Religious Imposition.

[Guinness]

Originally Posted by davebtelford

I went to the supermarket today (which I sometimes do on Sunday afternoon) but it was closed due to trading laws imposed through (Christian) religious tradition. No big deal I suppose (and I picked up the few things I wanted from our local Spar shop)

I was brought up essentially without religion and I have seen no need to seek it out in adulthood. As we are now a multi-cultural, multi-religion (and none) society is it right that we should all be bound by such sectarian laws or should business and commerce be separated from religious beliefs? And are Spar employees/customers in some way less obligated (morally) to be bound by Christian tradition than those of larger shops? The logic behind this is very puzzling!

That's the problem with the English...they are so quick to forget their traditions...is it any wonder that ever so slowly they are being replaced by alternative cultural values.

Can't ever recall in my youth being dragged around a supermarket on Easter Sunday....train to Blackpool or a Frasers coach trip, yeah..but a day out looking at two for ones or Bogofs...nah!

I was brought up WITH religion..fish on fridays..yada..yada, and dumped it into the logic bin as soon as I could.

Thing is..a 'traditional' public holiday is a holiday that should be enjoyed by the public...even those public that work in Tesco!

[Wynonie Harris]

But it's nothing to do with whether the shop owners are Muslim or not. If you're a Muslim and you own a store with over 3,000 sq ft floor space, you're required to shut on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. If you're a Christian with a shop with under 3,000 sq ft floor space, you're free to open on those days.

[cashman]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

But it's nothing to do with whether the shop owners are Muslim or not. If you're a Muslim and you own a store with over 3,000 sq ft floor space, you're required to shut on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. If you're a Christian with a shop with under 3,000 sq ft floor space, you're free to open on those days.

Exactly, thats what i find stupid. The rights n wrongs irrelevant, its the stupidity gets me.

[Guinness]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

But it's nothing to do with whether the shop owners are Muslim or not. If you're a Muslim and you own a store with over 3,000 sq ft floor space, you're required to shut on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. If you're a Christian with a shop with under 3,000 sq ft floor space, you're free to open on those days.

No argument from me on that one Wyn....that appears to be a screwed up law made by screwed up politicians, probably advised by their unpaid interns (are you reading this Graham?)...wonder which party thought that would be a good idea?

Orginal poster brought religion into it..was just countering his argument

[Wynonie Harris]

It's one of those laws that's possibly well-meaning in theory but doesn't actually work in practice. The idea's to give the little independent shops a chance to recoup some sales from the big boys, by forcing people to use their corner shops at certain times. Whether it has the desired effect or not, I wouldn't know. Personally, I never go anywhere near a store on those days, as I'm either dossing round the house or, as today, up the pub!

[shillelagh]

agree with Margaret p ... gives the people who work in the supermarkets a chance for a family day ... even if they don't believe in god then they have the chance for a family day. surely you can last 24hours without going to Tesco/asda/morrisons/sainsburys etc or b & q, homebase etc

[Eric]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

I will sit back now and wait for the incoming red stuff.

Franks Red Hot ... I put that shiite on everything Foreign muck.

[Margaret Pilkington]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

But it's nothing to do with whether the shop owners are Muslim or not. If you're a Muslim and you own a store with over 3,000 sq ft floor space, you're required to shut on Easter Sunday and Christmas Day. If you're a Christian with a shop with under 3,000 sq ft floor space, you're free to open on those days.

I understand that. What Cashy was saying, was that it should be all or nothing......my comment that Muslim shopkeepers would not wish to be seen observing a Christian festival was a response to that comment.
Can you imagine the furore it would create if every shop was forced to follow observance of Christian festivals. After all there are enough folk who are apologetic about Christmas.
But then it all boils down to the mighty dollar..or in our case pound coin!

[accyman]

there should be no allowances for religeon wether it be christianity , islam , hindu or whatever and teh sooner the better

ps:

when sunday trading was first introduced in the UK employees could not be forced to work it and had to be paid extra at either time and a half or double pay. Now it is accepted as a normal working day and minimum wage can be paid so whats teh difference between a christian working over easter and a christian working on the supposedly day of rest.Shouldnt they all be in church on sunday thanking their lord for this magnificent world they are in and not stacking shelves at asda?

[accyman]

Good news - HBC are collection the recycling today so at least religeon hasnt intereupted their fortnightly routine of throwing everyone elses crap all over my lawn

[Margaret Pilkington]

And those workers will very likely be paid a premium for working on a bank holiday.....but a bank holiday is not a religious feast day.......and we all have to remember that without religion there would be no holidays.
Back to the days of Scrooge.

[accyman]

of course there woudl be holidays

granted the word holiday comes from holyday so we could call it something else like " day off day or days "

days off are written into your contract and if there arnt enough days off to your liking then dont sign the contract

law not religeon dictates that we get so many days off and can only work a certain amount of days in a row without taking a day off so no need for religeon.My pal worked so many days in a row that his employers demanded he took time off as they were braking the law not religeon if they let him continue

[Margaret Pilkington]

Yes....Accyman that is so...but in the beginning holidays only came about because of religion of one sort or another.

[accyman]

it may have served a purpous back then but we no longer need to be told a magic man sorts things out we now have google and science if we need to know how something works that google isnt aware of yet :-)

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by Margaret Pilkington

Can you imagine the furore it would create if every shop was forced to follow observance of Christian festivals. After all there are enough folk who are apologetic about Christmas.
But then it all boils down to the mighty dollar..or in our case pound coin!

There'd be a furore from all small shopkeepers regardless of their religion, as they regard Christmas and Easter Days as vital trading days that give a welcome boost to their takings over the year. Incidentally, there are plenty of Muslim-owned larger independent stores that have to close down for these Christian religious days.