested in your comments on the Anglican Communion around the world, and appreciate this titbit from your visit to New Westminster. Enjoy your sabbatical. God bless you and renew you for your return to Bonny Scotia.

    Reply

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