Sundays - back to the traditional?

[Philip]

In the increasingly chaotic country we live in, would people like to see Sunday returning to the national day of rest or religious observance that it was officially until 1994 (although in reality more like over half a century ago)?

In terms of the advantages, making it a 'day of rest' as it was before (with only people employed in emergency services, small convenience stores and transport going to work) would surely increase the quality of life for a lot people and subsequently should improve many people's mental health. A chance to 'slow down' for the day, this could help with productivity when people work during the week; help strengthen families; encourage more people to enjoy nature and exercise by going out for a walk, visiting parks etc.
In addition to the above, we may see an increase in faith with people having more free time to go to church - obviously not everyone will, but it may encourage 'lapsed' believers to start attending worship and so strengthen their faith. Finally, with a lot less people going to work, the roads and railways might be less congested.

What do people think?

 

[Mcr Warrior]

@Philip. Are you a programme researcher for a BBC Radio 5 Live phone-in show, by any chance?

 

[LowLevel]

No, Sundays were boring and tedious in the 90s. The only thing to do was have a roast dinner.

 

[lachlan]

Short answer: No. Life's too short for a "day of rest" every Sunday.

I'm a bit confused by the question posed. If Sunday were a national day of rest, shouldn't restaurants be closed and hospitality given the day off too?

 

[Philip]

@Philip. Are you a programme researcher for a BBC Radio 5 Live phone-in show, by any chance?

No, simply interested to hear people's opinions.

== Doublepost prevention - post automatically merged: 9 Jun 2022 ==

Short answer: No. Life's too short for a "day of rest" every Sunday.

I'm a bit confused by the question posed. If Sunday were a national day of rest, shouldn't restaurants be closed and hospitality given the day off too?

Yes good point, I'll add them to the list of potential shut downs on Sundays.

 

[Typhoon]

'Everyday is Like Sunday' says it all!

 

[nlogax]

No thanks. We should be able to choose our own individual 'day of rest'. Everything and everyone shutting down on the same day used to make for interminably dull Sundays.

 

[Philip]

No thanks. We should be able to choose our own individual 'day of rest'. Everything and everyone shutting down on the same day used to make for interminably dull Sundays.

It's only as dull as you make it.

 

[WelshBluebird]

No.
To elaborate, who the hell are you or I to tell someone else how to spend their Sunday?
To further elaborate, if I work during the week, and then do something else on Saturday (say going to watch football), quite often Sunday is the only day when I can do things like the food shop or going into town to pick up things etc.

 

[nlogax]

It's only as dull as you make it.

You're right. As everything's closed I'll go out with my bloody hoop and stick.

 

[gordonthemoron]

Shops in her Germany are closed on Sunday, the trains run the same as usual ‍♀️

 

[hexagon789]

Shops in her Germany are closed on Sunday, the trains run the same as usual ‍♀️

That's the same in many European countries, ie - the reverse of the UK.

 

[Philip]

No.
To elaborate, who the hell are you or I to tell someone else how to spend their Sunday?
To further elaborate, if I work during the week, and then do something else on Saturday (say going to watch football), quite often Sunday is the only day when I can do things like the food shop or going into town to pick up things etc.

That's pretty much what happened for many decades up to the mid-1990s, particularly as many more people used to work on Saturday mornings back then. People just got on with it then; so why wouldn't it work (with a bit of adjustment) less than 30 years later?

 

[Scotrail12]

We're in 2022. Not everyone is Christian so we really do not need a 'national day of rest or religious observance'. What are people supposed to do with it?

 

[Philip]

Hello - we're in 2022. Not everyone is Christian so we really do not need a 'national day of rest or religious observance'. What the heck are people supposed to do with it?

There may be a lot of merit in encouraging religious observance? I say 'encouraging', I'm not suggesting that it be compulsory, but many people may find developing their faith helps them (and others) in a lot of ways. And saying 'we're in 2022' is a bizarre statement considering this year and the last few haven't been much of a barrel of laughs for many people.

 

[ChrisC]

If we went back to the days when everywhere like shops and restaurants etc were closed on Sundays and it was seen as a day of rest, would we get our bus services back! In the days when everywhere was closed, most towns and villages had buses on a Sunday. Now that everywhere is open and Sunday is just like any other day of the week many towns and villages outside of the big urban areas have no buses!

 

[nlogax]

There may be a lot of merit in encouraging religious observance? I say 'encouraging', I'm not suggesting that it be compulsory, but many people may find developing their faith helps them (and others) in a lot of ways. And saying 'we're in 2022' is a bizarre statement considering this year and the last few haven't been much of a barrel of laughs for many people.

'We're in 2022' is absolutely relevant. A snapshot of religious identity in the UK up to recent years neatly demonstrates why.


Source: NatCen - https://www.bsa.natcen.ac.uk/media/39293/1_bsa36_religion.pdf


Sundays now would not be the Sundays of your youth.

 

[Philip]

'We're in 2022' is absolutely relevant. A snapshot of religious identity in the UK up to recent years neatly demonstrates why.

View attachment 115928
Source: NatCen - https://www.bsa.natcen.ac.uk/media/39293/1_bsa36_religion.pdf


Sundays now would not be the Sundays of your youth.

Some of this could be attributed to Sundays becoming more like a weekday, with people finding less time to practice their faith.

 

[gg1]

Some of this could be attributed to Sundays becoming more like a weekday, with people finding less time to practice their faith.

Are you seriously trying to suggest large numbers of Christians have either converted to other faiths or become atheist/agnostic due to the rise of Sunday trading?

 

[birchesgreen]

Can't be very devout Christians if Primark being open keeps them away from mass

 

[ainsworth74]

Can't be very devout Christians if Primark being open keeps them away from mass

I was thinking that!

 

[Philip]

Are you seriously trying to suggest large numbers of Christians have either converted to other faiths or become atheist/agnostic due to the rise of Sunday trading?

What I'm saying is that with more people having to work on Sundays and with more shops and events 'open', people who previously attended worship regularly on Sundays are finding less time to do so now, so this will inevitably mean reduced numbers in congregations and unfortunately some people who stop practising their faith then find they begin to lose their faith altogether or that it weakens to agnostic level (again not everyone).

 

[ainsworth74]

What I'm saying is that with more people having to work on Sundays and with more shops and events 'open', people who previously attended worship regularly on Sundays are finding less time to do so now, so this will inevitably mean reduced numbers in congregations and unfortunately some people who stop practising their faith then find they begin to lose their faith altogether or that it weakens to agnostic level (again not everyone).

Perhaps it's just churches in my area but they all tend to have services during the week. Mornings, afternoons, evenings are all catered for. Not being able to get to Church on Sunday is hardly an excuse for failing in your faith. Unless you weren't really religious at all...

 

[Strat-tastic]

In the increasingly chaotic country we live in, would people like to see Sunday returning to the national day of rest or religious observance that it was officially until 1994 (although in reality more like over half a century ago)?

In terms of the advantages, making it a 'day of rest' as it was before (with only people employed in emergency services, small convenience stores and transport going to work) would surely increase the quality of life for a lot people and subsequently should improve many people's mental health. A chance to 'slow down' for the day, this could help with productivity when people work during the week; help strengthen families; encourage more people to enjoy nature and exercise by going out for a walk, visiting parks etc.
In addition to the above, we may see an increase in faith with people having more free time to go to church - obviously not everyone will, but it may encourage 'lapsed' believers to start attending worship and so strengthen their faith. Finally, with a lot less people going to work, the roads and railways might be less congested.

What do people think?

You get my vote
I used to find it boring but nowadays would find it a welcome contrast.

 

[WelshBluebird]

That's pretty much what happened for many decades up to the mid-1990s, particularly as many more people used to work on Saturday mornings back then. People just got on with it then; so why wouldn't it work (with a bit of adjustment) less than 30 years later?

We aren't decades ago. We shouldn't have to "just get on with it".
If you want to further kill the high street and town / city centers go for it though. How about you just stay home on Sunday and don't do anything, and everyone else can actually do what they want to instead?

 

[Chew Chew]

You should move to Lewis Philip.

 

[gg1]

What I'm saying is that with more people having to work on Sundays and with more shops and events 'open', people who previously attended worship regularly on Sundays are finding less time to do so now, so this will inevitably mean reduced numbers in congregations and unfortunately some people who stop practising their faith then find they begin to lose their faith altogether or that it weakens to agnostic level (again not everyone).

For simply attending organised worship on a less regular basis to cause a Christian to lose their faith, I think they would have to be having serious doubts anyway, I really can't see that being a major reason for more than a tiny number of people.

Weekly church attendance certainly isn't a pre-requisite for being a Christian, the majority of Christians I know and have known well enough for the subject to ever come up didn't regularly attend a church.

 

[43096]

There may be a lot of merit in encouraging religious observance? I say 'encouraging', I'm not suggesting that it be compulsory, but many people may find developing their faith helps them (and others) in a lot of ways.

We should not be encouraging religious observance in any way. Religion is the biggest scam ever committed on the human race.

 

[Howardh]

Dunno about a day of rest, but I'd love an evening when everyone's TV, mobiles etc shut down for six hours! *He says writing this on his PC at quarter-to-nine!* Anyhow, certainly don't want any part of my life dictated to by religion, and we have two days a year of almost total shut-down so that should be enough.

 

[Strat-tastic]

We should not be encouraging religious observance in any way. Religion is the biggest scam ever committed on the human race.

Indeed.
Simple faith in God, on the other hand...