Author Topic: Morality of Ebay on Sundays (Read 1477 times)

Änσnymσus · « **on:** November 24, 2013, 03:14:58 PM »

We are not to shop on Sundays for non-necessities. However, I've asked multiple priests about buying tobacco products on Sunday and none have seen no real issue with it. It seems that the immorality of shopping on a Sunday really has more to do with the distraction from God than the actual exchanging of money.

Now, "online shopping" adds a whole other dimension.

Consider this instance:

A person "shopped" on Ebay during the week and found a few things he wanted. The actual shopping (an act with requires attention) is done on a non Holy Day. However, the auction does not end until Sunday. So, as the auction winds down on Sunday, the person goes to Ebay in order to secure the purchase. Is this morally allowable? The item for auction is something he may morally own, but it is not a necessity. Is there a difference between simply bidding once on Sunday and winning the item, and bidding more than once because one has been outbid? Also, is one under moral obligation to not hit the "pay" button until Sunday has ended?

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** November 24, 2013, 03:27:45 PM »

I would say you can do online shopping on Sunday, since it doesn't require anyone to work.

Computers aren't people, you know.

There's not a man somewhere between you and eBay frantically connecting various wires together. That's all done by routers.

We make all kinds of technology "work" for us on Sunday -- our cars, airplanes, heaters, air conditioners, ovens, alarm systems, etc. Why not computers?

As long as you are sanctifying the Lord's Day -- primarily by attendance at Mass -- you can browse and purchase on eBay if that is something you want/need/enjoy doing.

Tiffany · « **Reply #2 on:** November 24, 2013, 04:22:27 PM »

I won't make an online purchase on a Sunday because it still involves people on the other side of that order. I doubt they pick orders the same day but I'm not comfortable with it. It seems like most of the good free shipping no minimum deals are offered on Sundays unfortunately. :cry:

Stella · « **Reply #3 on:** November 24, 2013, 04:27:18 PM »

I prefer the point of view of Saints Galore Catholic Publishing

NOTE: Please do NOT purchase anything from our Web Site on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation! Public buying and selling (servile work) is strictly forbidden on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation throughout the year. Sunday is a day of rest. You may browse our Web site, put things in the shopping cart, but only copy and paste the cart to your Desk top (or in an email to yourself) for submitting to us on any other day but SUNDAY and HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION. This is in keeping the Third Commandment. "If you love me, keep my commandments." - John 14:15

Änσnymσus · « **Reply #4 on:** November 24, 2013, 04:35:57 PM »

Yes, I am just questioning whether or not it is truly "shopping." I can definitely see that a person shouldn't devote an inordinate amount of time to commerce on Sunday (certain grave exceptions). But if the actual shopping is not done on Sunday, and the "buying" requires five seconds and the click of a button, is this really a violation of the Sabbath?

Frances · « **Reply #5 on:** November 24, 2013, 09:15:03 PM »

Generally, all shopping should be avoided on Sunday, but there ARE exceptions. Often, I must purchase gas for my car if I cannot get to Mass and back on one tank! Medicine, essential foods, tolls, or unforeseeable needs may be met. Example, today, Sunday, I purchased leggings, a denim skirt, and a pair of gloves in a thrift store. I was called after Mass to assist in removing a heavy branch from the roof of my sister's house before it did more damage. This was not expected, so I lacked the proper clothing and did not want to ruin a good dress or risk immodesty. (For a number of reasons, I can't wear my sister's clothes. Too small, and she has only pants.) The menfolk were gone to check on a used pick-up truck, so it was just we two 50ish ladies. Even though it is Sunday, I do not believe it was sinful to prevent a hole from being gouged in my sister's roof! Normally, I would not do shopping on Sunday, eBay no exception.

parentsfortruth · « **Reply #6 on:** November 24, 2013, 10:46:11 PM »

I don't feel that browsing and bidding on Ebay is bad to do on a Sunday. Usually the people that post things on Ebay don't even check their auctions until Monday, even if the auctions finish on Sunday. They can't even ship the stuff out on a Sunday anyway. Is it a sin to window shop on Sunday while walking downtown, for instance? No. I really think that's the same as Ebay. This might be an issue of overscrupulosity but I can't say one way or the other. I wouldn't get too concerned about it though.

If you spent your entire day and neglected prayer, then yes, there might be an issue. But actually bidding on stuff and that? As long as it's not your livelihood, you have nothing to be concerned about, I don't think.

If you get a different answer from a priest, let me know.

Matthew · « **Reply #7 on:** November 25, 2013, 12:55:01 PM »

Quote

NOTE: Please do NOT purchase anything from our Web Site on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation! Public buying and selling (servile work) is strictly forbidden on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation throughout the year. Sunday is a day of rest. You may browse our Web site, put things in the shopping cart, but only copy and paste the cart to your Desk top (or in an email to yourself) for submitting to us on any other day but SUNDAY and HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION. This is in keeping the Third Commandment. "If you love me, keep my commandments." - John 14:15

Trads can be such pharisees...

It's a good thing I know that Trads don't *have* to be this way, and many of them aren't this way, or *I* would be turning in my Trad card. I see why some people don't want to associate with "Trads", even when they attend the Tridentine Mass exclusively and follow all pre-Vatican II beliefs, customs, and morals.

It makes such a mockery of being Catholic. When I read stuff like that, I want to strive to be the first in line to mock it! Yes, right beside the atheists, unbelievers, and novus Ordo Catholics!

Let's just say it makes me very embarrassed to be TECHNICALLY the same religion as them.

My oven has a function for a certain kind of Jєω (not sure which "branch") that believes that kindling a fire on the Sabbath is strictly forbidden -- and this includes the microscopic fire "created" by an oven. So it has a special mode that won't violate this.

Talk about ridiculous!

The more strict Muslims won't swallow their spit during Ramadan. A traditional priest told me how during Ramadan, you see groups of men spitting here and there, as they keep "saving their spit" lest they should swallow it and break their fast.

The devil must be laughing his butt off! It's like a practical joke that the victim never woke up to.

Getting on your PC and clicking a few items into your cart and filling out shipping details is NOT work, and it isn't causing anyone ELSE to work (not on Sunday, anyway).

The Post Office and all UPS/FedEx stores are closed on Sundays. No shipping can be done.

Frances gave some very good examples of shopping that can be done on Sunday. Namely, any time you have a good reason to. "The Sabbath was created for man; not man for the Sabbath."

It's better to not shop on Sunday, of course, and anything you can do during the week you should (and I mean, put forth a REAL, HONEST EFFORT to do so).

But I shop for groceries *every single Sunday*, though sometimes it's only a few things. It's the only day of the week we're in town. We don't live in the city, and neither of us goes to work (or anywhere else) during the week. Because of lack of time (and lack of extra gas money) we have to make the most of our trips "to town".

We also pick up our library books on Sunday. We reserve them during the week, so when we go in they're sitting on a shelf. But there's no way we'd have time to drive into town 45 minutes one way just to pick up some library books during the week. We figure that it's necessary. We're trying to homeschool our children and we can't buy all the books we need.

We have to use common sense. I believe it would be much worse for our family -- including our souls -- if we didn't pick up the books on Sunday.

If I lived in the city it would be *so easy* to go during the week. Also, if I had to drive home from work every day. I'd simply stop off on my way home one day out of 5.

I think I'm being pretty honest about it -- I ran all the suggested "hypocrisy checks" and it all checks out. I don't travel anywhere else to waste gas, I don't go into town "for recreation", I never wimp out (go somewhere during the week and out of laziness fail to take care of shopping for that week), etc.

Some people make lame excuses; other people genuinely have an excuse. Just like some people are genuinely poor, others just make bad decisions. Same with time management; same with shopping on Sunday.

And P.S. -- "public buying and selling" is NOT "strictly" forbidden. It's unnecessary servile work that is forbidden. You can still cook, do dishes, and anything else that falls under "your ox fell into a pit".

We're not Hasidic Jєωs.

Tiffany · « **Reply #8 on:** November 26, 2013, 01:12:59 AM »

Quote from: Matthew

Quote
NOTE: Please do NOT purchase anything from our Web Site on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation! Public buying and selling (servile work) is strictly forbidden on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation throughout the year. Sunday is a day of rest. You may browse our Web site, put things in the shopping cart, but only copy and paste the cart to your Desk top (or in an email to yourself) for submitting to us on any other day but SUNDAY and HOLY DAYS OF OBLIGATION. This is in keeping the Third Commandment. "If you love me, keep my commandments." - John 14:15

Trads can be such pharisees...

It's a good thing I know that Trads don't *have* to be this way, and many of them aren't this way, or *I* would be turning in my Trad card. I see why some people don't want to associate with "Trads", even when they attend the Tridentine Mass exclusively and follow all pre-Vatican II beliefs, customs, and morals.

It makes such a mockery of being Catholic. When I read stuff like that, I want to strive to be the first in line to mock it! Yes, right beside the atheists, unbelievers, and novus Ordo Catholics!

Let's just say it makes me very embarrassed to be TECHNICALLY the same religion as them.

My oven has a function for a certain kind of Jєω (not sure which "branch") that believes that kindling a fire on the Sabbath is strictly forbidden -- and this includes the microscopic fire "created" by an oven. So it has a special mode that won't violate this.

Talk about ridiculous!

The more strict Muslims won't swallow their spit during Ramadan. A traditional priest told me how during Ramadan, you see groups of men spitting here and there, as they keep "saving their spit" lest they should swallow it and break their fast.

The devil must be laughing his butt off! It's like a practical joke that the victim never woke up to.

Getting on your PC and clicking a few items into your cart and filling out shipping details is NOT work, and it isn't causing anyone ELSE to work (not on Sunday, anyway).

The Post Office and all UPS/FedEx stores are closed on Sundays. No shipping can be done.

Frances gave some very good examples of shopping that can be done on Sunday. Namely, any time you have a good reason to. "The Sabbath was created for man; not man for the Sabbath."

It's better to not shop on Sunday, of course, and anything you can do during the week you should (and I mean, put forth a REAL, HONEST EFFORT to do so).

But I shop for groceries *every single Sunday*, though sometimes it's only a few things. It's the only day of the week we're in town. We don't live in the city, and neither of us goes to work (or anywhere else) during the week. Because of lack of time (and lack of extra gas money) we have to make the most of our trips "to town".

We also pick up our library books on Sunday. We reserve them during the week, so when we go in they're sitting on a shelf. But there's no way we'd have time to drive into town 45 minutes one way just to pick up some library books during the week. We figure that it's necessary. We're trying to homeschool our children and we can't buy all the books we need.

We have to use common sense. I believe it would be much worse for our family -- including our souls -- if we didn't pick up the books on Sunday.

If I lived in the city it would be *so easy* to go during the week. Also, if I had to drive home from work every day. I'd simply stop off on my way home one day out of 5.

I think I'm being pretty honest about it -- I ran all the suggested "hypocrisy checks" and it all checks out. I don't travel anywhere else to waste gas, I don't go into town "for recreation", I never wimp out (go somewhere during the week and out of laziness fail to take care of shopping for that week), etc.

Some people make lame excuses; other people genuinely have an excuse. Just like some people are genuinely poor, others just make bad decisions. Same with time management; same with shopping on Sunday.

And P.S. -- "public buying and selling" is NOT "strictly" forbidden. It's unnecessary servile work that is forbidden. You can still cook, do dishes, and anything else that falls under "your ox fell into a pit".

We're not Hasidic Jєωs.

Matthew respect for the Sabbath doesn't mean they are Pharisees.
It really starts on days before Sunday.

I have shopped on Sunday before since after learning not to, maybe I was ill and needed tissues and cough drops or I was working and ill the few days before and needed food for my child on Sunday.

Like Frances wrote it can be unavoidable if you are traveling and need gas or food.

It forces someone to be at work if we do unnecessary trade or do errands on a Sunday. For the library are you able to just go into town once a month to pick up books and also go to the store? If some books can't be renewed online to stretch it out to a full month, then just drop them off in the drop box. Most libraries have a three week check-out period. I'm also been in the position of being dependent on library books for homeschooling. I understand what it's like getting there and trying to coordinate online requests to be there at a date you can pick up and not sitting there too long to where they are sent back.

Author Topic: Morality of Ebay on Sundays (Read 1477 times)

Änσnymσus

Änσnymσus