In a recent article in Raleigh’s “News and Observer” Gary Robertson brings to light the fact that North Carolina law makers are investigating the idea of eliminating many state laws which serve a religious purpose. During the colonial period many laws and traditions were formed throughout many states which enforced restrictions on several goods and activities on Sunday, the typical day of rest of the Christian faith. It appears now many citizens of North Carolina are fighting to have these restrictions removed as their relevance has begun to decline as the state has become more religiously diverse.

The law prohibiting the sale of alcohol on Sunday mornings before noon has existed since colonial times. ABC stores do not even operate on Sundays. The only way to hunt on Sunday is with a bow. All other forms of hunting are illegal on Sundays. For those individuals who work 6 days a week it eliminates their ability to go hunting. Although the laws are in place to enforce a novel idea, keep individuals from attending Church intoxicated or skipping all together, it is restricting people of another religion or less conservative Christians from doing something which is perfectly legal any other day. In effect, the state of North Carolina is discriminating based on religion.

The fact of the matter is that these laws are outdated and exclude unreligious people from participating in everyday activities. While I do not promote excessive drinking or the needless killing of wild animals, these laws serve little to no purpose other than frustrating a lot of people. It time North Carolina steps outside its traditional boundaries and eliminates its archaic laws which show its blatant partiality to Christianity.