“Blue Law” Time Line

by Matthew Coover

In Yahweh’s TORAH we find a very important command. It reads as follows:

“Remember Shabbat, to keep it holy.  Six days shalt thou labor and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Shabbot of  Yahweh , thy Elohim: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy man servant, nor thy maid servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:  For in six days  Yahweh  made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested on the seventh day: wherefore  Yahweh  blessed Shabbot and  hallowed it.”  (Exodus 20:8-11)

We have also been given another command;   this   time   to    remember Yahweh’s laws.

“Speak unto the children of Israel and bid them that they make them fringes in the borders of their garments, and that they put upon the fringe of the borders a ribband of BLUE.  And it shall be unto you a fringe, that ye may look upon it and remember all the commandments of  Yahweh , and do them...”  Numbers 15:38,39

Strangely enough, American “Blue Laws” have become a bit corrupted.

In 1237 Henry III forbids the frequenting of markets on the first day of the week.

In 1409 the playing of unlawful games is banned by Henry IV

In the mid-1500s Edward VI disallows first day of the week labor.

In 1682 Pennsylvania enacts laws calling on citizens to “abstain from their usual and common toil and labor” on the first day of the week.

In 1939 the modern “Sunday” (day of the SUN ???) trading act is passed, prohibiting nearly all retail trade and setting penalties of a $4.00 fine or 6 days in jail.

In 1959-1961 the 1929 act is modified to allow “wholesome recreation” such as golf, bowling and target shooting.  It also allowed some sales.

In 1974 the Kroger Co. challenges the closing law in Allegheny County.  It lost, but was allowed to stay open on the first day of the week during appeal.

In 1978 the Pennsylvania Supreme Court overturns the “Sunday” Trading act.  First day of the week shopping becomes the rule in Pennsylvania.

In 2002, Gov. Mark Schweilker signs legislation to allow select state-owned liquor stores to open on the first day of the week starting in 2/2003.

Is America on an uphill climb?  From all appearances, the answer is ‘No’.  Perhaps a better question would be, “How high up were they when they started going downhill?”  Probably no higher  than the blue of the rainbow which we see when  Yahweh  cries for an entire world gone astray.

(American Blue Law  Time Line reprinted from the 12/15/2002 issue of the “Sunday” Patriot-News, volume 154, number 15)