Rising and Falling-- The Economy and Sunday Laws

[John317]

http://www.religiousliberty.info/blog/?p=90

Barry W. Bussey is a native of Newfoundland, Canada. He has two undergraduate degrees (B.A. in Theology and LL.B. in Law); two master degrees (M.A. in Political Science, and LL.M. in Constitutional Law); and is currently studying for his PhD in Law at Osgoode Hall Law School at York University (Toronto). Barry served as pastor for two churches in Newfoundland. He was legal advisor for the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Canada from 1996 to 2008. We are very excited to now welcome Barry to the Office of Legislative Affairs on Capitol Hill!

The Liberty Blog

February 25, 2009

Rising and Falling - Together: The Economy and Sunday Laws

By Barry Bussey

The most pervasive topic of discussion in Washington these days is the economy. Everything else pales in comparison. The President and his cabinet - leaders of the House and Senate are all talking about the economy. The effects of the stimulus bill will take some time before you or I feel it on “Main Street”. The jury is still out as to its ultimate effect - it may prove to be too much of a good thing or not enough. One thing is clear, however. We are in uncharted waters.

Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke was on the Hill today trying to reassure everyone by stating he expects the market’s severe contraction to be over by the end of this year. Meanwhile a story was published today outlining the opinion of Harvard financial historian Niall Ferguson who is of the opinion that “There will be blood” resulting from this crisis. Here is some of what he had to say in the Globe and Mail today:

There will be blood, in the sense that a crisis of this magnitude is bound to increase political as well as economic [conflict]. It is bound to destabilize some countries. It will cause civil wars to break out, that have been dormant. It will topple governments that were moderate and bring in governments that are extreme. These things are pretty predictable. The question is whether the general destabilization, the return of, if you like, political risk, ultimately leads to something really big in the realm of geopolitics. That seems a less certain outcome. We’ve already talked about why China and the United States are in an embrace they don’t dare end. ………….

It’s just that I don’t see it producing anything comparable with 1914 or 1939. It’s kind of hard to envisage a world war. Even when most pessimistic, I struggle to see how that would work, because the U.S., for all its difficulties in the financial world, is so overwhelmingly dominant in the military world.

We’ve discussed two reasons to non-suicidal. I’m trying to stay cheerful. One is that Chimerica is holding up. The Chinese don’t seem to want to get divorced from their American spouse.

The other is that this isn’t leading to World War Three or Four, depending on how many world wars you think there have been. There will be instability, but I don’t see that instability producing something as huge as the 20th century conflicts. But it’s hard to see a simple and quick macroeconomic happy ending. That I really struggle to visualize.

But the good news is only as good as this: the United States, which is Canada’s biggest trading partner, is not going to suffer as badly as many other economies around the world. And that means that from Canada’s point of view, it’s not standing right on top of the biggest fault lines in the global system. The biggest fault lines in the global system are in Asia. They may also be in Eastern Europe. That’s where things are going to be really unpredictable.

The two great zones of conflict in the 20th century were central and eastern Europe, and a critical part of northeast Asia - Manchuria, Korea. It makes me a little nervous that those are also places that are going to take a very heavy share of the pain. But we’re looking at a Great Recession, not a Great Depression. We may be looking at a Lost Decade. [1]

Last week Secretary of State Hillary Clinton called upon the Chinese to continue buying US Treasuries. This would ensure the US economy recovers, which would thereby allow the US consumer to buy more Chinese products. “We are truly going to rise or fall together,” she said.[2] Kind of a “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.” The Obama administration needs the Chinese to lend the money to finance the stimulus package.

It may well prove to be more complicated than simply the bilateral relationship between China and the US. The Drudge Report ran a story on media baron Rupert Murdoch who issued an urgent internal communication today warning his staff: “We are in the midst of a phase of history in which nations will be redefined and their futures fundamentally altered.”

The Telegraph has noted that there is a financial tsunami (my word) approaching the West from Eastern Europe that will make our current struggle no more than just the first ripple of the huge wave yet to come.[3]

“The unfolding debt drama in Russia, Ukraine, and the EU states of Eastern Europe has reached acute danger point,” writes Ambrose Evans-Pritchard. “If mishandled by the world policy establishment, this debacle is big enough to shatter the fragile banking systems of Western Europe and set off round two of our financial Götterdämmerung.”

So what is the situation exactly?

Western European banks have lent money to their eastern neighbors far in excess of their ability to recover, should the lenders default on their payments. Austria, for example, lent an amount equal to 70% of its GDP to Eastern Europe. Western European banks find themselves five times more exposed to the financial crisis than American or Japanese banks. Evans-Pritchard points out, “Whether it takes months, or just weeks, the world is going to discover that Europe’s financial system is sunk, and that there is no EU Federal Reserve yet ready to act as a lender of last resort or to flood the markets with emergency stimulus.”

“So we watch and wait as the lethal brush fires move closer.

If one spark jumps across the eurozone line, we will have global systemic crisis within days. Are the firemen ready?”

Make no wonder we are hearing so much about the economy here on the Hill!

In the midst of this turmoil we are asked by many about the possibility of Sunday laws - enacted as a means to help solve the current economic crisis. Give a day whereby everyone can stay home and be with their families, plus help the economy.

“[sunday sales legislation] always comes bubbling up when the economy goes south,” says David Laband, an Auburn University economics professor who authored Blue Laws: The History, Economics, and Politics of Sunday-Closing Laws.[4]

However, contrary to what you might think, a number of states (namely, Georgia, Connecticut, Texas, Alabama and Minnesota) are actually planning on REMOVING the last vestiges of Sunday blue laws because of the faltering economy. Currently those states have restrictions on the sale of alcohol on Sundays. They want that changed. The hope is that there will be more tax revenue from such Sunday sales. Not surprising there is opposition to this by the Christian Coalition.

“Slowly and systematically we’ve seen these laws lifted in past century, even more so when there has been an economic downturn,” Laband says. “States realize that consumers will migrate to a place where they can buy what they want. And whatever their reasons are for not wanting to sell on Sunday, these states realize they’re paying a price for it in foregone tax revenues. So once the economy goes bad, then the cost of their policies are apparent to them.”

The discussion of Sunday closing laws weakening in a time of economic stress is counter intuitive to our Adventist understanding of end time events. Yet there it is.

So does that mean we are mistaken about the whole Sunday legislation end-time scenario? Not at all. What it means is that we should not jump to apocalyptic statements of what is or is not going to happen by such and such a date. Speculation of these things only causes greater harm at the end of the day than good.

The reality is this: when the nation feels it is under an emergency situation - any measure seen to be of necessity will get passed by the legislature in quick order. Consider the stimulus package. Almost one trillion dollars passed in a matter of days! I remember when the US debt first reached one trillion dollars under Ronald Reagan. The news of that milestone was astonishing - we could not even comprehend a trillion. It took over 200 years of US history to go in debt for the first one trillion and we have just added one trillion in less than 30 days! All because we are in a crisis.

If the public policy makers are of the view that Sunday closing legislation would be in the nation’s interest in a time of crisis, would it pass? I have no doubt it would, and in very short order. Are there people clamoring for this very thing? Absolutely. Is there any such legislation in Congress today? None.

My point is this: we are in a financial crisis that has no real end in sight. A lot of things could happen and our understanding of prophecy will one day emerge. But it is not our concern when exactly this will happen - this is for the Lord to decide in His timing. We are also mindful nevertheless of the statements of Christ, “From the fig tree learn its lesson: as soon as its branch becomes tender and puts out its leaves, you know that summer is near. So also, when you see all these things, you know that he is near, at the very gates.” (Matthew 24:32,33). Our concern in the here and now is to maintain a heart relationship with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. The end will come, as He said it would, but His message was to urge us to love the Lord our God with all our might and love our neighbor as ourselves.

[phkrause]

I think I've said it a number of times, things can change on a dime. It doesn't take much just like that article you posted said.

pk

[True-believer]

HEY ALL

THIS is a very good article and yes we must remember that

GOD is still in charge of this situation.....

dgrimm60

Yes, I have to agree, it is a very good article... but...

I feel the Bible speaks about WORSHIP and not sunday law...

In other words, in the End Times, I don't think their will be a national sunday law...

instead there will be a National Worship Law...

You can either choose to worship Satan or Jesus...

Choose Satan and you get death...

Choose Jesus and you get life...

But... the national sunday law could happen... but the national worship law looks more promising...

What are your thoughts on this?????

[LifeHiscost]

What are your thoughts on this?????

When we are asked to worship according to the traditions of men, by mandate, as opposed to keeping the commandments of God by loving, trusting, freewill, and we choose to accept the traditions of men, we will ally ourselves to a leading spirit not of God and will bring the same consequences that come from following any false doctrine.

"The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul;The testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple" Psalm 19:7 NKJV

Regards!

[GoLions]

I read portions of this article during announcements at Church today. Along with todays devotional from E G White estate, which reads impart

He Supplies Our Needs

Do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Matt. 6:25, RSV.

He who has given you life knows your need of food to sustain it. He who created the body is not unmindful of your need of raiment. Will not He who has bestowed the greater gift bestow also what is needed to make it complete?

Jesus pointed His hearers to the birds as they warbled their carols of praise, unencumbered with thoughts of care, for "they sow not, neither do they reap"; and yet the great Father provides for their needs. And He asks, "Are not ye of much more value than they?"

"No sparrow falls without His care,

No soul bows low but Jesus knows;

For He is with us everywhere,

And marks each bitter tear that flows.

And He will never, never, never

Forsake the soul that trusts Him ever." . . .

God's law is the law of love. He has surrounded you with beauty to teach you that you are not placed on earth merely to delve for self, to dig and build, to toil and spin, but to make life bright and joyous and beautiful with the love of Christ--like the flowers, to gladden other lives by the ministry of love.

Then I invited them to prayer meeting.

All of this went well with the sermon today.

Thanks for posting this article, several people came to me asking for the link to the article.