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E O EkeMonday, March 9, 2015
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IS IT LAWFUL TO VOTE ON THE SABBATH DAY?

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"Why do you do that which is unlawful on the sabbath?" Luke 6:2

ne of the commonest cause of schism is, what constitutes the will of God and the right way to relate to God. Before the time of Jesus, Judaism had established a system of beliefs and draconian laws, which made life a burden lived in fear of the wrath of God.

People held the belief that God blessed the righteous and cursed the sinner and saw prosperity and health as signs of the favour of God. One area, where the people were overburden was, what they should do or not do, on the sabbath.

The sabbath is regarded as a holy day of rest. The Bible recorded that God ended his work on the sixth day (Friday ) and rested on the seventh (Saturday ). He blessed and hallowed it and stated that man should rest on sabbath and keep it holy. Since then, there has not been a consensus on the right way to keep the sabbath holy.

The Jews felt that it involves abstaining from all works, including acts of kindness that involves saving lives. What one found good reason not to do, became the hallmark of sabbath keeping. The breaking of the sabbath, which means doing things on the sabbath, which the religious leaders do not approve of, became a serious offence punishable by death.

People would not help others on the sabbath day, if it involved some form of work, like lifting or walking some distance. The result was that a lot of people were suffering on the sabbath because some people were keeping it holy. This was the state of sabbath keeping, when Jesus was around.

It was not surprising that the Pharisees would clash with Jesus on the sabbath day. So when passing through a grain field on a sabbath day, the disciples of Jesus picked some handful of grain rubbing them in their hands and eating the grain. The Pharisees felt they have broken the sabbath and confronted Jesus, "why do you do that which is unlawful on the sabbath?" They asked.

Jesus answer was most insightful. He gave the Pharisees a lesson on legality, necessity and expediency and, for all times, enthroned reason as the determinant of what is right and just. He confronted them with the doctrine of necessity and cited the case of David who took the shew bread, which was meant only for the priests, when he and his soldiers were hungry. By his argument, he established for all times that necessity takes precedence over conventions and religious laws. Jesus was saying that reason necessity and common sense should be the guides, when deciding what is lawful on the sabbath.

In Nigeria, many seventh Day Adventists do not vote on the sabbath. It is considered breaking the sabbath. While this is understandable, it is has resulted in the disfranchisement of Adventists in Nigeria. By putting elections on Saturdays, Adventist whose religion belief is against voting on Saturday are disenfranchised.

In this current election many Adventists in Abia state face a dilemma because some of the governorship candidates are Adventist and there is tension. The Adventist Pharisees argue that voting on the sabbath is unlawful and advocate the disfellowship of those who discharge their civic duty by voting on sabbath.

Since there were no elections on sabbath at the time of Jesus, it is difficult to know what he would have done. However, if his attitude to tax and doing good on the sabbath is anything to go by, I would suppose that he would have said something like, do your civic duty and do not forget your obligations to God.

The day of election is something the government should revisit with the view to stopping conducting elections on Saturdays, Sunday's or Friday's to end the disenfranchisement of some people who voting on these days would constitute a violation of their religious beliefs and convictions.

For many years, Adventist and all Christians who have respect for the true sabbath day, have been disenfranchised. While it may not be sinful to vote on a sabbath, the continued conducting of elections on Saturdays represent a violation of the religious liberty of Adventists and other religious groups who regard sabbath as a holy day and it is discriminatory and unjust.

I call on the Nigerian government to end the conduct of elections on days that have religious significance for some people in the country to give all, equal opportunity to participate in Nigerian politics.

Until then, it is lawful to vote on a sabbath day as we should give unto Caesar what is Caesar and to God, what is God. Voting at election is a civi duty and it must be right to fulfil ones civic duty on the sabbath day.

Adventists should end self disenfranchisement and stop excommunicating those who choose to vote on the sabbath day. It is lawful to vote on the sabbath.

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