The governments of England and Wales have announced that they would let local councils decide whether to allow large retailers to open longer hours on Sunday than previously permitted.
The Roman Catholic Church, the Church of England and a number of other churches and religious organizations have banned together to oppose the plan. The unprecedented alliance includes the Church in Wales, Methodist, United Reform Church and the Salvation Army. Senior officials issued a joint statement opposing the government’s plan to relax Sunday trading laws. Plans to allow large shops to open for longer on Sundays will damage family life and do nothing to boost the economy, they warned. The relaxed laws, they said would increase the “commodification” of modern life. Shop workers and customers will have less time to spend with their families and small local stores will suffer a loss of business, they say.
Small shops can open whenever they want, under current rules. But large chain stores are restricted to a maximum of six hours in the period between 10am and 6pm. Under the government’s plan, large chain stores would be permitted to expand shopping hours in n effort to enable local authorities to “help struggling High Streets.”
But a letter to the Telegraph by the faith groups marks the first time since the plans were announced that the leaders of the country’s major Christian denominations have joined forces to voice their opposition. “As leaders of Christian communities England and Wales, we oppose the government’s plans to further deregulate Sunday Trading laws,” they wrote.
“We are concerned that the further deregulation of Sunday Trading laws is likely to disrupt the rhythms of community life that are so integral to the common good. In a world of increasing commodification the space for shared time and activities, central to human flourishing, is becoming increasingly rare. Needlessly extending Sunday opening hours will only exacerbate this trend,” the letter continued
The current Sunday trading restrictions offer “a balance” between consumer needs and the “health” of local communities, providing time for shopping as well as protecting “the common leisure time essential for family life and shared social activities.”
Their letter argues that there is “no evidence base” to show that relaxing the limit on large shops’ opening hours will lead to “substantial economic benefit” to Britain.
The move comes after the Telegraph last week published a letter from 150 council leaders and 40 MPs urging the government to push ahead with the relaxation of Sunday trading laws. They claimed that the economy would receive a £1.4bn boost from the change.
An Oxford University study claims the only clear impact will be to damage the businesses of small shops who will lose customers to larger chain stores, the faith leaders say.
The alliance of faith leaders and churches obviously intends to keep the government from further eroding Sunday as a day of rest and worship in the UK. The seventh day Sabbath was appointed by God to do all the things Sunday proponents claim it will do for Sunday observers. All their arguments in favor of Sunday instead of the Sabbath do not set aside the commandment of God to make the seventh day Sabbath special for families and rest, nor do they make Sunday the Lord’s day.
“It is one of Satan’s devices to combine with falsehood just enough truth to give it plausibility. The leaders of the Sunday movement may advocate reforms which the people need, principles which are in harmony with the Bible; yet while there is with these a requirement which is contrary to God’s law, His servants cannot unite with them. Nothing can justify them in setting aside the commandments of God for the precepts of men.” The Great Controversy, page 587, 588