Sunday Law

description
Germany... going back to 100% sunday rest from work (and shopping) effective 01/01/10

In Henry Taber's Faith or Fact, he writes:

The first observance of Sunday—that history records is in the fourth century', when Constantine issued an edict (not requiring its religious observance, but simply abstinence from work) reading, 'let all the judges and people of the town rest and all the various trades be suspended on the venerable day of the sun.' At the time of the issue of this edict, Constantine was a sun-worshiper; therefore it could have had no relation whatever to Christianity.

"Blue Laws"

http://www.thetrumpet.com/index.php?q=6782.5295.0.0
Germany "Sunday Law" ... German Constitution (Weimar Constitution) August 11, 1919 Article 139
http://www.zum.de/psm/weimar/weimar_vve.php#Third Chapter : Religion and Religious Communities.

But Article 137 is interesting...
Article 137
There is no state church.
Freedom to form religious communities is guaranteed. Regarding the unification of religious communities within the Reich territory there are no limitations.
Every religious community administrates its own affairs without interference of state or community.
Religious communities acquire legal capacity according to general specifications of civil law.
Religious communities, as far as they have been, remain public corporations.
Other religious societies have to be granted the same rights on application, if they, by the means of their number and constitution, indicate to be lasting. If several religious communities with the status of public corporations form a confederation, the status of public corporation is extended to this confederation.
Religious communities with the status of public corporations are entitled to raise taxes based on fiscal records and in accordance with state regulations.
Religious communities are given equal status with civic organizations which cultivate a philosophy of life.
Inasmuch as the application of these regulations requires further details, these have to be established by state legislation.

http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,4953600,00.html

Society | 02.12.2009

High court reaffirms ban on Sunday shopping

(no more "10 annual shopping sundays", or the 4 leading up to christmas, allowed effective January 1, 2010 because the allowance of these shopping sundays are unconstitutional... wow... )

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: Sunday will no longer be an option for Christmas shoppers

Ruling in favor of the Catholic and Lutheran churches, Germany's highest court has found that the city of Berlin's ten shopping Sundays a year go against the constitutional protection of Sundays as a day of rest.

Germany's Constitutional Court ruled on Tuesday that shops must close on Sundays, and that legislation in Berlin allowing for ten shopping Sundays was unconstitutional. Germany's Basic Law protects Sunday and public holidays as "days of rest from work and of spiritual improvement."

Berlin legislation passed in 2006 had allowed shops to remain open up to ten Sundays a year, including the four Sundays before Christmas. The Catholic and Lutheran churches had challenged the change and took the issue to the nation's highest court.

"Legal protection measures must recognized Sundays and public holidays as days of rest from work," said Hans-Juergen Papier, president of the Constitutional Court. "A mere economic interest in revenues and the basic desire of potential shoppers to buy does not justify allowing these shops to be open as an exception."

The protection of Sundays in Germany's Basic Law is a holdover from the Weimar Constitution of 1919 and can be found in Article 139.

The shopping Sundays already planned in Berlin for the Advent season this year will take place despite and the ruling will come into effect in 2010.

hf/AP/dpa/epd/KNA
Editor:

> 15399

Sunday Law

Society | 02.12.2009

High court reaffirms ban on Sunday shopping

Ruling in favor of the Catholic and Lutheran churches, Germany's highest court has found that the city of Berlin's ten shopping Sundays a year go against the constitutional protection of Sundays as a day of rest.