Flexi Sabbath

The Editor, Sir:

I suggest that Rev Earl Thames and his colleagues of the cloth introduce a flexi Sabbath in their churches. This would allow everybody to start their week on any day they choose and end it when they wish.

I have never been able to understand what is so special about Friday, Saturday or Sunday that makes different religions regard any of them as holy. Any day can be a day of rest and the names we give them are arbitrary. At any rate, all seven of them are named after pagan gods.

Practical purposes

Monday is regarded as the first day of the week by the International Standards Organisation. They treat Sunday as part of the weekend along with Saturday. This is probably due to the fact that, for all practical purposes, the working week begins on Monday, and Sunday would, therefore, be seen as the last day and hence the day of rest.

There is nothing special about the seven-day week. In other cultures throughout the ages, the length of the week has varied from 10 in China to five and six in Russia.

The solution is for the churches to keep their doors open during the week so that believers can practise their faith on any day they choose. Who was it that said "The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath"?

I am etc.,

R. Howard Thompson

roi_anne@hotmail.com

Rockton Drive

Mandeville, Manchester