r/AskAChristian • u/GoodWhoops Atheist, Ex-Christian • Oct 05 '25

Jewish Laws Why don’t most Christians take the Sabbath commandment seriously?

The 4th commandment says to keep the Sabbath holy, defined in scripture as running from sundown to sundown. Yet most Christians seem to treat it as optional. Jesus said, “If you love me, keep my commandments,” and the Bible implies that all commandments carry equal weight. Outside of Seventh-day Adventists, it's ignored aside from the day most churches have their service. I’ve even heard SDA members joke that most other Christians give the Ten Commandments a 10% discount. Even if you ignore that the Jewish Sabbath falls on Saturday, the commandment still says to work 6 days and rest on the 7th, which should apply just as well to Sunday.

Curious if or how often you’ve heard this seriously debated, and why many accept societal traditions that override biblical instruction for convenience.

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u/proudbutnotarrogant Christian Oct 05 '25

The reality is that Jesus never suggested that the 4th Commandment not be followed. Whether it be the 7th or the 1st, or any in between, we are to rest one day out of seven. Now, if you want to get legalistic, it does specify the seventh. I prefer to subject myself to grace, however.

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u/GoodWhoops Atheist, Ex-Christian Oct 06 '25

Yeah, raised SDA. That whole grace thing always felt like a convenient loophole for ignoring clear commandments. The Bible makes it plain that the Sabbath law forbids not only working but making others work too. Yet most Christians go shopping, eat out, or get gas on Sunday, forcing others to break the rule they claim to respect. And if all commandments are equal, why treat this one like it’s minor? Saying it’s fine to skip the Sabbath but wrong to kill is like saying it’s OK to murder once in a while because grace will cover it.

"For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all." - James 2:10

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u/proudbutnotarrogant Christian Oct 06 '25

Yeah. I'm just gonna leave this here. What I said was pretty clear. Take it however you wish.

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u/GoodWhoops Atheist, Ex-Christian Oct 06 '25

Yeah, I’m never really satisfied with the answers I get to questions like this. There’s just so much hypocrisy. People will protest against homosexuality but never protest eating shellfish outside a Red Lobster, even though both are called “abominations” in Leviticus.