The secular media is increasingly describing modern life as overstimulated, over-commercialized, and exhausting—and points to the desecration of Sunday as evidence of that shift. More and more articles, editorials, and opinion pieces look back favorably to an earlier era when stores were closed, malls were quiet, and major sporting events were limited or nonexistent on Sundays. That period is frequently described as simpler and more community-oriented, marked by quieter streets, more time spent with family, regular Sunday church attendance, and the absence of a continuous 24-hour retail cycle.
On February 13, 2026, The Daily News published the following:
• “Somewhere along the way, we reduced the Ten Commandments to nine. A half-century ago, businesses were closed on Sunday, and sporting events recognized Sunday as a day for worship. All that has changed. Today, our calendars are filled with a 24/7 frenzy. We effectively eliminated the fourth commandment as irrelevant and archaic: ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy’.” [1]
• “A report from the American Psychological Association stated, ‘Chronic stress is increasingly eating away at our overall well-being. The psychological and physical toll of stress in America will undoubtedly continue to snowball if something doesn’t change’.” [1]
• “In 1924, Scotland’s Eric Liddell, the fastest runner in the world, refused to compete at the Olympics on the Lord’s Day. When the King of England commanded him to run for his country on Sunday, Liddell respectfully replied he had a higher king.” [1]
• “Sabbath requires time for rest, silence, solitude and worship, but it is more than a day of rest. It is a way of life that is filled with wonder, worship, awe and delight.” [1]
By contrasting that past with today’s constant Sunday commercial activity and sports culture, the message suggests that restoration of Sunday closures will help repair social breakdown. The tone is often secular in language—mental health, work-life balance, labor protections, environmental sustainability, family cohesion—rather than explicit theology. Yet the practical implication of many of these arguments is the same: reduce or eliminate commercial and entertainment activity on Sunday.
When repeated consistently, this message normalizes the idea that Sunday rest is not only desirable but also necessary for the common good. Whether one agrees or disagrees, it is clear that the growing narrative being promoted more and more is this: if we want healthier communities, stronger families, and less chaos, we may need to return to a time when Sunday was different—when commerce stopped, stadiums were quiet, and the people had a uniform day of rest.
Even though much of the world is increasingly calling for Sunday to be protected as the day of rest, the foundation for such a call must be examined in light of God’s Word. The fourth commandment plainly declares: “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy … the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God” (Exodus 20:8–11). Scripture identifies a specific day—the seventh day—not a generally accepted day of rest to be reassigned by tradition or civil authority. When society promotes Sunday as the universal solution for rest and renewal, it is advocating for a day that God never designated in His law. The biblical Sabbath, according to the commandment itself, is the seventh day—what we call Saturday—and any movement that substitutes another day, however well-intentioned, departs from the clear language of Scripture.
“God has given men the Sabbath as a sign between Him and them as a test of their loyalty. Those who, after the light regarding God’s law comes to them, continue to disobey and exalt human laws above the law of God in the great crisis before us, will receive the mark of the beast” (Evangelism, p. 235).
Sources
[1] https://www.galvnews.com/faith/free/sabbath-is-more-than-day-of-rest/article_f09a50bd-3ae2-5b4a-9031-9753b791b83e.html
0
0
0
Leave a Reply