Sunday Alcohol Sales (crime, night clubs, best)

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

We managed to reconcile our religious beliefs enough to allow the money from 'gambling/lotteries' to fund the Hope Scholarship. Plenty of people may be headed to 'H' for that. Who knows?

All I know is that Billy Graham lives in NC and NC sells liquor on Sunday--which leads me to believe that liquour could be sold in GA, too.

The point is that whatever your or my religious beliefs may be, they should not be set forth as law and forced on others. If you give people freedom and choice, then they can make their own decisions.

My objection is the legislation of one religion's beliefs. Muslims do not believe in ANY consumption of alcohol or pork. Their sabbath is on Friday. Should the state of GA ban all alcohol and pork? Should they only ban it on Fri?

Many argue that because "Christian" (and it's really fundamentalist Baptist) is the majority religion in GA that they get the right to enforce their beliefs on others, and if you don't agree or like it, then tough luck. "Go back where you came from" can be heard from many such folks. That's about as anti-American and anti-Constitutional as you can get.

This country was founded by people escaping religious persecution, and the framers deliberately went out of their way to ensure that even a small minority would not have its rights trampled by the majority, especially when it comes to religious belief (or lack thereof). It just amazes me how many people fail to grasp that basic concept of the American constitutional republic. Kind of sad really, after 235 years.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by DentalFloss

Christians, in their capacity as Citizens, have as much say as any other citizen. What you don't seem to realize is that we have a system of LIMITED government. Our government is NOT ALLOWED to do certain things, amongst those things is to enforce religious rules.

That is not to say that just because a rule is religious, it cannot be made into a law, otherwise murder laws are in trouble. But it's easy to derive that murder is bad without consulting a 'holy' book, selling liquor on Sunday is not.

'Some' Christians, please. I am tired of the outrage against 'Christians' when it is a small segment of the group that seems to be giving the rest of the group a bad name.

'The consumption of alcohol' --an individual responsibility. As far as Sunday being the Lord's Day---many who draw the line on the sale of alcohol do many other things on Sunday that are equally displeasing. The buying of lottery tickets on Sunday might be worse than alcohol--I wouldn't be able to make that decision. I believe Roy Barnes approved--not even certain of that. Just checked--that was Zell Miller/1993. Quite conservative---at any rate.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

'Some' Christians, please. I am tired of the outrage against 'Christians' when it is a small segment of the group that seems to be giving the rest of the group a bad name.

I don't think it's an outrage against any one religion. I think it's an outrage against anyone who wants to regulate other people's thoughts and behaviors that do not harm others, based on their own religious beliefs.

We're not talking murder and behavior that impacts on others. We're talking about alcohol consumption, which is legal all 7 days in most parts of GA. The issue is that on Sunday, because some citizens happen to go to church, they feel that no one in the state should be allowed to pick up a bottle of wine at the grocery store. For some reason it's okay to go the local Taco Mac and drink 10 pints of beer, and then make your way home, but you can't pickup a bottle of Pinot at the grocery store. Make any sense at all?

[DentalFloss]

Originally Posted by JPD

Barring liquor stores from selling mixers does nothing other than cause inconvenience for consumers.

They do that here in New York, too, I can only imagine some idiot legislator thought it would somehow cause people to drink less. In my case, it probably makes me drink more, because instead of drinking vodka-tonics, I just drink vodka-rocks. Fortunately, we're headed to Florida soon.

[neil0311]

Originally Posted by AnsleyPark

Folks, I'm asking not as a challenge, but because I do not know: what is the religious authority underpinning the "no Sunday sales" tenant? Is it derived from the Bible or is it something developed by a particular denomination? Stars&StripesForever, do you know? Thanks!

I understand why you're asking, and I'd love to know too, but the correct question is: Does it matter? The answer to that question is NO.

Even if one of the 10 commandments is "Thou Shalt not sell beer and wine on Sunday" that would merely be something to be observed by those who believe in and observe that religion.

What about Hindus? Muslims? Buddhists? Jews? The fact is that there many other religions, and most don't have any prohibitions against buying wine at the grocery store on Sunday. Even many Christian denominations have no such prohibition, so again, this is catering to a small group of fundamentalists who are a vocal group in GA.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by neil0311

I don't think it's an outrage against any one religion. I think it's an outrage against anyone who wants to regulate other people's thoughts and behaviors that do not harm others, based on their own religious beliefs.

We're not talking murder and behavior that impacts on others. We're talking about alcohol consumption, which is legal all 7 days in most parts of GA. The issue is that on Sunday, because some citizens happen to go to church, they feel that no one in the state should be allowed to pick up a bottle of wine at the grocery store. For some reason it's okay to go the local Taco Mac and drink 10 pints of beer, and then make your way home, but you can't pickup a bottle of Pinot at the grocery store. Make any sense at all?

I think I said much the same a few posts back. 'Some'/mostly Christians in this thread--use their religion like a stick --which is truly wrong--if they read other more relevant passages in the Bible--advocating peaceful ways, etc--not to be 'of the world' but to live peacefully in the world.

Many of other religions and beliefs are able to do this--minorities though they may be. It should also be possible for the Majority/mainstream believers.

[DentalFloss]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

'Some' Christians, please. I am tired of the outrage against 'Christians' when it is a small segment of the group that seems to be giving the rest of the group a bad name.

Hike, I have nothing against people of faith regardless of what faith they have. Most that I know are good people.

But there is a small segment of the religious right who truly wants to impose their doctrine onto the rest of us, and they must be stopped. And you are right, it does make the rest of you look bad, but that's not the doing of those who oppose them. Clean your closets from the inside, and see the problem go away.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by DentalFloss

Hike, I have nothing against people of faith regardless of what faith they have. Most that I know are good people.

But there is a small segment of the religious right who truly wants to impose their doctrine onto the rest of us, and they must be stopped. And you are right, it does make the rest of you look bad, but that's not the doing of those who oppose them. Clean your closets from the inside, and see the problem go away.

Yes, it's small--and not a big deal to me. I said in another post--I hardly consider a 'Christian' who would rave endlessly about any issue--the lack of Godliness, thereof--to be a devout practitioner.

Look at Billy Graham--of NC--apparently he didn't believe in ranting over this issue--because he had read the Bible enough to know that it says --Be Peaceful, cooperative---don't be a jerk.

As far as I can tell --we have one poster in this thread that simply enjoys stirring the pot. I doubt that it has much to do with religion at all.

Once in a conservative political forum--there was a poster who would sometimes go 'off' when certain topics were mentioned--finally the consensus was that he had other issues.

[DentalFloss]

Originally Posted by TakeAhike

we have one poster in this thread that simply enjoys stirring the pot.

It does appear that most, if not all of the fiercest opposition has come from one person. That said, his idea is shared by many even if they're more passive in their support. I read in one of the posted articles that in South Rural Georgia opposition is in the 60-70% range, and I find that horrifying. I can't imagine what kind of bible thumping rednecks live in those areas, or how they might react to meeting someone like me lol.

I suppose it doesn't matter because the chances of me ever living there is less than zero, but it's frightening knowing there's so many people who have no problem imposing their beliefs on others.

[TakeAhike]

Originally Posted by DentalFloss

It does appear that most, if not all of the fiercest opposition has come from one person. That said, his idea is shared by many even if they're more passive in their support. I read in one of the posted articles that in South Rural Georgia opposition is in the 60-70% range, and I find that horrifying. I can't imagine what kind of bible thumping rednecks live in those areas, or how they might react to meeting someone like me lol.

I suppose it doesn't matter because the chances of me ever living there is less than zero, but it's frightening knowing there's so many people who have no problem imposing their beliefs on others.

I don't know--some of them may actually be very involved in church work--I suspect most of them are just the type of people who don't like change. About the only way around that is to allow local governments the power to decide.

Gambling/lottery would seemingly be 'as bad' as alcohol--the lottery has worked out pretty well. These same people probably spend quite a bit of money buying lottery tickets --if they are concerned with eternal damnation then that is something to be considered.

One individual interviewed last night on TV just said '6 days are enough to purchase alcohol--Sunday is for the Lord'--that person may do much better in the practice of her religion than many of the rest of us--but it doesn't sound like she has given the matter a great deal of thought.

No one will be forced to buy alcohol --if it can already be sold by the drink then the sale of alcohol on Sunday has already been accomplished.
The leaders of such communities will just have to deal with this issue. Citizens living in such areas can simply drive to a neighboring county or town and purchase their beverages there--which will be profitable for those towns.

Perhaps this time around we will only get as far as allowing wine and beer to be sold in grocery stores on Sunday. Then the next time expand this to liquor stores. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.