I feel as if it should be like that all year. I hate blue laws. There are things I need on Sundays after church that i cannot get because of the blue laws and it really makes me mad. I don;t understand the diffrence between buying food and buying clothing,medication (tylonal,advil), soap,personal items….etc. I mean people need those things just as bad as they need to food.

I agree the Blue Laws are like Unions they have out lived there usefulness.

Why should the church have anything to do with shopping. Aren’t church and state seperate?

I’m glad to hear this. Not only will it keep people in town (that would otherwise go to florence/myrtle beach/columbia), but its the first step in getting permanently rid of antiquated rules.

If someone isn’t going to church, closing the stores isnt going to change their mind. They’ll stay home and play xbox. Why not give them the option to spend money?

I think that any blue law is ridiculous. The government should have no control over what time or day I go and by anything from any store.

Yes, the blue laws are antiquated.  We don’t need them anymore.  They applied back to a time when most people did go to church on Sunday.  Remember back then?  That time when you could leave your house unlocked, when being a neighbor meant more than live in the house next door, when people actually stopped to help other people in need. Things are much better now!

Please don’t tell me that keeping the “yellow rope” at walmart or keeping stores closed on Sunday will suddenly return the world to the good old days? I doubt it…
Maybe you are referring to a time when the world was 1/8th as populated as today, when we weren’t jammed up next to each other on 1/4 acre lots.
When I was young stores were closed all day on Sunday. We still locked the doors, and I don’t recall knowing the neighbors any better…

Blue laws suspended? I went to both wal-mart and Lowe’s around 11:00am today. Low es was not open and walmart still has there yellow rope up. I don’t understand. I thought the blue laws were suspended after 10:00 am? What happened? I was hoping to get some shopping done and well I guess i will have to wait until 1:30 when everything opens. These blue laws are so stupid!!!

Heck, as far as the boondocks of nebraska that I am in you can even buy liquor at walmart on sunday!

How much revenue is the city losing because of blue laws?  Don’t the surrounding areas follow the same practices?

If the blue laws are repealed, does that also mean workers no longer have the right to refuse to work on Sundays for religious reasons?

By law employees can still refuse to work on Sunday for religious reasons, without reprisal from the boss. However I think some jobs are exempt from this - someone has to fight fires and drive ambulances. It also doesn’t force businesses to open early, just allows it. Your favorite place may still open late or not at all.
I don’t know how much revenue is being lost to surrounding towns or counties, but shouldn’t the decision of when to open the shop be the owners responsibility, not the governments?

Sorry, but I got chastised before on here by making a blanket statement about economics.  I don’t care if the blue laws are repealed or not, but the employee right to work or not are contained in these laws.

Well, Lowes wasn’t open any earlier this past Sunday, I really don’t see them or anyone else opening early, no one wants to work. Did anyone go to Walmart and buy something they usually couldn’t before 130pm?

Maybe we can get the new mayor to have this voted on to be removed

To those that think that the government should not have any thing to say about the blue laws.

We have allowed them to tell us where we can pray, how to celebrate Christmas, excuse me “the Holiday” formally known as Christmas, and in an area where tobacco helped to pay for our lively hoods, where we can smoke. Did you really not expect to have them tell us how to spend our days off, and our money?

What else can they control?

I guess they control healthcare now

Not healthcare - health care Insurance. They dropped that last word mid debate. It’s insurance, not health care. It doesn’t mean health care will improve just that you will be insured. It’s not the same. But - that’s a new topic.

The National day of Thanksgiving was proclaimed by President Washington to be observed “by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God”.

Christmas is the celebration of God’s Son’s birth on Earth for man’s salvation.

The Chamber of Commerce & Hartsville City Council downgraded both of these days into a “holiday season” for the purpose of worshiping the god of money. Does anybody in their right mind think that God was pleased when the Chamber & Council made a resolution promoting shopping instead of going to church during what they now call the “holiday season”? They should be ashamed to belittle these days into just another holiday.

Encouraging people to shop during the time when most God fearing & God loving people choose to worship God is an act of disrespect to the God that provides everything for these same people. Does the Chamber & Council really think that disrespecting God is going to please God and make the people happy?

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14

“For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who hold the truth in unrighteousness.” Romans 1:18.

Instead of encouraging people to worship the god of money, the Chamber & Council might serve the community better if they encouraged people to show respect to God by keeping His day holy and encouraging them to worship the God that created them and provides for them. Instead, they take an action that runs the risk of making God angry and showing his wrath instead of showing his blessings.

Well just because they suspend the blue laws doesn’t mean people aren’t going to go to church. It just means that people can go after church to shop. I’m glad its suspended because when my church lets out I want to go shopping then, not later wasting more gas and my time. The blue laws are stupid anyways. It shouldn’t matter what day of the week it is, stores should open at the same time everyday. People DO need things on Sunday mornings believe it not not! Here’s and example: Was on the way to church on Sunday and forgot i needed q-tips for Sunday school for crafts, went by wal-mart and couldn’t get them because it was “Sunday morning”! We’ve got to face it people these days will miss church to go to a sale at any store. Its just how it is. Some do and some don’t.

The thing is - the people that are going to church anyway will go. The people that DONT go to church aren’t going to say “Hmm - the stores are closed, I guess I’ll go to church.” They are going to sleep in or rake leaves or watch TV.
Why not give them the option to spend money - which our economy needs. If not, they may just decide to get up at 8 on Sunday morning and drive to Columbia, or the beach, or somewhere else where the stores ARE open.

And why is it Christianity that the stores have to follow? What law states it is the offical religion of the land? “Remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy!” When Jesus said that, he was talking about Saturday, the Sabbath of the Jews. So - should stores have to close on Saturday? What about Muslim holdiays? Should we close for them too? No food could be sold in the daytime during Rammadan? For the Wiccans, should we close the stores on the solstices and equinoxes so they can worship? I guess the atheists have it the worst, they have NO religious holidays…but they have no divine rules to follow either so I guess it balances out.

Let the store owners decide. Repeal these antiquated blue laws so that the people can decide for themselves. Chik-Fil-As will never be open Sunday. Its the owner’s choice. Some stores may decide to stay closed. Some may decide to open. That’s the owner’s choice. I can’t see many downtown stores opening - just because it probably wouldn’t be worth it.

But if you have taken the time and effort to open a business, shouldn’t you HAVE that choice?

If God is displeased with the council for “downgrading his day”, well, he’s God. When I hear about the City Council suddenly and mysteriously dying by lightning strike, I will agree God is ticked, but other than that, you can read whatever signs you want into things.

I say completely turn it around. Don’t shop at all. Don’t buy any presents this year. If you claim to be a true Christian - be with your family and do good works and help others. Give with your time, and your not your money. Because if you are screaming “Jesus is the Reason!” from the line at Wal-Mart, or while sitting on a pile of presents, you’re just a hypocrite.

therealist I agree with you. Plus you can love God and still shop on Sundays. I know I sure do and woulde’nt want to hear anyone tell me otherwise.

I was expecting a lot more outcry here about the blue law suspension.

I am glad they have been removed, and I hope that Darlington County moves into the 20th century (yeah, that’s right) by removing them altogether.

We go to church and shop before 1:30 on Sundays.