To answer your question, I used to live in the Bible belt, and I've been picked out as a non-believer in many places hundreds, if not thousands of times. Just a few common scenarios in which it's happened: people noticing a pagan symbol I was wearing, or asking for halloween fabrics and being told that I shouldn't "celebrate the devil" that way, asking if they have any pagan fabrics and receiving a lecture on how I need to "save myself" and "accept our lord and saviour," and the most common was people trying to be friendly and strike up a conversation by commenting on "how great god's grace is," or "what church do you go to" which invariably leads me to saying "none" or "I don't worship that god." I lived in several parts of the Bible belt for many years (not that this sort of thing happens solely in the Bible belt), and my admission to being non-Christian was invariably met with at the best, comments on my damnation, and at worst, impassioned proselytizing. Given the hostility that I and others I know experienced, I suspect that the Bible belt has actually produced more atheists than Christians.
I believe strongly in being able to worship as one chooses. I do not appreciate it, however, when people assume that everyone else shares their faith. I've just seen too much hate when people of a different, or no faith, do things differently. There's nothing wrong with closing a store on Sunday for worship, but neither is it wrong to close on a Friday or Saturday for a different faith, or not at all if you have no religion, or a religion without a Sabbath.
Originally Posted by MellieKQuilter
Originally Posted by Mattee
That's my concern as well. Also, I've experienced some hostility there to non-Christians. I don't mind having stores closed so people can spend more time with family; what I do mind is the idea that it needs to be one day across the board to accomodate Christians as if they're more important than others.
Originally Posted by Jazz
The signs on the HL stores in Houston state that they are closed on Sunday to allow their employees to worship.
My question is, does one have to be a Christian to work there? Jews' Sabbath day is Saturday. Some Muslims need to be off on Fridays. What do they do to accomodate them?
I would imagine that the person/people that own the stores choose the hours of their store. A freedom we have in the USA (Thank God). And if they choose to be closed on Sunday's to accommodate their beliefs, so be it. I also think that if a person states they have a certain religion that requires certain days or hours off, they have to be accommodated if at all reasonably possible. So, they would not work the times/days specified. (That is also a protection granted to them by the USA) That doesnt mean other people cant work or that the whole store needs to be closed.
I have a question about the comment on hostility towards non-christians. How would people in Hobby Lobby pick out the non-christians? Do christians wear signs? Just curious....