James Malm: If it is Wrong to Make a Prostitute Work on Saturdays is it Also Wrong to Use Electricity?

Now the conversation has moved on to electricity.  This is the favorite pick and choose topic for those advocating strict Saturday activities.

One of the major arguments against the points listed above is, “if you declare eating on a restaurant a sin because you exchanged payment for another person’s labor, then wouldn’t it be a sin to use electricity on the Sabbath?” 
“Someone had to work at the plant on the Sabbath to provide your electricity. Then you also shouldn’t run any water on the Sabbath either for the same reason. See what happens if you declare eating in restaurants a sin, some people will inevitably split hairs until we become Pharisaical in observing the Sabbath……..turning it into a burden.”

 Malm chimes in: 

This idea that men generate electricity is not true; the generation of electricity is mechanical and does not involve human intervention  [or could be entirely automatic if unions would allow it] except a standby for emergencies.  The company has direct control over the building of new plants, maintenance scheduling, paperwork, setting up new accounts, billing etc and could very easily choose not to do these things on Sabbath.  This is like saying, because some farmer planted potatoes on the Sabbath, we are responsible for his actions when we buy in market during the week.  It is nonsense!

Questions to ask:

Do you pay your electric or water bill on the Sabbath? Are you DIRECTLY involved in the labor of these plant workers, including handing over payment to them for the DIRECT labor they provided you? No. This is out of your direct control. Even though you can choose not to turn on your light switch (Pharisees), this will not stop the employees at the power plant. That is because you have no DIRECT influence over them and their day.

But, when you eat in a restaurant, are you not DIRECTLY influencing the restaurant employee’s day? What if the place is slow, and you were not come in, they will have no customers for that hour. But if you enter, you DIRECTLY change and influence the situation through your presence. The hostess must find you a table, the server must take your order and make sure drinks are filled, and the cooks now must labor in the kitchen to personally make YOUR food. Then you directly compensate these employees for their service and goods. One situation involves our DIRECT influence, the other does not. The electric company argument is truly splitting hairs, and therefore invalid.

James Malm: Is a Restaurant Table Within Your "Gates?"

The fun just keeps going on and on....

Ex 20:10 “In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates. “

How about “within your gates”? Explicitly this means anyone on your property, but could it not also imply anyone within your personal realm of influence or space? When we sit down at a table within a restaurant, is not that table now part of our personal space? Do we not control that space at least temporarily? Yes, the restaurant owner ultimately owns the table, but they are allowing you to have it to yourself for a time, in return for monetary compensation. No one else is able to use that table while you sit at it. It is temporarily under your control for the time you use their services. “Within your gates” – could this not imply your personal table at a restaurant?

“Male or female servant.” A waiter or waitress is called a “server” for a reason. Are they not paid to serve you, the customer? Admittedly, you are not forcing them to serve you, nor are you their “master” in the sense of a master/slave /servant relationship.  But are you not influencing them directly to work on behalf of you and your party. 

“Yeah but I have no control over them. I’m not telling them to serve me.”

 Imagine: What would you do if you sat down at a table, and the server never came over to ask for drinks and take your food order? Would you not get up and ask someone to come serve you? Possibly get upset that no one came to take your order? The truth is, we do directly affect the actions and the amount of money the server and business owner makes that day, when we walk through the door.

James Malm On Prostitutes and Sabbath Eating

James Malm, the Church of God's chief peddler in legalistic mumbo-jumbo of useless, outdated laws and regulations, has been working over time the last couple of years bellowing at COG members who dare to eat in restaurants on Saturdays.

To Malm, eating in restaurants and new moons are the  two tests that God has placed upon the Church of God.

The Sabbath and the Calendar are primary TEST issues; testing whether the COG leaders, elders and brethren  are humble enough to turn from their own false traditions, and embrace the increase in knowledge that Jesus Christ has promised us for the very end time, Dan 12.

One of Malm's acolytes sent him the following letter which Malm takes as vindication for his recent tirades:

You are correct in declaring there are many within the COG questioning the traditions of men. I am now in the process of studying the Calendar issue and there are others in our congregation doing so as well. We are striving to prove all things according God’s word just as Paul instructed. No longer can we trust any man to guide us without fail.

Is it Hypocritical to Eat in a Restaurant on the Sabbath? 


First ask yourself:

1. Is laboring on the Sabbath to receive payment a sin?   Yes
2. Is laboring specifically in a restaurant on the Sabbath to receive payment a sin?   Yes
3. Would you ever personally labor in a restaurant on the Sabbath to receive payment?   No
4. When you eat in a restaurant, do you not physically hand over payment to the server for the direct labor they expended on your party, including the food provided to you?   Yes
5. Do you not adjust this payment (specifically tip) according to the level/quality/amount of labor in which they provided?   Yes

So then:

1. If laboring on the Sabbath is a sin
2. Laboring specifically in a restaurant on the Sabbath is a sin
3. As a converted Christian you would NEVER work in a restaurant on the Sabbath because that would be a sin
4. Direct payment IS exchanged specifically for the level, amount, and quality of labor (including goods provided)

Then:

Would it not be hypocritical to hand over payment to a server specifically for labor on the Sabbath? Labor that you yourself would NEVER do? 

“Yeah but eating in a restaurant is a good chance to let our light shine!”

Imagine: You call your server over to your table, you look them in the eye and say, “I would never ever do you what you just did for me and my party because God declares that a sin;  but I very much appreciate you doing it for me and my family, so that my wife did not have to labor, and so our day could be more relaxing, and enjoyable. Go get me another cup of coffee, some rolls for my kids, and I will tell you more!”

What kind of light are we shining?

“Yeah but, we are not FORCING them to labor on the Sabbath. They would be doing it whether or not we go into the restaurant!”

Did you know that eating in a restaurant on Saturday is similar to visiting a prostitute on Saturday?  In both cases you are making someone work.

Another scenario to consider:

1. Is having any form of sex out of wedlock sin?  Yes
2. Is being a prostitute a sin?  Yes
3. Is it a sin to engage in the services of a prostitute?  Yes
4. Wouldn’t a prostitute just end up committing sexual immorality whether or not I engage in her services?  Yes

Then in that case… why not visit a prostitute? She would be committing sin anyway. It’s not like we are not coercing her to do so?

“Wait! That is not the same thing at all! Everyone knows prostitution is a sin. No converted Christian would ever argue prostitution isn’t a sin. Nor that visiting a prostitute, partaking in their activity of employment, and directly exchanging payment for the act performed would be sin. Not the same thing at all.”

Let’s look at the two scenarios side by side:

Restaurant / Prostitute

1. Is it a sin to work on the Sabbath?  Yes      B Is it a sin to commit sexual immorality?  Yes
2. Is it a sin to work in a restaurant on the Sabbath? Yes     B Is it a sin to work as a prostitute?  Yes
3. Would I personally ever work in a restaurant on the Sabbath?  No. Why? Because it is a sin.    B Would I personally ever work as a prostitute? No. Why? Because it is a sin.
4. Won’t the server be working on the Sabbath  (committing sin) whether or not I visit the restaurant?  Yes    B Won’t the prostitute commit sexual immorality whether or not I visit the prostitute?  Yes

The scenarios aren’t really so different, are they?

We would never visit a prostitute, despite the fact we know they would commit sin whether or not we visit them.  This because we know a sin is a sin, and circumstances do not change that fact. 

 Then apostle Malm jumps in with this:

Admin:  This is a good example but the issue is largerl since the excuse “they will do it anyway” would justify participating in almost ANY sin.  We are to set an example of godliness, not to follow the crowd!  That is what letting our light shine really means!

 Then his acolyte continues with this:

Then shouldn’t the same be true for directly paying someone for the labor provided on the Sabbath? Something we ourselves would never do, because we know laboring on the Sabbath is a sin!  Even though we understand they would sin, whether or not we partake of their services, that does not make it acceptable for us to partake in their sin (as with the prostitute).

I think it is rather obvious that Malm and crew will NOT be eating at Hooters during the Feast on holy days and sabbath's.....