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https://docs.google.com/document/d/1nGmh-FcxAFYQ1eIi4w9mtJlvpabH75gOzNkTNprxREs/edit?usp=sharing

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Even if you practice a Christian Denomination, take a moment to think of and write a few sentences on a time where you have experienced or seem how Christianity's overreach can effect other's negatively. Try and view this from an objective standpoint. Consider how one religion feeling superior can cause other religions and atheists to be pulled under and effected negatively.

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This is a song by an artist named Moon Walker. As an artist who is very against Christianity as a whole, this song often refers to not wanting to got to heaven, simple to avoid being with people who may push their values on the artist. This helps portray the frustration people can feel when a religion overreaches and tries to push it's values on others who do not want to ear about their religion. The Song is intended to be a 'shot' at all Christian people who use their religion as a basis of superiority to try and overpower others (mentioning many people who are effected by overreach, including Wiccans, Atheists, and others). The song explicitly mentions cops and racist people in grouping with Christianity, showing how people who are affected by religious overreach can demonize/ see underlying issues with what is happening.

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Spotify. https://open.spotify.com/track/1h4a56e4ZSm4yWdq1F7LNG?si=18b25272517442e4. Accessed 4 Dec. 2022.

- Song broadly against Christian denominations

- Strong Message, very dramatic

- Aimed at angry/frustrated people who are not Christians, and Christians open to hearing it's message

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A Prager video discussing Separation of church and state. In this we see how even subconsciously, Monotheism is considered the only valid practice of religion with many political figures. Throughout the video Monotheism is regarded as the only religion, specifically Christian denominations and Abrahamic religions. They mention prayers that refer to the "Almighty God" as a prayer that includes all religion, and refer to all religions as sharing the same ethics and morals as Christianity.,

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What Does Separation of Church and State Mean? www.youtube.com, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K_yS0X5s0lo. Accessed 1 Dec. 2022.

Aimed at conservative Christians

Discusses the seperation fo church ands tateand the founders' intentions

(Generally a badly made argument, lots of strawmen and doubling back)

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What Does Separation of Church and State Mean?

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This Source describes how lost Hindu Americans can feel lost under the American political system. Christianity was so centric when the politics were created and evolved, that other religions don't manage to find their place. When Christianity forms these two sides, Hinduism and other religions find both sides are for and against their different ideals. The author mentions how Hinduism has no wish to convert others or disrespect gods, and implies Christianity does. End on the note that Hindus feel uncomfortable in the US political sphere, but are also comforted in this fact due to their religion.

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“For Hindu Americans, No Political Place Safe.” The Fulcrum, 18 Feb. 2022, https://thefulcrum.us/Pop-Culture/Faithful--Mindful-Living/hindu-religion.

- Aimed at non-Hindu peoples

- Discusses Hinduism as a whole, and the religion's peoples' feelings towards politics in the US

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Last week, we published a selection of responses to our question, ""During our turbulent and challenging times, how does your faith, religion or spirituality inform your politics?" A few readers followed up with additional thoughts that we wanted to share. The following was submitted by Ramesh Rao, a professor of communication at Columbus State University.

We Hindus are not supremacists. We don't say our Gods are better than yours, nor do we say that ours are the only Gods. We have Gods - plural - though we consider the Cosmos ( Hiranyagarbha) as one, the Cosmic One, immanent, not "a" God, sitting somewhere with a white, black, brown, or red beard, waiting for "His" faithful. Our Gods - Devas, Devatas, Aadityas - come in many forms, shapes, colors, sexes. We bathe them, sing to them, perform their marriages, offer them food, seek their blessings. They are male, female, both, none. But all is One.

We are not monopolists. We do not want to shut you up, demonize your faith, nor speak ill of your God. And this important point to note: We do not attempt to make the world Hindu. We don't want to convert you. When you are in trouble, we do not come with bread (or rice and curry) in one hand, and the " Bhagavad Gita" in the other. We don't ask you to forsake the God you grew up with and believe in. We do not demonize, mock or belittle your faith, like the proselytizing ones do. We believe in living and letting live. We think of the world as Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam - one large family. Those verses warn us that it is only the small-minded who discriminate between their family, their kith and strangers.
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We are not "religionists." Hinduism is not a "religion of the book," nor a "prophetic religion." We are not merely believers. We do not merely have faith. If ours is a religion at all, it is the "religion of the library" (as our sacred texts include the " Vedas," the " Upanishads," the " Aagamas, the " Puranas" and the " Itihaasas "). These texts offer deep philosophical insights about the nature of knowledge, the nature of being and life, about the nature of the "I", of consciousness, ego, mind, and memory, along with a celebration of life and the worship of "It" in its myriad forms:

"How many fires are there, how many suns, how many dawns, how many waters? I say this, O you Fathers, not as a challenge. I ask it to know, O you poets" (Rgveda, 10, 88, 18 - translated by Roberto Calasso, "Ardor," 2010).

The Rig Veda, the oldest extant human text, mentions mind/consciousness more than 100 times. Read others' sacred books, which thump they do and sell in the millions, and you will find little if nothing about consciousness. Now, "consciousness studies" is all the rage among philosophers, cognitive scientists, physicists, artists, social scientists. We contemplated the human condition, not sipping tea, shooting the breeze, or putting electrodes all over your bodies, but in deep meditation, seeking transcendence, insight, illumination.

We do not believe the world was created in six days by "God" who rested on the seventh day. Our one day and one night of Brahma (not Brahman, but Brahma - of the Hindu trinity - Brahma the Creator, Vishnu the Sustainer, and Shiva the Destroyer) equals 8.64 billion earth years, and Brahma's lifespan is 100 years -more than 311 trillion Earth years. The universe dissolves after these 100 years. But wait: It reemerges after another 100 years of Brahma. This is the Hindu cosmic scale. This cosmos, this "Hiranyagarbha" - the "universal womb" - is also a speck, the size of an atom - epitomizing/symbolizing the relationship between the individual soul ( aatman) with the cosmic soul ( Brahman). We consider our words, our texts sacred, for " vaac" (speech) is the origin of the universe and " Naada Brahman " is the universe of sound, the cosmic hum that is beneath, above and surrounding all.

Our view of history is fluid, and we remember not to claim or own something, some place, some honor, or some privilege, or to challenge others, but for lessons and directions in leading the dharmic life - following Dharma - the universal law.

We believe in Karma - action, and the fruits thereof, which may result in the shaping of future lives of the individual. That means we believe in reincarnation, birth and rebirth, based on our karmas. These kaarmic results occur through the medium of samskaras (psychological imprints in the subconscious) and vaasanas (subtle desire that remain or persist in memory).

This is the Hindu world of faith, belief, reason and understanding. But Hindus are a microminority in the United States, and these days we are the target of progressives, liberals and other soul-harvesters, grandstanders and moral majorities, who wish to paint the word "caste" on our backs and make us targets of their demonization campaigns or save us from ourselves and our bad karma. They seek to cancel us en masse for they do not like our success, our striving, our dedication to family and to minding our business, and our support for law and order. They cannot gauge the depth of our understanding of the human condition, so they label us as ignorant or bigoted.

That makes politics a difficult arena for us to enter, let alone prosper in. Given the diversity of our ways of worship, faith, beliefs and philosophies, Hindus are an easy target to attack, to sow divisions in or to marginalize. The politics of the left and the right, of those labeled Democrats and those labeled Republicans, confuses us. We have mostly voted Democratic until recently because Democrats seemed more accepting of immigrants, and are willing to taste our foods and listen to our music. However, most Hindus are conservative in their social outlook - holding on to their families, believing in hard work and discipline, knowing that promiscuity of any kind leads to disease and discomfort, that faith and devotion offer deep succor, and that it is the individual who journeys toward liberation and enlightenment rather than the group that marches into heaven or is doomed to stumble into hell.

We worry about the lack of interest in and the understanding of our great traditions - art, culture, music, philosophy, books - among those who call themselves conservatives or Republican, and we are afraid of the attacks by those who call themselves progressive and Democrats who are intent on dissecting and disemboweling our traditions, texts and Gods, marking us as targets for "re-education" and seeking new ways to rob us of our livelihoods and of our peace of mind. The sustained campaign against "caste" (the University of California, Davis and the Cal State University system recently added caste as a protected category in their anti-discrimination policies, as did Harvard), with a flurry of articles being published in major legacy news outlets and in academic journals about Indian students being discriminated against by other Indians based on their "caste status." Isabel Wilkerson's "Caste" has mostly been used to beat Hindus rather than to evaluate the race, color, and class dynamics in the United States.

The messy nature of American politics now, and the increasing divide between the right and the left, make Hindu Americans like me, who have consistently voted Democratic, worry about our political status and our social wellbeing in this society, and confused about who to vote for next. Our colored status, strangely enough, does not seem to offer us the buying power in Democratic politics that other privileged colored folks seem to have, despite the monopolist and supremacist faiths they belong to and propagate, or their constant drumbeat about being victims of various phobias. In Republican circles, with their obsession about former President Donald Trump, and revanchist dreams about white, European, Western, Christian reemergence as the world's saviors, what Hindus find is temporary, unsafe shelter.

We are indeed caught between the devil and the deep sea. But our despair is leavened by the knowledge that this cosmos is big, and there is more than one life to live.

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OPINION: For Hindu Americans, no political place safe

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The messy nature of American politics now, and the increasing divide between the right and the left, make Hindu Americans worry about our political status and our social wellbeing in this society, and confused about who to vote for next.

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Sunday laws, though seemingly innocuous, are another form of religious exerting force on people. They have a clearly religious Background, wherein sales were restricted on sabbath for church and respect to god. Upholding them simply because they meet a common need/goal ignores the religious fact behind it. It's placing that day of rest, purposefully, on the day of worship of one religion. Once again, favouring the monotheistic religions. When we bring McGowan v. Maryland into the picture, we see that it's bigger than even this. We see that A religion is allowed to overreach and influence others, so long as those others do not have their own religion that is being effected.

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“Blue Laws in the United States.” Wikipedia, 30 Nov. 2022. Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Blue_laws_in_the_United_States&oldid=1124868750.

- Sunday laws, aka Blue or Sabbath Laws, are laws that restrict an action on Sunday.
- Many restrict the sale of use of alcohol, some have been repealed over time.
-Overtly religious origins

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Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, are laws that restrict or ban some or all activities on specified days (most often on Sundays in the western world), particularly to promote the observance of a day of rest. Such laws may restrict shopping or ban sale of certain items on specific days. Blue laws are enforced in parts of the United States and Canada as well as some European countries, particularly in Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and Norway, keeping most stores closed on Sundays.

The U.S. Supreme Court has held blue laws as constitutional numerous times, citing secular bases such as securing a day of rest for mail carriers, as well as protecting workers and families, in turn contributing to societal stability and guaranteeing the free exercise of religion. The origin of the blue laws also partially stems from religion, particularly the prohibition of Sabbath desecration in Christian Churches following the first-day Sabbatarian tradition. Both labor unions and trade associations have historically supported the legislation of blue laws. Most blue laws have been repealed in the United States, although many states ban selling cars and impose tighter restrictions on the sale of alcoholic drinks on Sundays.

Arizona previously limited alcohol sales hours on Sundays (2 a.m. to 10 a.m.; the other six days of the week alcohol could be purchased starting at 6 a.m.). This law was repealed in 2010.

Arkansas has 75 counties, 39 of which are "dry", meaning the sale of any alcoholic beverage is prohibited entirely. (Some exceptions are made for private facilities). Private facilities must have licenses, which can be rigorous. Sale of alcoholic beverages on Christmas Day is entirely prohibited, even in private facilities. Alcohol and liquor sales are prohibited in most counties on Sunday and statewide on Christmas Day. (Some exceptions for private facilities are made for Sundays).

Washington, D.C. allows private retailers (Class A) to sell distilled spirits, but the District Council requires Class A retailers to be closed on Sundays (Class B retailers, such as grocery stores, may sell beer and wine on Sundays). However, in December 2012, the Council voted to repeal the Sunday restriction. The repeal took effect May 1, 2013.

Sunday retail alcohol sales in stores were prohibited by the Georgia General Assembly up until 2011. On April 28, 2011, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal signed legislation allowing local communities to vote on whether to allow alcohol sales on Sundays. Sales are still restricted on Sundays before 12:30 p.m. On November 8, 2011, voters in more than 100 Georgia cities and counties voted on a bill that would allow stores to sell alcohol on Sundays. It passed in Valdosta, Atlanta, Savannah and many other cities. Before this, cities and counties of sufficiently large populations such as most of Metro Atlanta already had Sunday alcohol sales at bars and restaurants, with local ordinances to abide by, such as having a certain amount of food sales in order to be opened and serve alcohol. Exceptions were also made by the drink at festivals and large events.

Horse racing is prohibited on Sundays unless authorized by the local municipality.

Car dealerships are closed on Sundays.

Carry-out alcohol sales were strictly prohibited on Sundays until 2011, when the state amended its laws to permit qualified breweries to sell local brews for carryout (generally growlers). In 2018, the law was changed to allow carry-out purchases on Sundays. Restaurants and taverns can generally still serve alcoholic beverages. Alcohol sales are no longer prohibited on New Years Day. In 2010, a change in legislation allowed Indiana residents to purchase alcohol on Election Day. Christmas sales are still prohibited. In the state of Indiana, as of March 1, 2018, Sunday carry-out alcohol sales are allowed between noon and 8pm.

Iowa Code 322.3 states that a licensed car dealership cannot either directly or through an agent, salesperson, or employee, engage in Iowa, or represent or advertise that the person is engaged or intends to engage in Iowa, in the business of buying or selling at retail new or used motor vehicles, other than mobile homes more than eight feet in width or more than thirty-two feet in length on Sunday.

Maine is also one of three states where it is illegal for almost all businesses to open on Christmas, Easter, and Thanksgiving, most notably the big department and grocery stores.

In Maryland, "a new or used car dealer may not sell, barter, deliver, give away, show, or offer for sale a motor vehicle or certificate of title for a motor vehicle on Sunday", except in Howard County, Montgomery County, and Prince George's County. Motorcycles are excepted in Anne Arundel County. In the City of Baltimore, a used car dealer may choose to operate on Sunday and not Saturday if it notifies the Motor Vehicle Administration in advance of its intention. Following a public hearing, the Commissioners of Charles County are allowed to authorize sales of motor vehicles on Sunday.

In Maryland, professional sports teams are prohibited from playing games before 1 p.m. on a Sunday unless a local law or a local ordinance allows it.

Most off-premises alcohol sales were not permitted on Sundays until 2004. Exceptions were made in 1990 for municipalities that were within 10 miles (16 km) of the New Hampshire or Vermont border. Since 1992, alcohol sales have been allowed statewide from the Sunday prior to Thanksgiving until New Year's Day. In both exceptions, sales were not allowed before noon. Since the law changed in 2004, off-premises sales are now allowed anywhere in the state, with local approval, after noon. Retail alcohol sales remain barred on Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and Memorial Day(until noon).

Massachusetts also has a "Day of Rest" statute that provides that all employees are entitled to one day off from work in seven calendar days.

Until 2019, retail employees working on Sundays were paid time-and-a-half. This will be gradually phased out over 5 years, paralleled by a phased-in increase in the state minimum wage in 2019.

The sale of alcohol is banned from 2 a.m. to 7 a.m. every day. The only exception to this rule is New Year's Day, in which case alcohol sales are permitted until 4 a.m. Alcohol sales were likewise banned on Sunday until 12 p.m., and on Christmas from 12 a.m. until 12 p.m., until a repeal in late 2010. Specific localities may petition[to whom? ] for exceptions for either on-site or off-site consumption.

A law passed in 1953 prohibits the sale of motor vehicles on Sunday.

All "blue laws" which had restricted Sunday hunting, in specific Lower Peninsula counties, were repealed in 2003.

Prior to the law being repealed in 2017, the sale of alcohol in liquor stores was prohibited statewide on Sundays. As recently as the 2015 legislative session, proposals to allow Sunday liquor sales were defeated regularly. However, in 2015, Sunday growler purchases were made legal. On March 2, 2017, the state legislature passed a law allowing for Sunday Liquor Sales to begin on July 2, 2017. Governor Mark Dayton signed the legislation as soon as it was passed. Liquor stores are not required to be open on Sundays, but those who choose to do so are restricted to the hours between 11 AM and 6 PM. Car dealerships are closed Sundays.

The sale of alcohol is prohibited in most of Mississippi on Sundays. Also, liquor sales are prohibited in nearly half of the state's counties.

In 1677, the General Assembly of East New Jersey banned the "singing of vain songs or tunes" on Sabbath.

One of the last remaining Sunday closing laws in the United States that covers selling electronics, clothing and furniture is found in Bergen County, New Jersey. The county, part of the New York metropolitan area, has one of the largest concentrations of enclosed retail shopping malls of any county in the nation; five major malls lie within the county. Paramus, where three of the county's five major malls are located, has even more restrictive blue laws than the county itself, banning all type of work on Sundays except in grocery stores, gas stations, pharmacies, hotels, restaurants, and other entertainment venues. As recently as 2010, Governor Chris Christie had proposed the repeal of these laws in his State Budget, but many county officials vowed to maintain them, and shortly after, Christie predicted that the repeal would not succeed. Car dealerships are not allowed to be open or do business on Sundays anywhere in the state. In November 2012, Christie issued an executive order to temporarily suspend the blue law due to the effects of Hurricane Sandy. The blue law was suspended on November 11 but was back in effect on November 18.

On-premise sale of alcohol is allowed from 7 AM to 2 AM and until midnight for off-premise, including Sundays. Restaurants, but not bars, can serve alcoholic beverages on Christmas Day between noon and 10 PM. There are no package (off-premise) sales on Christmas day.

The ban on Sunday sales had been in existence since 1656, when implemented by Dutch colony of the New Netherlands, but was voided after 320 years as unconstitutional, in a unanimous decision by the state's highest court on June 17, 1976, because of a finding that "parts of the statue that are rarely enforced by the police and routinely disregarded by thousands of businesses" were "constitutionally defective". Prior to that time, the discount stores and supermarkets had been making sales anyway without consequence. At the time, blue laws were still in effect in 30 of the 50 states of the U.S.

Alcohol sales for consumption off-premises are not permitted between 3 a.m. and 8 a.m. on Sundays, while on-premises sales are not permitted between 4 a.m. and 8 a.m. on any day.[citation needed ] Prior to 2006, off-premises alcohol sales were forbidden until noon on Sundays, and liquor/wine stores were required to be closed the entire day. Because grocery stores are not permitted to carry wine or liquor, the older law essentially meant that only beer and alcoholic malt beverages could be purchased at all on Sundays.[citation needed ]

Relatively few parts of New York actually permit alcohol sales at all times permissible under state law; most counties have more restrictive blue laws of their own.

The NYS Alcoholic Beverage Control Law prohibits the issuance of a full liquor license for establishments on the same street or avenue and within two hundred feet of a building occupied exclusively as a school, church, synagogue or other place of worship. Establishments within 200 feet (61 m) of a church or school may obtain a beer and wine license.

Motor vehicle sales are prohibited on Sundays. The dispensing of alcohol is banned from 2 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Sundays. Off-sale of liquor is not allowed from 2 a.m. to noon Sundays. Prior to 1967, the law was stricter in that all businesses were closed from 12 a.m. Sunday to 12 a.m. Monday. In 1967, changes more clearly defined which businesses were exempt such as pharmacies, hospitals and restaurants. The changes were made after a 1966 blizzard, after which citizens were not able to purchase some needed goods and services due to the blue law. The law changed once more in 1991 to allow businesses to open at noon on Sunday. On March 19, 2019 the state Legislature passed a law abolishing the blue law in the state. The bill was then signed by Governor Doug Burgum on March 25, 2019. The blue law expired on August 1, 2019 and the first Sunday with legal morning sales was August 4, 2019.

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it.

The city of Columbus prohibited business operations on Sunday well into the 1950s.

Sunday alcohol sales are authorized by permit class and local option election. A retail business must have the proper permit and local option authorization to sell any alcohol on Sunday.

Alcohol sales on Sundays are allowed after 1:00 p.m. and in sports arenas after 11:00 a.m.

It is illegal to sell packaged liquor (off-premises sales) on Sundays. Sales also are prohibited on New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Day.

Car dealerships are also closed on Sundays.

Organized sports competition on Sundays was illegal in Pennsylvania until 1931; when challenged by the Philadelphia A's, the laws were changed permitting only baseball to be played on Sundays. In 1933, Bert Bell, understanding that prerequisites to an NFL franchise being granted to him were changes in the blue laws, played the primary role of convincing then Governor Gifford Pinchot to issue a bill before the Pennsylvanian legislature to deprecate the Blue Laws. The legislature passed the bill in April 1933, paving the way for Philadelphia Eagles to play on Sundays. The law also directed local communities to hold referendums to determine the status and extent of Blue Laws in their respective jurisdictions. On November 7, 1933, the referendum on the Blue Laws passed in Philadelphia and it became law.

The Pennsylvania law was upheld in the 1961 landmark case Braunfeld v. Brown.

Regarding alcohol, wines and spirits are to be sold only in the state owned Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores, where all prices must remain the same throughout the state (county sales tax may cause the price to differ slightly).[citation needed ] As of April 2015, 157 of the 603 Fine Wine & Good Spirits stores are open from noon to 5:00 p.m. on Sundays. Beer may only be purchased from a restaurant, bar, licensed beer store, or distributor. Six and twelve packs, along with individual bottles such as 40-ounce or 24-ounce beers, may only be purchased at bars, restaurants, and licensed retailers. For larger quantities one must go to a beverage distributor which sells beer only by the case or keg, or 12-packs, which were added to beer distributors' inventories by state law in 2015. Beverage distributors (which also sell soft drinks) may sell beer and malt liquor, but not wine or hard liquor.[citation needed ]

In 2016, a bill was passed to relax the liquor laws. Updates include allowing grocery stores, convenience stores, hotels, and restaurants to sell take out wine, allowing mail order wine shipments, and allowing 24/7 alcohol sales at casinos. Special licenses are required for businesses to take advantage of these new opportunities. Also Sunday restrictions on the hours at the state owned "Fine Wine & Good Spirits" stores were eliminated.

Hunting is prohibited on Sundays, with the exception of foxes, crows and coyotes.

Car dealerships are also closed on Sunday.

In addition to alcohol laws varying widely across Tennessee, bartenders are prohibited from allowing alcohol to be consumed on their premises between 3 AM and 10 AM on Sunday, unless the local government has decided not to allow extended hours for alcohol sales, in which case sale before noon is prohibited.

Car dealerships (both new and used) must remain closed on either Saturday or Sunday; the dealer has the option to determine on which day to close.

Alcoholic beverages

In Texas, alcoholic beverage sales are distinguished (and thus blue laws vary) in two different ways:

The first way is by type of alcohol sold. The Texas Alcoholic Beverage Code defines "liquor" as any beverage containing more than four percent alcohol by weight, and liquor sales are more restrictive than "beer and wine" sales.

The second way is by where the alcohol will be consumed. Separate permits are required, and differing laws apply, based on whether the alcohol is sold for "on-premises consumption" (i.e., at a bar or restaurant) or "off-premises consumption" (i.e., in a retail establishment such as a grocery store or "package store").

Beer and wine

Beer and wine can be sold for "off-premises consumption" by any retailer that can supply and has the proper licenses. A beer and wine seller may sell other non-alcohol items, and is not required to be closed for business during periods when beer and wine cannot be sold.

Beer can be sold between 7 a.m. and midnight Monday-Friday, on Saturday from 7 a.m. to 1 a.m. And Sunday between 10 a.m. (noon before August 31, 2021) and midnight. On-premises consumption permit holders may sell beer between 10 a.m. and noon but only with a food order. In certain large cities as defined within the Code, beer sales are automatically extended to 2 a.m. on any day of the week; in smaller cities and unincorporated portions of counties such sales can be allowed if authorized by the local governing body.

Wine sales are subject to the same rules as beer sales, except sales are allowed until 2 a.m. on Sunday in all cases.

Liquor may not be sold at retail stores during any of the following times:

Any time on Sunday,

Any time on New Year's Day, Thanksgiving or Christmas (when Christmas and New Year's Day fall on a Sunday, then sales are prohibited at any time on the following Monday) and

between 9 p.m. and 10 a.m. local time on any other day of the week.

Wholesalers may deliver liquor to retailers at any time except on Sunday or Christmas; however, local distributors may deliver liquor to retailers only between 5 a.m. and 9 p.m. on any day except Sunday, Christmas or any day where the retailer is prohibited from selling liquor.

There are forms of hunting on Sunday that were illegal, such as deer, turkey, dove and duck, and other forms that were legal. The forms of Sunday hunting that were legal were hunting on licensed hunting preserves, bear hunting, raccoon hunting and fox hunting.

Historically, off-premises Sunday sales of spirits were banned, and all liquor stores were closed. On November 8, 1966, Washington state voters adopted Initiative 229, repealing the so-called "Blue Law," which had been enacted in 1909. Consumers still had the option of purchasing beer or wine from grocery stores or on-premises spirits from bars and restaurants. In 2005, the state began allowing off-premises spirits sales in select stores on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m.

On the election of November 8, 2011, voters passed Initiative 1183, which brought several changes to the liquor distribution and retailing system. The most significant of these changes were the end to the state monopoly on liquor sales and distribution. On June 1, 2012, Washington completed its transition to private liquor sales. Under 1183, spirits may only be sold in premises of at least 10,000 sq ft, generally including grocery stores, warehouse clubs, department stores, and some larger specialty shops.

The sale of alcohol for both on and off-premises consumption is prohibited between the hours of 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. daily.

New rule‐making by the Washington State Liquor Control Board (WSLCB) based on alcohol sales hour restrictions is being proposed as the model for state licensed Marijuana sales per initiative I-502 as well.

Hunting on Sunday is prohibited in all but 14 of 55 counties.

Alcohol sales are prohibited in West Virginia between 12:01AM and 6:00 AM, as well as on several holidays.

The right to observe the Bible's Sabbath as practiced by Jews and Seventh-day Adventists gained momentum in the early 1950s.

Both civil leaders, such as Harold M. Jacobs, and rabbinical leaders, such as Solomon Sharfman, worked individually and via groups, such as The Joint Committee for a Fair Sabbath Law. They understood that their rights were to be granted "provided they did not disturb those persons who observe Sunday as a day of rest." This stance was supported by the New York Federation of Churches and the Protestant Council of New York.

The goal was to give religious freedom to "merchants who want to close their places of business on Saturday, but are afraid of business losses from a five-day-a-week schedule."

The state legislature discussed the idea of allowing a government-issued certificate to be placed in the window of a "place of business closed on Saturdays" that would be verified by "the patrolman on the beat."

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Blue laws in the United States - Wikipedia

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Blue laws, also known as Sunday laws, are laws that restrict or ban some or all activities on specified days (most often on Sundays in the western world), particularly to promote the observance of a day of rest. Such laws may restrict shopping or ban sale of certain items on specific days.

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The Texas Constitution Sec. 4 states that to be voted in, you must acknowledge a "supreme being". This explicitly restricts atheists, Taoist base religions, and anyone else who does not believe in a higher power from running. It also could be used to restrict any polytheistic religion from running. Although as a state law this is overruled by federal law, it still portrays religious overreach and a lack of division of church and state that the United States is so known for. Of note is that this explicitly favors the Christian, Catholic, Jewish, and other bible-centric monotheistic belief system over all others.

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Texas Law states that to be voted in, you must acknowledge a "supreme being".

As a state law, this is overruled by federal law, but it still portrays religious overreach and a lack of division of church and state.

No aim or audience, this is a law

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THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION



ARTICLE 1. BILL OF RIGHTS



That the general, great and essential principles of liberty and free government may be recognized and established, we declare:


Sec. 1. FREEDOM AND SOVEREIGNTY OF STATE. Texas is a free and independent State, subject only to the Constitution of the United States, and the maintenance of our free institutions and the perpetuity of the Union depend upon the preservation of the right of local self-government, unimpaired to all the States.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 2. INHERENT POLITICAL POWER; REPUBLICAN FORM OF GOVERNMENT. All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and instituted for their benefit. The faith of the people of Texas stands pledged to the preservation of a republican form of government, and, subject to this limitation only, they have at all times the inalienable right to alter, reform or abolish their government in such manner as they may think expedient.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 3. EQUAL RIGHTS. All freemen†, when they form a social compact, have equal rights, and no man, or set of men, is entitled to exclusive separate public emoluments, or privileges, but in consideration of public services.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


† The language of this provision is identical to the language of the official legislative measure that originally proposed the provision. A digital image of the original text of the official enrolled measure can be found here.


Sec. 3a. EQUALITY UNDER THE LAW. Equality under the law shall not be denied or abridged because of sex, race, color, creed, or national origin. This amendment is self-operative.


(Added Nov. 7, 1972.)


Sec. 4. RELIGIOUS TESTS. No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall any one be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 5. WITNESSES NOT DISQUALIFIED BY RELIGIOUS BELIEFS; OATHS AND AFFIRMATIONS. No person shall be disqualified to give evidence in any of the Courts of this State on account of his religious opinions, or for the want of any religious belief, but all oaths or affirmations shall be administered in the mode most binding upon the conscience, and shall be taken subject to the pains and penalties of perjury.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 6. FREEDOM OF WORSHIP. All men have a natural and indefeasible right to worship Almighty God according to the dictates of their own consciences. No man shall be compelled to attend, erect or support any place of worship, or to maintain any ministry against his consent. No human authority ought, in any case whatever, to control or interfere with the rights of conscience in matters of religion, and no preference shall ever be given by law to any religious society or mode of worship. But it shall be the duty of the Legislature to pass such laws as may be necessary to protect equally every religious denomination in the peaceable enjoyment of its own mode of public worship.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 6-a. RELIGIOUS SERVICE PROTECTIONS. This state or a political subdivision of this state may not enact, adopt, or issue a statute, order, proclamation, decision, or rule that prohibits or limits religious services, including religious services conducted in churches, congregations, and places of worship, in this state by a religious organization established to support and serve the propagation of a sincerely held religious belief.


(Added Nov. 2, 2021.)


Sec. 7. APPROPRIATIONS FOR SECTARIAN PURPOSES. No money shall be appropriated, or drawn from the Treasury for the benefit of any sect, or religious society, theological or religious seminary; nor shall property belonging to the State be appropriated for any such purposes.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 8. FREEDOM OF SPEECH AND PRESS; LIBEL. Every person shall be at liberty to speak, write or publish his opinions on any subject, being responsible for the abuse of that privilege; and no law shall ever be passed curtailing the liberty of speech or of the press. In prosecutions for the publication of papers, investigating the conduct of officers, or men in public capacity, or when the matter published is proper for public information, the truth thereof may be given in evidence. And in all indictments for libels, the jury shall have the right to determine the law and the facts, under the direction of the Court, as in other cases.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 9. SEARCHES AND SEIZURES. The people shall be secure in their persons, houses, papers and possessions, from all unreasonable seizures or searches, and no warrant to search any place, or to seize any person or thing, shall issue without describing them as near as may be, nor without probable cause, supported by oath or affirmation.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 10. RIGHTS OF ACCUSED IN CRIMINAL PROSECUTIONS. In all criminal prosecutions the accused shall hav† a speedy public trial by an impartial jury. He shall have the right to demand the nature and cause of the accusation against him, and to have a copy thereof. He shall not be compelled to give evidence against himself† and shall have the right of being heard by himself or counsel, or both, shall be confronted by the witnesses against him and shall have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, except that when the witness resides out of the State and the offense charged is a violation of any of the anti-trust laws of this State, the defendant and the State shall have the right to produce and have the evidence admitted by deposition, under such rules and laws as the Legislature may hereafter provide; and no person shall be held to answer for a criminal offense.† unless on an indictment of a grand jury, except in cases in which the punishment is by fine or imprisonment, otherwise than in the penetentiary†, in cases of impeachment, and in cases arising in the army or navy, or in the militia, when in actual service in time of war or public danger.


(Feb. 15, 1876. Amended Nov. 5, 1918.)


† The language of this provision is identical to the language of the official legislative measure that originally proposed the provision. A digital image of the original text of the official enrolled measure can be found here.


Sec. 11. BAIL. All prisoners shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, unless for capital offences†, when the proof is evident; but this provision shall not be so construed as to prevent bail after indictment found upon examination of the evidence, in such manner as may be prescribed by law.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


† The language of this provision is identical to the language of the official legislative measure that originally proposed the provision. A digital image of the original text of the official enrolled measure can be found here.


Sec. 11a. DENIAL OF BAIL AFTER MULTIPLE FELONIES. (a) Any person (1) accused of a felony less than capital in this State, who has been theretofore twice convicted of a felony, the second conviction being subsequent to the first, both in point of time of commission of the offense and conviction therefor, (2) accused of a felony less than capital in this State, committed while on bail for a prior felony for which he has been indicted, (3) accused of a felony less than capital in this State involving the use of a deadly weapon after being convicted of a prior felony, or (4) accused of a violent or sexual offense committed while under the supervision of a criminal justice agency of the State or a political subdivision of the State for a prior felony, after a hearing, and upon evidence substantially showing the guilt of the accused of the offense in (1) or (3) above, of the offense committed while on bail in (2) above, or of the offense in (4) above committed while under the supervision of a criminal justice agency of the State or a political subdivision of the State for a prior felony, may be denied bail pending trial, by a district judge in this State, if said order denying bail pending trial is issued within seven calendar days subsequent to the time of incarceration of the accused; provided, however, that if the accused is not accorded a trial upon the accusation under (1) or (3) above, the accusation and indictment used under (2) above, or the accusation or indictment used under (4) above within sixty (60) days from the time of his incarceration upon the accusation, the order denying bail shall be automatically set aside, unless a continuance is obtained upon the motion or request of the accused; provided, further, that the right of appeal to the Court of Criminal Appeals of this State is expressly accorded the accused for a review of any judgment or order made hereunder, and said appeal shall be given preference by the Court of Criminal Appeals.


(b) In this section:


(1) "Violent offense" means:


(A) murder;


(B) aggravated assault, if the accused used or exhibited a deadly weapon during the commission of the assault;


(C) aggravated kidnapping; or


(D) aggravated robbery.


(2) "Sexual offense" means:


(A) aggravated sexual assault;


(B) sexual assault; or


(C) indecency with a child.


(Added Nov. 6, 1956; amended Nov. 8, 1977; Subsec. (a) amended and (b) added Nov. 2, 1993.)


Sec. 11b. DENIAL OF BAIL FOR VIOLATION OF CONDITION OF RELEASE. Any person who is accused in this state of a felony or an offense involving family violence, who is released on bail pending trial, and whose bail is subsequently revoked or forfeited for a violation of a condition of release may be denied bail pending trial if a judge or magistrate in this state determines by a preponderance of the evidence at a subsequent hearing that the person violated a condition of release related to the safety of a victim of the alleged offense or to the safety of the community.


(Added Nov. 8, 2005; amended Nov. 6, 2007.)


Sec. 11c. DENIAL OF BAIL FOR VIOLATION OF PROTECTIVE ORDER INVOLVING FAMILY VIOLENCE. The legislature by general law may provide that any person who violates an order for emergency protection issued by a judge or magistrate after an arrest for an offense involving family violence or who violates an active protective order rendered by a court in a family violence case, including a temporary ex parte order that has been served on the person, or who engages in conduct that constitutes an offense involving the violation of an order described by this section may be taken into custody and, pending trial or other court proceedings, denied release on bail if following a hearing a judge or magistrate in this state determines by a preponderance of the evidence that the person violated the order or engaged in the conduct constituting the offense.


(Added Nov. 6, 2007.)


Sec. 12. HABEAS CORPUS. The writ of Habeas Corpus is a writ of right, and shall never be suspended. The Legislature shall enact laws to render the remedy speedy and effectual.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 13. EXCESSIVE BAIL OR FINES; CRUEL OR UNUSUAL PUNISHMENT; OPEN COURTS; REMEDY BY DUE COURSE OF LAW. Excessive bail shall not be required, nor excessive fines imposed, nor cruel or unusual punishment inflicted. All courts shall be open, and every person for an injury done him, in his lands, goods, person or reputation, shall have remedy by due course of law.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 14. DOUBLE JEOPARDY. No person, for the same offence†, shall be twice put in jeopardy of life or liberty,† nor shall a person be again put upon trial for the same offence,† after a verdict of not guilty in a court of competent jurisdiction.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


† The language of this provision is identical to the language of the official legislative measure that originally proposed the provision. A digital image of the original text of the official enrolled measure can be found here and here.


Sec. 15. RIGHT OF TRIAL BY JURY. The right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate. The Legislature shall pass such laws as may be needed to regulate the same, and to maintain its purity and efficiency. Provided, that the Legislature may provide for the temporary commitment, for observation and/or treatment, of mentally ill persons not charged with a criminal offense, for a period of time not to exceed ninety (90) days, by order of the County Court without the necessity of a trial by jury.


(Feb. 15, 1876. Amended Aug. 24, 1935.)


Sec. 15-a. COMMITMENT OF PERSONS OF UNSOUND MIND. No person shall be committed as a person of unsound mind except on competent medical or psychiatric testimony. The Legislature may enact all laws necessary to provide for the trial, adjudication of insanity and commitment of persons of unsound mind and to provide for a method of appeal from judgments rendered in such cases. Such laws may provide for a waiver of trial by jury, in cases where the person under inquiry has not been charged with the commission of a criminal offense, by the concurrence of the person under inquiry, or his next of kin, and an attorney ad litem appointed by a judge of either the County or Probate Court of the county where the trial is being held, and shall provide for a method of service of notice of such trial upon the person under inquiry and of his right to demand a trial by jury.


(Added Nov. 6, 1956.)


Sec. 16. BILLS OF ATTAINDER; EX POST FACTO OR RETROACTIVE LAWS; IMPAIRING OBLIGATION OF CONTRACTS. No bill of attainder, ex post facto law, retroactive law, or any law impairing the obligation of contracts, shall be made.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 17. TAKING PROPERTY FOR PUBLIC USE; SPECIAL PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES; CONTROL OF PRIVILEGES AND FRANCHISES. (a) No person's property shall be taken, damaged, or destroyed for or applied to public use without adequate compensation being made, unless by the consent of such person, and only if the taking, damage, or destruction is for:


(1) the ownership, use, and enjoyment of the property, notwithstanding an incidental use, by:


(A) the State, a political subdivision of the State, or the public at large; or


(B) an entity granted the power of eminent domain under law; or


(2) the elimination of urban blight on a particular parcel of property.


(b) In this section, "public use" does not include the taking of property under Subsection (a) of this section for transfer to a private entity for the primary purpose of economic development or enhancement of tax revenues.


(c) On or after January 1, 2010, the legislature may enact a general, local, or special law granting the power of eminent domain to an entity only on a two-thirds vote of all the members elected to each house.


(d) When a person's property is taken under Subsection (a) of this section, except for the use of the State, compensation as described by Subsection (a) shall be first made, or secured by a deposit of money; and no irrevocable or uncontrollable grant of special privileges or immunities shall be made; but all privileges and franchises granted by the Legislature, or created under its authority, shall be subject to the control thereof.


(Feb. 15, 1876. Amended Nov. 3, 2009.)


Sec. 18. IMPRISONMENT FOR DEBT. No person shall ever be imprisoned for debt.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 19. DEPRIVATION OF LIFE, LIBERTY, PROPERTY, ETC. BY DUE COURSE OF LAW. No citizen of this State shall be deprived of life, liberty, property, privileges or immunities, or in any manner disfranchised, except by the due course of the law of the land.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 20. OUTLAWRY OR TRANSPORTATION OUT OF STATE FOR OFFENSE. No citizen shall be outlawed. No person shall be transported out of the State for any offense committed within the same. This section does not prohibit an agreement with another state providing for the confinement of inmates of this State in the penal or correctional facilities of that state.


(Feb. 15, 1876. Amended Nov. 5, 1985.)


Sec. 21. CORRUPTION OF BLOOD; FORFEITURE OF ESTATE; SUICIDES. No conviction shall work corruption of blood, or forfeiture of estate, and the estates of those who destroy their own lives shall descend or vest as in case of natural death.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 22. TREASON AGAINST STATE. Treason against the State shall consist only in levying war against it, or adhering to its enemies, giving them aid and comfort; and no person shall be convicted of treason except on the testimony of two witnesses to the same overt act, or on confession in open court.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 23. RIGHT TO KEEP AND BEAR ARMS. Every citizen shall have the right to keep and bear arms in the lawful defence† of himself or the State; but the Legislature shall have power, by law, to regulate the wearing of arms, with a view to prevent crime.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


† The language of this provision is identical to the language of the official legislative measure that originally proposed the provision. A digital image of the original text of the official enrolled measure can be found here.


Sec. 24. MILITARY SUBORDINATE TO CIVIL AUTHORITY. The military shall at all times be subordinate to the civil authority.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 25. QUARTERING SOLDIERS IN HOUSES. No soldier shall in time of peace be quartered in the house of any citizen without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war but in a manner prescribed by law.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 26. PERPETUITIES AND MONOPOLIES; PRIMOGENITURE OR ENTAILMENTS. Perpetuities and monopolies are contrary to the genius of a free government, and shall never be allowed, nor shall the law of primogeniture or entailments ever be in force in this State.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 27. RIGHT OF ASSEMBLY; PETITION FOR REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES. The citizens shall have the right, in a peaceable manner, to assemble together for their common good; and apply to those invested with the powers of government for redress of grievances or other purposes, by petition, address or remonstrance.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 28. SUSPENSION OF LAWS. No power of suspending laws in this State shall be exercised except by the Legislature.


 (Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 29. BILL OF RIGHTS EXCEPTED FROM POWERS OF GOVERNMENT AND INVIOLATE. To guard against transgressions of the high powers herein delegated, we declare that every thing in this "Bill of Rights" is excepted out of the general powers of government, and shall forever remain inviolate, and all laws contrary thereto, or to the following provisions, shall be void.


(Feb. 15, 1876.)


Sec. 30. RIGHTS OF CRIME VICTIMS. (a) A crime victim has the following rights:


(1) the right to be treated with fairness and with respect for the victim's dignity and privacy throughout the criminal justice process; and


(2) the right to be reasonably protected from the accused throughout the criminal justice process.


(b) On the request of a crime victim, the crime victim has the following rights:


(1) the right to notification of court proceedings;


(2) the right to be present at all public court proceedings related to the offense, unless the victim is to testify and the court determines that the victim's testimony would be materially affected if the victim hears other testimony at the trial;


(3) the right to confer with a representative of the prosecutor's office;


(4) the right to restitution; and


(5) the right to information about the conviction, sentence, imprisonment, and release of the accused.


(c) The legislature may enact laws to define the term "victim" and to enforce these and other rights of crime victims.


(d) The state, through its prosecuting attorney, has the right to enforce the rights of crime victims.


(e) The legislature may enact laws to provide that a judge, attorney for the state, peace officer, or law enforcement agency is not liable for a failure or inability to provide a right enumerated in this section. The failure or inability of any person to provide a right or service enumerated in this section may not be used by a defendant in a criminal case as a ground for appeal or post-conviction writ of habeas corpus. A victim or guardian or legal representative of a victim has standing to enforce the rights enumerated in this section but does not have standing to participate as a party in a criminal proceeding or to contest the disposition of any charge.


(Added Nov. 7, 1989.)


Sec. 31. FUNDS FOR COMPENSATION TO VICTIMS OF CRIME. (a) The compensation to victims of crime fund created by general law and the compensation to victims of crime auxiliary fund created by general law are each a separate dedicated account in the general revenue fund.


(b) Except as provided by Subsection (c) of this section and subject to legislative appropriation, money deposited to the credit of the compensation to victims of crime fund or the compensation to victims of crime auxiliary fund from any source may be expended as provided by law only for delivering or funding victim-related compensation, services, or assistance.


(c) The legislature may provide by law that money in the compensation to victims of crime fund or in the compensation to victims of crime auxiliary fund may be expended for the purpose of assisting victims of episodes of mass violence if other money appropriated for emergency assistance is depleted.


(Added Nov. 4, 1997.)


Sec. 32. MARRIAGE. (a) Marriage in this state shall consist only of the union of one man and one woman.


(b) This state or a political subdivision of this state may not create or recognize any legal status identical or similar to marriage.


(Added Nov. 8, 2005.)


Sec. 33. PUBLIC ACCESS TO AND USE OF PUBLIC BEACHES. (a) In this section, "public beach" means a state-owned beach bordering on the seaward shore of the Gulf of Mexico, extending from mean low tide to the landward boundary of state-owned submerged land, and any larger area extending from the line of mean low tide to the line of vegetation bordering on the Gulf of Mexico to which the public has acquired a right of use or easement to or over the area by prescription or dedication or has established and retained a right by virtue of continuous right in the public under Texas common law.


(b) The public, individually and collectively, has an unrestricted right to use and a right of ingress to and egress from a public beach. The right granted by this subsection is dedicated as a permanent easement in favor of the public.


(c) The legislature may enact laws to protect the right of the public to access and use a public beach and to protect the public beach easement from interference and encroachments.


(d) This section does not create a private right of enforcement.


(Added Nov. 3, 2009.)


Sec. 34. RIGHT TO HUNT, FISH, AND HARVEST WILDLIFE. (a) The people have the right to hunt, fish, and harvest wildlife, including by the use of traditional methods, subject to laws or regulations to conserve and manage wildlife and preserve the future of hunting and fishing.


(b) Hunting and fishing are preferred methods of managing and controlling wildlife.


(c) This section does not affect any provision of law relating to trespass, property rights, or eminent domain.


(d) This section does not affect the power of the legislature to authorize a municipality to regulate the discharge of a weapon in a populated area in the interest of public safety.


(Added Nov. 3, 2015.)


Sec. 35. RIGHT OF CERTAIN FACILITY RESIDENTS TO DESIGNATE ESSENTIAL CAREGIVER. (a) A resident of a nursing facility, assisted living facility, intermediate care facility for individuals with an intellectual disability, residence providing home and community-based services, or state supported living center, as those terms are defined by general law, has the right to designate an essential caregiver with whom the facility, residence, or center may not prohibit in-person visitation.


(b) Notwithstanding Subsection (a) of this section, the legislature by general law may provide guidelines for a facility, residence, or center described by Subsection (a) of this section to follow in establishing essential caregiver visitation policies and procedures.


(Added Nov. 2, 2021.)

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THE TEXAS CONSTITUTION ARTICLE 1. BILL OF RIGHTS

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- Found that Sunday laws, though religious in background, will be held as legal

- Upheld due to having the non-religious purpose of creating a universal day of rest.

- Also found that Religious overreach is not applicable to those who are not practicing their own religion.

Since appellants allege only economic injury to themselves and do not allege any..infringement of their own religious freedoms, they have no standing to raise the question whether the statute prohibits the free exercise of religion, contrary to the First Amendment