Author Topic: Job searching on Sunday against Third Commandment? (Read 1271 times)

Kephapaulos · « **on:** November 23, 2014, 12:07:01 AM »

I was wondering if searching for jobs and applying to them on Sunday would be immoral (particularly if it is online). Thank you.

Matthew · « **Reply #1 on:** November 23, 2014, 06:56:15 AM »

No, it would not be.

It's not servile work.

But most important of all -- it's necessary! Everyone needs a job.

I presume you're not staying home from Mass to job hunt :)

Matthew · « **Reply #2 on:** November 23, 2014, 03:52:33 PM »

Quote from: Nado

Quote from: Kephapaulos
I was wondering if searching for jobs and applying to them on Sunday would be immoral (particularly if it is online). Thank you.

I would consider it a form of conducting business. I think you should merely line up the jobs that you wish to apply for, and wait until after midnight to actually do so.

That's just scrupulous, and I'll give you several reasons why:

1. "lining up the jobs" and then submitting them after midnight is just being a Pharisee. As in, "hooray for the letter of the law; who cares about the spirit of the law!"

2. Writing e-mails, submitting applications for jobs electronically does not cause anyone else to have to work on Sunday.

3. Writing e-mails, submitting applications for jobs is not servile work.

4. Even servile work is permitted on Sunday, provided that it's "necessary".

5. The OP is an unmarried Catholic man in his 30's. He would like to get established in a career so he can get married someday. He currently works (but does not earn enough to support a family) and is going to college at the same time. There isn't much time during the week to hunt for better jobs.

6. The OP also attends Mass every Sunday -- the MAIN and MOST IMPORTANT way to sanctify the Lord's Day. I saw him there this morning :)

7. One of the recommended activities that a Catholic SHOULD engage in on Sunday: things that require the mind rather than the body -- works of creativity, culture and improvement. Writing a book, painting a painting, filming a movie -- You know, stuff that you need to be "off" and relaxed to be able to consider. Thinking about your life, your goals, what you might want to do for a living, looking at what's out there is VERY MUCH in line with the Sunday rest. You simply can't do this during the week, when you're actually WORKING and rushing around living your life. That's what God gave us Sunday for! Firstly to worship Him, secondly for rest.

Let's not be hypocrites like the Pharisees. Certain modern-day observant Jєωs have to buy a special oven that stays warm over into Saturday, because if they turn on an oven and have it heat up, the small spark/flame created is "building a fire" which is considered "work" and a violation of the Sabbath!

"The Sabbath was made for man; and not man for the Sabbath."

Matthew · « **Reply #3 on:** November 23, 2014, 06:47:28 PM »

Quote from: Nado

My response, by the way, has nothing to do with servile work. The books talk about doing business, like banking, etc., and this is where I was coming from. Someone can easily being working on the other side receiving those applications and processing them.

Ok, then to be precise, I should call it ignorance.

Most online job seeking involves (1) person sitting at a computer, and a computer server on the other end recording the response. Not a human being.

The human being(s) involved won't be receiving or acting on the applications until the following business day (Monday) at the start of business.

When you submit something online, the only thing doing work is a computer, which has to write a few hundred bytes of data to its hard drive.

Furthermore, most individuals and home businesses don't have employees. So if you're applying for a job, it's probably at a company. And that company has its own e-mail addresses, office, computers, etc. The individuals involved check those business e-mail addresses *only* at work, during working hours.

In other words: Show me a man who uses his own personal e-mail account for his "business" and I'll show you a man who is a one-horse operation, and/or isn't hiring :)