Is eating out on Sunday acceptable?

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Bon_Croix said:
Even moral theologians are compromised these days.
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They always have been, due to the fact that they are human beings.

I’m just saying, even among “conservative” theologians you’ll have a hard time finding somebody that thinks it is intrinsically evil to go out to eat on a Sunday. I won’t deny that as far as moral laws go, honoring Sundays is one of the most forgotten, underappreciated, and undervalued ones.
 
MMMMkkkkkyyyy.

Do you volunteer to open, set up, teach RE, play the organ, direct the music, close and clean your parish on the weekends?
 
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If your oxen falls into a ditch on Sunday Willi you pull out with your littl red Mustang or will you leave it there 'til Monday? C’on now. I know you know the answer!
 
Well that’s essential and humane. No moral compromise with bridling up the 4 hoofed mustang on a Sunday.
 
Music ministry used to require three hours. We would arrive one hour before Mass to prep and rehearse real quick. Then Mass. Then stay at least an hour after to take everything down and clean up.

It was most certainly work… and most certainly for God.
 
somecanadian said:
BUT I will say, as someone who used to work retail my number one pet peeve is when clients would come in on Easter then say: “You’re working on Easter!!! That’s horrible!”
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Yes, this is usually a good way to get a sugary-sweet “Well I hope you have a nice day!” followed by some very rude comments to our coworkers once you’re gone.

As a customer service worker of several years, usually the sweeter I sound the less I actually want to talk to the person in front of me. (Note: that is not always the customer’s fault.)
 
Is it a sin? No. But I personally choose not to do it, so that those who are working have one less person they’re working for that day and can get a little “rest.” On the rate occasions that I do go to a restaurant, I leave a bigger tip than normal. I’ve been told by so many people working in restaurants that the after-chyrch crowd are the rudest people and are terrible tippers, so I try to be extra nice to them if I do go on Sunday.
 
I’m old enough to remember when most retail stores were closed on Sunday. Since I am not a Christian, I didn’t like it but understood and was glad those workers had their Sabbath off. I worked at our local hospital (retired now) and I always worked Christmas and Easter so A Christian could have it off and my coworkers knew that if they had a special church function on a Sunday they were scheduled for, I was glad to trade shifts with them. However, in a hospital there is no choice to close the doors and many still had to work on those holidays. We did do a rotation so if you had to work Easter one year, you had the next year’s Easter off. It was as fair as we could make it and I just helped as best I could. I know those that were Jewish would also pick up the Christian holidays, too.
 
It’s hard to know where to draw the line, and the Catechism being so vague on the issue doesn’t help matters either. I try to avoid patronizing non-essential businesses on Sundays as much as possible, such as department stores, the gym (ok, so I avoid the gym the other 6 days also but that’s beside the point), hair salon, etc, because someone has to work in these places when there is no need.

But with restaurants, I’m not sure. Seems essential enough for at least some restaurants to be open, for those of us who don’t cook and have children who devour 2 burritos and get hungry again 2 hours later. It seems the same as the grocery store - sometimes you run out of an essential and can’t wait till Monday.

I also wonder about businesses that aren’t essential, but that provide relaxation and recreation that seems suitable for Sunday, such as the zoo, ski resorts, theme parks, etc. Maybe if I remember I’ll ask a priest for his opinion.

Definitely the way Sunday has become just a part of the weekend in our society is sad. I went to Walmart on a Sunday once while on vacation in Salt Lake City, and the place was deserted. It was so refreshing, made me realize that’s how it should be, this should be our normal.
 
The unfortunate problem in our society with a day of rest is that those in these businesses are not paid well. Usually of you’re not working Sunday because of less business, you’re not going to get those hours elsewhere.
 
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