Did Calvin play Pacman on the Sabbath?

What do we do with the Arcade on Lord's Days?

  • Close it down for 36 hours

    Votes: 14 28.0%
  • Post an encouragement to members to use wisely

    Votes: 11 22.0%
  • Take down the Arcade altogether

    Votes: 6 12.0%
  • Nothing

    Votes: 19 38.0%

  • Total voters
    50
  • Poll closed .
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NaphtaliPress

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I like the arcade and it is fine for amusement during the week. However, since PB provides it even on the Lord's day are we laying a stumbling block in doing so? I've given the thread a cute sort of WWCD (What would Calvin do) title playing off an article I wrote nearly nine years ago now, but it is a serious question on which there may be some disagreement on the board.

I know none of use can keep the Law of God perfectly, including, and perhaps particularly the Fourth Commandment (note the Westminster Assembly's answer to LC Q121,Why is the word “Remember” set in the beginning of the fourth commandment?), but I think we can have success in avoiding things that tempt us to misuse time on the Lord's day, and if we can positively effect that, I think that is a good thing.

I don't consider PB in general a waste or unlawful to frequent on Lord's days as we can indeed have profitable Lord's day discussions through this wonderful medium that brings folks from across the globe together to converse. However, I don't see how playing the Arcade is in keeping with the Fourth Commandment.

Any way, I thought I'd bring it up. Rich can very easily bring the Arcade down for the hours across the time zones the Lord's day takes up each week. However, in the past I think we've let members police themselves as far as discussion content on Lord's days. Maybe we should simply encourage everyone to avoid it on their Lord's day, as it would be simply one more thing for Rich to do and it would have to be done manually each week, to turn off and turn back on. I have to do that with my website shopping carts, and I do forget, so it is not a perfect solution.

Any way, what think ye? This is not a Sabbath thread per se, but how to operate PB as reflective of the various Confessions, particularly the Westminster Standards, to which PB adheres already.
 
As reigning King of the Arcade and Leader of the Leaderboard, I hereby decree that it should be shut down for 36 hours.

:judge:

Ok...so I have no power or authority. Oh well. Voted.
 
Wouldn't creating Sabbath laws on the forum be creating extra biblical law? How is that different that Phariseism? The Pharisees did not want people to stumble so they created extra biblical laws to "protect" the people. All that did was bind them to a law not ordained by God. Why should rich or any moderator play Sabbath police? Is it their job to convict men’s hearts of sin? Leave the forum up, not to tempt, but the other hand, so as not to bind any man to a law that is not God's.
 
I voted, "Do Nothing." Are we to police the conviction of brethren who have different views on the Sabbath?
 
Thus, if the owner/Admin thinks it wise to establish such a rule, they may do so.

Josh - obviously. Just giving my opinion. It's moot actually because if someone really wants to play video games they can go to Zone.com or turn on their television. I was sharing my .085 cents (that's what .02 cents is worth after inflation!). :D
 
Wouldn't creating Sabbath laws on the forum be creating extra biblical law? How is that different that Phariseism? The Pharisees did not want people to stumble so they created extra biblical laws to "protect" the people. All that did was bind them to a law not ordained by God. Why should rich or any moderator play Sabbath police? Is it their job to convict men’s hearts of sin? Leave the forum up, not to tempt, but the other hand, so as not to bind any man to a law that is not God's.

I voted, "Do Nothing." Are we to police the conviction of brethren who have different views on the Sabbath?
No. It wouldn't be extra biblical law, as the PB is a voluntary club. It's also not a representative republic. Thus, if the owner/Admin thinks it wise to establish such a rule, they may do so.

:agree:

The view of whether the Sabbath is perpetual or not is an exegetical issue. Those who fall on the side that it is completely abrogated could be accurately described as Pharisees to impose a "rule" - if done in the Church. Those who see the Sabbath as a Creation Ordinance and not strictly a Mosaic ordinance are simply obeying their consciences and it is not proper to speak of somebody who believes the Sabbath is Biblical as being Pharisees.
 
James says we are blessed when we 'endure' temptation, not 'remove' it! Leave it up and it provides an opportunity for those who are tempted to be blessed! The next thing you know PB will be serving grape juice with the Lord's Supper! :lol:
 
it is not proper to speak of somebody who believes the Sabbath is Biblical as being Pharisees.

:amen:Exactly, there is far too much of this nowadays. Even if the person's view of what is permissible on the Sabbath is wrong, Paul says (in cases like this) that we are not to look down on our brother , but to respect his view (Rom. 14).

The next thing you know PB will be serving grape juice with the Lord's Supper!

:rofl:
 
THERE'S AN ARCADE ON THIS SITE???

Good grief! I leave for 8 months and I come back to a site that is almost a full-blown web service!
 
I have a need to grow more deeply in this area. Whether one agrees with this or not, this is not phariseeism. It would be a great benefit to our souls if we practised our confession a little better.

LBCF 1689
22.7 As it is the law of nature that a portion of time by God's appointment should be set apart for the worship of God, so in his Word he has given a positive, moral, and perpetual commandment, binding all people in all ages. In particular he has appointed one day in seven as a sabbath to be kept holy to him.1 From the beginning of the world to the resurrection of Christ this was the last day of the week, but from the resurrection of Christ it was changed to the first day of the week which is called the Lord's Day. This is to be continued to the end of the world as the Christian Sabbath, the observation of the last day of the week being abolished.2
(1) Gen_2:3; Exo_20:8-11; Mar_2:27-28; Rev_1:10
(2) Joh_20:1; Act_2:1; Act_20:7; 1Co_16:1; Rev_1:10; Col_2:16-17
22.8 People keep the sabbath holy to the Lord when (after appropriate preparation of their hearts and prior arrangement of their everyday affairs) they observe all day a holy rest from their own works, words, and thoughts1 about their secular employment and recreations, but also devote the whole time to public and private acts of worship, and to carrying out duties of necessity and mercy.2
(1) Exo_20:8-11; Neh_13:15-22; Isa_58:13-14; Rev_1:10
(2) Mat_12:1-13; Mar_2:27-28


(Jas 4:8) Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.
 
FYI. I set an end date for the poll for five more days. When Rich gets back to his part of the world the powers that be will make a decision. If it is decided to suspend the arcade for a number of hours over the weekend, that will start this coming week, D.V. Otherwise nothing much will change.
 
I don't see it as Phariseeism or removing a temptation that we as members simply can't handle. It is, I think, as much an issue for the leadership of the PB to look to their responsibilities as wardens of the board as anything else.

What do we stand for? A Sabbath made for man to do as he pleases, or one to serve as a time for man to commune with the Lord? If it is the latter, then let's espouse an environment that is more condusive to that idea.

It reminds me of the website of a Reformed Dutch political party whose website I went to investigate as we were getting ready for church. It would not allow me to proceed, and said that it was "op Zondag gesloten" (closed on Sundays) because it was the Lord's day. I love hanging out on the board on Sunday afternoons and (try to) stay off the General board, it is a time to be fed spiritually, not shoot the breeze about movies or play Donkey Kong (and, by the way, will that be added at some point? ;))
 
I think Calvin would have enjoyed Nintendo Bowling on the Sabbath.


Just kidding Chris! For an excellent treatment of the Calvin 'bowling on the sabbath' myth see Chris' excellent article found here.
 
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Whoa! When I see the word 'article' I think a few pages in Time magazine (and lots of pics interpersed throughout). I don't usually envision 40 pages! I'm on page 14 at present - I'll get there...
 
That says a lot about me I suppose; 40 pages on minutiae. But it just irritated me and the more I looked the longer it got, and I couldn't let it go; same thing led to my article on American Presbyterianism and 'holy days'. I suppose if you want to get me to write something you have to irritate me to distraction.:lol:
 
Wouldn't creating Sabbath laws on the forum be creating extra biblical law? How is that different that Phariseism? The Pharisees did not want people to stumble so they created extra biblical laws to "protect" the people. All that did was bind them to a law not ordained by God. Why should rich or any moderator play Sabbath police? Is it their job to convict men’s hearts of sin? Leave the forum up, not to tempt, but the other hand, so as not to bind any man to a law that is not God's.

Was Nehemiah right to set guards at the gates of Jerusalem on the Sabbath?
 
The Free Presbyterian Church of Scotland has code on their site that queries the user's PC clock and prevents access when it is Sunday in the user's time zone.

A 36-hour shutdown would be a Pharisaical because it would prevent access for 12 hours outside of Sunday.
 
Moderator Ruling. Seriously, no more warnings. Anyone who drops the P bomb again gets a two week suspension. This has been addressed above. If the Admins conclude shutting down is prudent that is what we will do. If we can be more accurate with a code then we'll be more accurate, if we cannot code it we will simply take it down Saturday evening and get it back up sometime Monday manually. Nothing Pharisaical about it; best we can do without programing.
 
how is fellowshipping with the brethren a violation of the sabbath??? maybe shutting down the politics, world news, and general forums would suffice.
 
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