Anyone else with a "home range" have a hang-up about shooting on Sunday?

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Green Lantern

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I dunno, but I just always felt it wasn't 'right' to shoot on Sundays, at least not on a "home" range. I'm a Christian, though not a church-going one.

I guess it's mainly just not wanting to disturb the neighbors on the Sabbath. Hence how I named the question - if there was a range open on Sundays, I don't think I'd hesitate to go.

My SIL, on the other hand, just mentioned that she thinks target shooting is OK on Sunday, but not hunting. I dunno if that's just because of the law (illegal to hunt here on Sunday in NC) or some strange "moral" reservation (as I may have). ;)

Thoughts?
 
I don't have an issue one way or the other, target shooting or hunting or anything else for that matter. But, that's me.
 
Well since you asked...

I think its ridiculous to not shoot, or hunt for that matter, on Sundays.
 
I would refuse to be limited to one full recreation day per week by a silly religion if it ever came up (it hasn't). I've gone so far as to go trap shooting at 6AM on Sunday to get revenge on the folks in the camp ground by my cabin partying until 3 AM.

Edit: Oh for God's sake (pun intended). To those upset by the "silly religion" line calm down, you're taking it out of context. Folks can believe in God, Allah, FSM, or Xenu all they want. My point is that I don't care what you do, just as long as it does not affect me. At the same time don't expect those that don't agree with you to change what they do to suit your sensibilities. Open mindedness is a two way street.

What is with the folks here recently so ready to get offended over nothing?
 
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I tend not to shoot on Sundays because that's when all of the events/competitions are being held at the range and they usually get precedence, hence the facilities I wish to use may not be available.
 
Many of the "no hunting on Sunday" laws were written at a time when the Sabbath was observed as God's day. Few businesses were open so their employees could attend worship services. Now God's day has been cut back to a couple of hours on Sunday morning....if that.

In the mean time nearly all businesses are open seven days a week, some 24/7. We have moved from those days to where it's become more acceptable for hunting and shooting on Sunday.
 
Just a few points to make. First of all, the Sabbath is Saturday, not Sunday, so you are okay there. There are a lot of Christians (Sabbatarians) who regard Sunday as their Sabbath. Strictly speaking, it is not a biblical issue, but rather a traditional one.

We used to have a backyard range, until they put a development in behind us, and we did most of our shooting Sunday afternoons. We could often hear several of our neighbors popping away on their own ranges as well. As it worked out, if someone heard someone else shooting around here, it was inspiration to grab the guns and go kill some targets. :D But my backstop now has houses sitting just across the property line, and my one neighbor has a golf course sitting next to his. The guy in between us is still okay to shoot, and we often hear pistols or shotguns on nice days.

Back to the Sabbatarian thing. Our pastor is a confessed Sabbatarian - i.e. he regards Sunday as a day of rest, and will not shop, go to a restaurant, or do any other activity that is work related or which causes others to work to serve him. BUT, he will go shooting with me, and has done so in the past. Shooting is fun, not work, and that is how he regards it.

Good luck with your own decision, although we really know there is no such thing as luck. ;) Remember the words of Paul in Romans 14:5-8

One man regards one day above another, another regards every day alike. Let each man be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it for the Lord, and he who eats, does so for the Lord, for he gives thanks to God; and he who eats not, for the Lord he does not eat, and gives thanks to God. For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself; for if we live, we live for the Lord, or if we die, we die for the Lord; therefore whether we live or die, we are the Lord's.

If it is sinful for you in your own mind, then you are sinning. If not, then you are not.
 
I would refuse to be limited to one full recreation day per week by a silly religion if it ever came up (it hasn't).
Click to expand...

So much for openmindedness and tolerance :barf:

I personally do not shoot on Sundays. I am a Christian, as are the vast majority of those within earshot. If I went to the range, fine, but I'm not going to disturb someone else's day of rest with shooting if I can simply wait.
 
I have no problem with shooting on Sunday.

I am a Christian. More than likely, most of my neighbors (who are also in the same church) would want to come by and shoot as well.

As for hunting on Sunday. Well, I was raised not to. However, even my parents have broken that little "rule" before.

For me, I don't mind hunting on Sunday. I'll explain:


Once I had a discussion with my parents as to why I would often go surfing on Sunday back in FL rather than go to church.

I explained to them that I did not feel going to church was required to "keep the Sabbath holy." I said that it was a state of mind and reverence within.

Then I asked -- After all, what is a church anyway? It is a building-- made by man. When I surf, I am in a world made by God. Why would anyone accept sitting in our shabby attempt when compared to the natural world.

I said-- After all, NATURE is God's house. When I am out there, I reflect, I contemplate, and I find peace in my soul. What do you do in church that I do not do out there?


No. They didn't buy it.


Even though they didn't buy it, I still have that attitude about Nature. I will hunt on a Sunday, but I find that it is more to get into the woods and find a quiet place for contemplation. I have proven VERY unlikely to actually kill anything on a Sunday.




EDIT:

Can we PLEASE refrain from the "Silly Religion" crap? You have your beliefs and others have theirs. I would EXPECT on a board such as THR that values -- whether shared or not-- would be respected. What is it with the attacks on religion on here? No one is MAKING you be part of one. No on is SHOVING a particular doctrine down anyone's throat.

Hell, I am a Nietzchian, who also believes in Intelligent Design and somehow managed to retain my faith. The villagers haven't come to my home with pitchforks and torches yet.

-- John
 
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I also obey the Sabbath. That's from nightfall on Friday night until nightfall on Saturday night.

The tradition of Sunday-keeping dates back to 330 AD when Constantine moved the papacy. There's no Biblical recognition as Sunday being anything but "the first day."

As for the misinformation on Sabbath being old Jewish law, we should point out that Adam and Even weren't Jewish. And they kept Sabbath.

You may shoot all you want with a clear conscience.
 
JWARREN, a church is actually just a group of believers according to the Bible, man makes it a building. The early Christians didn't even have a designated building to worship in. Makes more sense to me that they worshipped with friends at our equivalent of neighborhood cook-out. Jesus did work on the Sabbath when he healed the man's crippled hand. Would it have right for him to leave it crippled?

I shoot on Sunday, shot about 100 rounds of .177 today if that counts. My one pastor is huge into hunting and a gun guy too and he'd never have a problem with shooting on Sunday. Often times we paintball on Sunday because its the only day everyone has free at church.
 
Well, that depends on whether or not you view firearms as inherently evil or not.

I once had a guy at church tell me I shouldn't cut grass on Sundays, because of that whole not working deal.

I never felt that cutting grass was work. For me personally, I like being outdoors, and tending the lawn is more of a hobby than work (Call me crazy).

I guess I feel similarly about guns on Sundays.
 
The Scout,

Yeah.. that little fact was the Achilles Heel of my arguement when I brought it up to my parents.

The "Church" is the PEOPLE, not a building in its actual sense.


At the same time, I DO feel that there is value to finding quiet time in nature. No, I'm not a Druid yet.

But I concede your point.

-- John
 
I have a home range and I will shoot whenever I see fit to do so.

Got a new rifle at the gun show today and I shot 100 rounds this afternoon. New rifle or not I probably would have shot anyway.

Personally I really could care less if some people have connotations about certain days of the week. Sunday, Tuesday, Friday it is all the same as far as I am concerned.

I do limit my range hours to daylight generally between 12 pm and 6 pm.
 
One of the main reasons why I will have my own, private range someday is to be able to shoot any time that I want. Sundays, too. 1:00 AM, yep. That's the best reason for me to get a private range.

Green Lantern,

If you don't shoot on Sunday because you don't want to disturb your neighbors, then I think you are being very neighborly. That's much better than most people do these days.
 
My local range is located nearby to a church, so we are allowed to only shoot between 1-6pm on Sundays... after checking to make sure nothing is going on at the church.
 
I think it's between you and God but I'm fairly certain he doesn't mind. I can't remember if I've been shooting on a Sunday (probably have) but I've gone into work on Sunday ( sometimes the ox falls into a ditch ) & I'm positive God was cool W/ it.

Ask yourself this question "Can I ask Jesus to bless the action I'm about to take?" if you really don't feel like you can then don't

P.S. I am a Christian (I.E. I am a sinner who has placed my entire trust in Jesus Christ as the proptitation for ALL my sins past,present & future) I believe there is no other name given under Heaven or in the Earth whereby a man can be saved except the name of Jesus Christ.

I also believe that the Bible gives us the right to serve any god we choose ( Joshua 24 : 10-15) as long as we're willing to accept the consequences of our choice.

I Don't get on this board and mock other peoples religious or political choices, don't mock mine.
 
There are other homes in my area that are close enough to hear any shooting that I do, so out of respect for my neighbors I don't shoot on Sunday before about 2PM. On Saturdays I don't shoot before 10AM. Many of my neighbors get up very early during the week for the commute into the city, and I think it would be rude to awaken them early on Saturday. My next-door neighbor also has a backyard range, and never shoots before 11AM or so. Based on what I am able to hear, he very seldom shoots on Sunday at all.
 
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