I posted a while back about a letter I'd sent in to my local paper. I live in Georgia and here in Georgia it's illegal for stores to sell alcohol on Sundays. The law does allow for local gov'ts to permit restaurants to sell on Sundays, provided that at least half their revenue comes from food sales. But you can't just walk into a store and buy a six pack on Sunday.
Predictably the letter drew the ire of local "bible thumpers". Another local joined my side and he and I are being villainized, I can imagine some who would like to burn us at the stake.
Here's my letter that started it all:
Sunday blue laws
The debate in Perry whether or not to allow alcohol sales at restaurants on Sundays brings up something we've all lived with long enough and need to finally change. So maybe someone can explain it to me. Here we are in the 21st century. But to this day we still can't walk into a store and buy a six-pack of beer on Sunday.
Have any of you stopped to think just how silly that is? It's absolutely ridiculous. Does prohibiting alcohol sales on Sundays also prohibit the consumption of alcohol on Sundays? Of course not, we all know that the drinking doesn't stop, although sometimes I get the impression that there are some who would like to see that happen. People just stock up on Saturday. So why do we have this law?
Because the churches say so, that's why. It's a religious law, plain and simple. Well, sorry, folks, but there is something called "separation of church and state," and the Sunday prohibition flies right in the face of it. Now churches have every right to ask their members to not buy or consume alcohol on Sundays, although I can't find one single passage in the Bible to support that particular rule. But they have no right to turn that rule into a law that is enforced statewide.
The Sunday laws have got to go. This is a free country. Those who object to Sunday sales are free to not buy alcohol on Sundays or any other day and free to not patronize businesses that sell alcohol on Sundays. But they don't have the right to stop the rest of us from buying it on one particular day each week.
Here's a couple of the latest letters.
David Corr's support of my position:
Ganas nailed it
Mike Ganas nailed it in a recent letter. Sunday blue laws are clearly a violation of the Establishment Clause. There is no secular purpose for blue laws. The laws are there solely for religious reasons.
When government initiates force against citizens to achieve social, religious or political goals, it violates individual rights and the free-market system. Laws banning consensual sex in private between adults are also improper uses of governmental force and are immoral.
Such laws violate rights retained by the people under the 9th Amendment and the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment, and should be stricken by the courts.
And the latest attack on me and Mr. Corr:
Laws' biblical origin
David Corr and and Mike Ganus say the government has no right to legislate morality. That is a real knee slapper.
Morality by definition has to do with right and wrong. So, they are saying that the laws that are on the books that prohibit stealing, maiming, killing, defrauding, embezzlement, kidnapping, assault and battery, incest, perjury, rape, vandalism, pollution, treason, drunkenness, false witnessing, polygamy, slander, filthiness, child abuse and extortion should have never been legislated. According to their argument, every law that we have in this country that deals with right and wrong should be abolished, post haste. (see Judges 21:25) (see authority, Romans chapter 13). What are the origins of our laws on morality? Mike Ganus asked to be enlightened as to this question, and I am happy to shed light on this. Many if not most have a biblical origin. He asks for proof. Read it and then say, "God, thank you for giving us this basis for the laws of our great land."
And finally, the one I'm emailing the Telegraph tonight:
I found Mr. DeGroot's letter of June 10 to be insulting. Not only insulting to myself and Mr. Corr but insulting to the intelligence of all the good people who read The Telegraph. At no time have I or Mr. Corr advocated the elimination of all laws which may have Biblical origin. To equate the elimination of the ban on Sunday alcohol sales with repealing laws against murder, rape, and theft is absurd. What I read Tuesday was more like "shoot the messenger". Mr. DeGroot was correct when he said that by passing and enforcing laws against such things as murder and theft the government is actually legislating morality. But the distinction has to be made between legislating right and wrong, protecting the citizens from harm and punishing the offenders, and turning religious beliefs into law and enforcing them upon everyone else. I'm still waiting for the supporters of this state's Sunday laws to provide a solid secular and logical basis for them. I have a feeling I'll be waiting a long time.What's cool about this is that I can argue with religious zealots without fear of disfellowhipping! I'm having a blast! Mike.