The cost of repealing blue laws

[Washington]

It seems that one of Christianity's major opponents is commercial enterprises. A significant number of church members would rather spend their time shopping, enjoying their hobbies, and doing other activities on Sunday than going to Church. They also found their money better spent on themselves than on their church.

Repealing America's blue laws not only decreased church attendance, donations and spending, but it also led to a rise in alcohol and drug use among people who had been religious, according to a new study by economists Jonathan Gruber of MIT and Daniel Hungerman of the University of Notre Dame.

In their study, which appears in the May 2008 edition of The Quarterly Journal of Economics, Gruber and Hungerman show what happens when religious services must compete with shopping, hobbies and other activities.

The economists used data from the General Social Survey on religious attendance and from the Consumer Expenditure Survey to show a very strong reduction in religious attendance and a decline in religious contributions once the blue laws were repealed. They found no change in other charitable activity, Gruber notes.
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[Steezie]

Im sure general disillusionment with organized religion in general has NOTHING to do with it

 

[Donkeytron]

It's not supposed to be the government's duty to compel us to go to church, much less give money to religious enterprises.

 

[cobweb]

I can't stand blue laws. Just across the river from us you can't buy most things on Sunday morning. It isn't limited only to restrictions on alcohol like it is here.

I don't get it. How can something be legal to buy 6 days out of the week, but illegal on the seventh? Will the world suddenly end if I buy a bottle of wine on the way home from Church?

 

[JAS4Yeshua]

...

 

[Harpuia]

Maybe I should just stay in my town. Sundays are free here.

 

[Washington]

It's not supposed to be the government's duty to compel us to go to church, much less give money to religious enterprises.

And it isn't. But so what? I fail to see the relevance or your remark.

 

[ArnautDaniel]

So back in the day when a larger fraction of the population attended church than do now, we find they did so simply because there was nothing better to do.

Ah, there's a church motto:

Church! The thing to do when there is nothing better to do!

 

[3girls2dogs]

*thinks back to the many packy runs to New Hampshire on Sundays* I always thought the blue law was the stupidest law in Massachusetts. That and the no tattoo shops, but they repealed that one.

 

[MrJim]

I remember the blue laws growing up in SW Missouri in the 70/s ~ some drug stores would be open, but they would rope off the "forbidden areas"

 

[keith99]

I can't stand blue laws. Just across the river from us you can't buy most things on Sunday morning. It isn't limited only to restrictions on alcohol like it is here.

I don't get it. How can something be legal to buy 6 days out of the week, but illegal on the seventh? Will the world suddenly end if I buy a bottle of wine on the way home from Church?

Pity the poor traveling pastor that does not realize the law in a new area and plans on pickin gup the communion wine on his way to services!

 

[NPH]

IMO, blue laws are a good idea for strictly secular purposes. I just think it's good to have one day of the week where everyone (or nearly so) takes the day off to relax and spend time with their family or whatever. No rush or hustle for anybody, a collective national day for everyone to kick back and just enjoy themselves.

I do, however, dislike them when they're there strictly to cater to religious superstition.

 

[Steezie]

IMO, blue laws are a good idea for strictly secular purposes. I just think it's good to have one day of the week where everyone (or nearly so) takes the day off to relax and spend time with their family or whatever. No rush or hustle for anybody, a collective national day for everyone to kick back and just enjoy themselves

**Snort** The only reason most of blue collar America gets any time off AT ALL is because its the law

 

[ArnautDaniel]

This reminds me.

One argument for laws like "blue laws" is that they help small businesses compete with huge corporate chains.

If the chains are forced to be closed at reasonable times then they lose there advantage over say the proverbial mom & pop shop of being able to have people working all hours.

 

[Steezie]

This reminds me.

One argument for laws like "blue laws" is that they help small businesses compete with huge corporate chains.

If the chains are forced to be closed at reasonable times then they lose there advantage over say the proverbial mom & pop shop of being able to have people working all hours.

The blue laws apply to mom and pop stores too.

 

[ArnautDaniel]

The blue laws apply to mom and pop stores too.

Obviously.

The point is, let us say you are running a family business.

Are you really going to be open 7 days a week from say 8:00am to 10:00pm?

Well your corporate chain rival can be.

Blue laws forcing every one to be closed at certain times allow your family business to run reasonable hours and prevents it from being driven into the ground by a chain that can employ a bunch of folks at low wage.

 

[Steezie]

Obviously.

The point is, let us say you are running a family business.

Are you really going to be open 7 days a week from say 8:00am to 10:00pm?

Well your corporate chain rival can be.

Blue laws forcing every one to be closed at certain times allow your family business to run reasonable hours and prevents it from being driven into the ground by a chain that can employ a bunch of folks at low wage.

Blue laws are more often regulations on what can and cannot be sold on certain days. In certain places commerce is suspended by law, but in many places its suspended because of tradition.

 

[Maynard Keenan]

Its none of the government's business to ban things in the hope that you'll go to church. This country was founded on the ideal of self determination and freedom from the hand of government reaching in to direct your actions.

 

[ArnautDaniel]

Blue laws are more often regulations on what can and cannot be sold on certain days. In certain places commerce is suspended by law, but in many places its suspended because of tradition.

Yeah, I'm probably extending the definition.

A decade ago when I was in Germany I noted they had laws limiting business hours (and having no businesses open on Sundays) for the reasons I gave.

I doubt Americans would want to be so "inconvenienced".