The U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions heard a speech by Connecticut Democrat Senator Chris Murphy on Thursday, March 14, 2024. [1] The committee hearings addressed the need for a 32-hour work week that would give Americans more time for leisure activities such as family socials and Sunday church services. Speaking to Mr. Shawn Fain, International President of the United Auto Workers Union, Senator Murphy said that the reason for the drop in religious attendance is that individuals are simply too exhausted after their week of work. In response, the head of the union reaffirmed that those who work too much don’t have time for worship on Sundays.
The following exchange occurred in our US Congress between Senator Murphy and Union President Fain:
Senator Chris Murphy: “There’s a pretty wild thing happening in America today: in 2000, 70 percent of Americans belonged to a religious institution, but today that number is 50 percent. There has been a pretty precipitous decline in the ability or willingness of Americans to go to church or to a religious institution on a regular basis. And I think that has lots of broad impacts in our society. There are a lot of reasons for that, but one of them is that Americans just have less free time. When you have to work 70 hours to get the same standard of living for your family that 40 hours would have gotten you a few decades ago, you don’t have time to go to Wednesday night Bible study; you might not have the ability to even attend church services on a Sunday. You can talk about church if you want or if you don’t want, but it is just true that some of the leisure time activities, some of the institutions that Americans found value and meaning in, are less accessible when you have to work these long hours. I’d love to just hear your thoughts on that.”
Shawn Fain, UAW President: “One of the biggest, one of the things we talked about was the 32-hour work week when we put that in our contract talks was the fact that we wanted to create work life balance … And as I say when you’re working multiple jobs to live paycheck to paycheck or you’re working seven days a week, 12 hours a day, something else is sacrificed in that, and that’s what ends up happening. You have to sacrifice, you know, the ability to go to church. If it’s something else to do on a Sunday, maybe you get a Sunday off and you haven’t slept all weekend, and you spend the whole day sleeping. I mean that that is a reality a lot of workers face on some of the schedules they work … I do believe Congress has an obligation here, spending priorities and regulations. And that may be an ugly word to some people that represent business.”
Senator Chris Murphy: “Well, listen, I agree with you. I think we should have an interest in leisure time. We should have an interest in making sure that people are able to find value outside of work. A lot of people find value in work, and I’m glad that they do, but a lot of people find more value by the institutions and the social clubs and the churches that they affiliate and spend time with outside of work. But that is just less accessible for people today and that should be a public policy interest of the United States Congress. I appreciate this hearing allowing us to talk about that. Thank you, Mr. Chairman.”
A sitting US senator is urging policymakers to get involved in ensuring that people have more time for church and recreation. According to Senator Murphy, the desire for more leisure ought to be considered a “public policy interest of the United States Congress.” This is a call being made in a Senate committee to reduce the work week, and one of the justifications is so that people can get back to church on Sundays. It’s not simply a call, though. A bill to cut the workweek down to only 32 hours has already been introduced. [2]
“The dignitaries of church and State will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance. Liberty of conscience, which has cost so great a sacrifice, will no longer be respected. In the soon-coming conflict we shall see exemplified the prophet’s words: ‘The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ’.” (Great Controversy, p. 592).
Sources
[2] https://www.congress.gov/bill/118th-congress/house-bill/1332
Mesin Putaran says
This site certainly has all of the information I wanted concerning this subject and didn’t know who to ask.
John S says
This is a topic that is here to stay. This will keep being agitated until they get what they want.
Fred says
This current events site makes us updated on World wide updates. Thanks very much.
Marie says
Satan is very busy.
Kevin says
“The people of God are not to vote to place such men in office; for when they do this, they are partakers with them of the sins which they commit while in office.”
Gospel Workers (1915 ed.)
Our Attitude in Regard to Politics
To the Teachers and Managers of our Schools,
—Those who have charge of our institutions and our schools should guard themselves diligently, lest by their words and sentiments they lead the students into false paths. Those who teach the Bible in our churches and our schools are not at liberty to unite in making apparent their prejudices for or against political men or measures, because by so doing they stir up the minds of others, leading each to advocate his favorite theory. There are among those professing to believe present truth, some who will thus be stirred up to express their sentiments and political preferences, so that division will be brought into the church. GW 391.1
The Lord would have His people bury political questions. On these themes silence is eloquence. Christ calls upon His followers to come into unity on the pure gospel principles which are plainly revealed in the word of God. We cannot with safety vote for political parties; for we do not know whom we are voting for. We cannot with safety take part in any political scheme. We cannot labor to please men who will use their influence to repress religious liberty, and to set in operation oppressive measures to lead or compel their fellow-men to keep Sunday as the Sabbath. The first day of the week is not a day to be reverenced. It is a spurious sabbath, and the members of the Lord’s family cannot participate with the men who exalt this day, and violate the law of God by trampling upon His Sabbath. The people of God are not to vote to place such men in office; for when they do this, they are partakers with them of the sins which they commit while in office.
Aubrey Duncan says
Undoubtedly, the development of the Mark of the Beast (Revelation 13:12-17). It is happening right before our eyes.
May God help us to get ready by spending more time in His word, praying and sharing.
unfoldingprophecy@substack.com
David Cousins says
Turns out it’s a Leftwinger making this push…..well, well, well….in the END both sides of the Political Spectrum will find common ground on this so our “Religious Liberty” Dept. should stop promoting the DNC 2024 election year Talking Points of “Christian Nationalism”. The WORLD wonders after the Beast….that includes the pro-abortion, pro-LGBT Left…..and notice the Trade Unions are on board as the S.O.P predicted.
Stella says
Our world may be divided on a lot of issues, but when it comes to Sunday, the whole world will wonder after the beast.