US Catholic Magazine is a publication that promotes Catholic spiritual life in the United States. [1] On February 2, 2024, US Catholic Magazine published an article discussing the revival of the “Sunday Sabbath” and the need to observe this day collectively so that the community as a whole can cultivate a just and united social order. They also claim that when it comes to labor unions, the Sabbath rest issue is “now on the table.” Basically, Sunday is being offered by Catholics here in America as the time for spiritual reflection, rest, worship, fair labor practices, reducing consumption, and sustainability.
Without a doubt, this is a call to make fundamental changes to our political, economic, and social systems. They are treating Sunday rest as an urgent matter that requires immediate action. It is an effort to challenge the current system through transformative “policies.” They believe that by reviving Sunday as the day of rest for society, this would help alleviate the labor injustices and deep-rooted inequalities in our nation, as well as restore our worship to God.
The article stated, in part:
• “The Puritans brought an especially rigorous and rigid observation of the Sunday Sabbath to American shores, and in this their cultural influence outlasted their doctrinal dominance. Well into the mid-20th century, laws requiring businesses to close on Sunday were common in the United States. In fact, in one of Sabbath’s most surprising segments, we learn that Bergen County, New Jersey, a New York City suburb, has Sunday closings to this very day. In a 1993 referendum, the county’s residents upheld the Sunday regulation by a 2–1 vote.” [2]
• “However, Bergen County is an outlier. In the rest of the United States most Sunday closing laws were abolished by a combination of business interests and secular liberals, who argued that Sunday closings constituted discrimination against non-Christians.” [2]
• “Throughout the two hours of Sabbath [documentary], the word that kept coming into my mind was enough. Observance of Sabbath is a way of saying that there is such a thing as enough—enough of work, enough of social media, enough of shopping, even enough of youth sports. Clearing away the noise and distraction of our daily lives can help us see and hear the presence of God among us.” [2]
• “Sabbath may be personal, but it is never individual. It is an observance that a community does together and one that has clear implications for the making of a just and sustainable social order.” [2]
• “Historian Thomas Kidd notes that labor unions and churches have often worked together to advocate for days of rest.” [2]
• “As a result, many labor advocates, and even a few business leaders, have begun to advocate a four-day work week, with 32 hours of work for no reduction in pay. In the recent United Auto Workers strike, this expansion of the Sabbath concept was one of the UAW’s demands.” [2]
• “The UAW didn’t get the four-day week this time, but the issue is now on the table, and the concept of Sabbath rest lives on.” [2]
Roman Catholics are applauding these efforts to bring back Sunday rest. According to US Catholic Magazine, the Sunday issue is still on the table. Are you aware of what it means to have something “on the table?” This simply means that the Sunday issue is actively being discussed and considered by certain parties. It implies that the matter is under examination. In other words, the Sunday movement is advancing through the shadows, as inspiration suggests:
“The Sunday movement is now making its way in darkness. The leaders are concealing the true issue, and many who unite in the movement do not themselves see whither the undercurrent is tending. Its professions are mild and apparently Christian, but when it shall speak it will reveal the spirit of the dragon. It is our duty to do all in our power to avert the threatened danger” (Testimonies, Vol. 5, p. 452).
Rome has made no secret of its desire to see Sunday restored as a day of worship and rest. They are openly proclaiming Sunday rest as a necessary day for building a just society. According to Bible prophecy, the churches will have to appeal to the civil authorities in order to achieve their goals. Here in America, Catholics are now helping to promote the work of securing Sunday as the day of rest in order to save society. Sunday is quickly becoming the official day to reduce carbon emissions, reduce work stress levels, and worship. When the state begins to actively enforce compulsory Sunday observance, we know the end has come.
“From the first, every move made by Satan, from the beginning of his work and to continue to the end, was to exalt the false sabbath to take the place of the genuine Sabbath of Jehovah. He is just as intent now and more determined to do this than ever before. He has come down with great power to deceive them who dwell on the earth with his satanic delusions” (Manuscript 6, 1889).
Sources
[1] https://uscatholic.org/faq/mission/
[2] https://uscatholic.org/articles/202402/a-new-documentary-makes-a-case-for-reviving-the-sabbath/
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Here the great crisis is coming upon the world. The Scriptures teach that popery is to regain its lost supremacy, and that the fires of
persecution will be rekindled through the time-serving concessions of the so-called Protestant world. In this time of peril we can stand
only as we have the truth and the power of God. Men can know the truth only by being themselves partakers of the divine nature.
2SM 353
We see the world working to the point of establishing by law a false sabbath, and making it a test for all. This question will soon be before us. God’s Sabbath will be
trampled under foot, and a false sabbath will be exalted. In a Sunday law there is possibility for great suffering to those who observe the seventh day. The working out of Satan’s plan will bring persecution to the people of God. But the faithful servants of God need not fear the outcome of the conflict. If they will follow the pattern set for them in the life of Christ, if they will be true to the requirements of God, their reward will be eternal life, a life that measures with the
life of God.
At this time a very decided work in character building should be going forward among our people. We are to develop before the world the characteristics of the Saviour. It is impossible to please God without the exercise of genuine, sanctifying faith. We are individually responsible for our faith. True faith is not a faith that will fail under test and trial; it is the gift of God to His people.—The
Review and Herald, September 30, 1909.
2SM 261
If ever we needed to manifest kindness and true courtesy, it is now. We may have to plead most earnestly before legislative councils for the right to worship God according to the dictates of conscience. Thus in His providence God has designed that the claims of His law shall be brought before men in positions of highest authority. But as we stand before these men, we are to show no bitterness of feeling. Constantly we are to pray for divine aid. It is God alone who can hold the four winds until His servants shall be sealed in their foreheads.—The Review and Herald, February 11, 1904.
2SM 361.362
The Roman Catholic Church is Publishing it, How long before it becomes social policy in America and Elsewhere? I believe the Legislation of Sunday Law is at the very Doors and is Immanent, sooner than many of us expect it to be!
I’m in shock and don’t even know how best to put my comment here regarding this Sunday “Sabbath” issue. I just watched the full Sabbath documentary cited in this story. Indeed our church was long infiltrated and now run by undercover catholics prepping unwary members to accept the mark of the beast. You won’t believe it but it is not only the catholics calling for the mandating of “Sabbath” rest. It’s the entire ecumenical family of Abrahamic religions; Muslims, Jews, catholics, protestants and to my astonishment, even the seventh-day adventists.
In this documentary the Catholic church used ecumenism to find common ground on the need for a Sabbath rest be it on a Friday, Saturday or Sunday. We know for a fact that it will end up being on one legislated day of rest: Sunday. This documentary is featuring postliberal and progressive adventist pastors, theologians, congregations, hospitals and students. These are used here as examples, be it in their apostasy and hypocrisy, of having something in common with catholics and the rest of the churches and religions that call for a common day of rest. It is clear to me that the participation of seventh-day adventists in this documentary was not a coincidence, but fulfillment of prophecy.
https://youtu.be/WTfzePC5lt0?si=pp1Usz-YE5HSgwTa
In this catholic documentary aimed at promoting global Sunday rest by law, you can find professed SDAs featuring from 25mins to 40mins, from 1hr 20mns to 1hr 30mins, and at 1hr49 notice all speakers agree with catholics that we need to do something about the lack of Sabbath rest, especially emphasized by a Jesuit-trained professor of Theology and Ecology. I won’t mention names of adventist pastors and theologians here but will briefly hint on the adventist churches and institutions featured in the documentary: Ethan Temple, Loma Linda, Life Adventist church of Berkeley.
Common activities emphasized across all religions in support of Sunday-Sabbath rest in this documentary are basically Marxist social gospel: Promotion of family union, meal sharing, mental health, ecological & environmental justice, caring for the poor, the homeless and immigrants, social justice, promotion of diversity, equality and inclusion (DEI), meeting human needs, community development and service, charity, celebration worship style, eucharist or weekly Easter, etc.
So, if the Sabbath is all about the activities mentioned above then it can be argued that all churches have everything in common with the papacy: care for humanity and care for the planet. One can as well easily agree to do these Sabbath rest activities on a common man-made day of rest which is none other than Sunday. The Sunday movement is gradually making progress in darkness. But the Laodicean church is sleeping and not paying attention to the following warnings from inspiration:
“The Lord has a controversy with his professed people in these last days. In this controversy men in responsible positions will take a course directly opposite to that pursued by Nehemiah. They will not only ignore and despise the Sabbath themselves, but they will try to keep it from others by burying it beneath the rubbish of custom and tradition. In churches and in large gatherings in the open air, ministers will urge upon the people the necessity of keeping the first day of the week”. ~RH March 18, 1884, par. 8
“By the decree enforcing the institution of the papacy in violation of the law of God, our nation will disconnect herself fully from righteousness. When Protestantism shall stretch her hand across the gulf to grasp the hand of the Roman power, when she shall reach over the abyss to clasp hands with spiritualism, when, under the influence of this threefold union, our country shall repudiate every principle of its Constitution as a Protestant and republican government, and shall make provision for the propagation of papal falsehoods and delusions, then we may know that the time has come for the marvelous working of Satan and that the end is near.
As the approach of the Roman armies was a sign to the disciples of the impending destruction of Jerusalem, so may this apostasy be a sign to us that the limit of God’s forbearance is reached, that the measure of our nation’s iniquity is full, and that the angel of mercy is about to take her flight, never to return.” ~ 5T 451.1 – 5T 451.2
During the time of Ellen G. White , the National Reform Movement played a pivotal role towards the enactment of Sunday Law. By the time Ellen White was writing the book of Testimonies Volume 5 was in the year 1885. The national reform movement was a platform used by the Jesuits to enact Sunday observance in America, and God used his messengers A.T. Jones , and E.J Waggoner to prepare his church for the message of righteousness by faith as a way to prepare for the final crisis. By the year 1888, the message of A.T.Jones and E.J Waggoner was rejected by the G.C president Andre Olsen and Elder George I . Butler and they decided to send away Ellen G. White from America to seek assylum in Australia that’s where she wrote the book ”Desire Of Ages” in 1898. The first Sunday law bill was proposed in the U.S senate on may 21, 1888. The bill was introduced by Mr . Blair was read twice to the communication on education and labour,– A bill to secure the people to enjoy the first day of the week, commonly known as day of rest and to promote its observance as day of religious worship. God used these young men to prevent the enactment of SUNDAY LAW by that time. Today the World Council of Churches (WCC) has now taken the role of National Reform Movement to make the image of the beast which will lead to the enactment of mark of the beast our SDA brethren in nominal churches are just asleep they are following their leaders blindly while on the other hand they are leading them into astray may God help us ?”