In battle for Sunday, the 'blue laws' are falling

In Boston, home of John Winthrop and Cotton Mather, Puritan traditions have thrived. Many recall days, just decades ago, when stores were shuttered on Sundays. "What did we do back then?" says Jerry Marks, a beer salesman in Randolph, Mass.

Laws making Sunday a day of rest began deteriorating during World War II, when women entered the manufacturing sector. "A hundred years ago, women could shop six days a week, and take the Sabbath off," says Laband. "Now, increasingly, shopping has become compressed into the weekend."

For store owners and managers, though, it's a mixed bag. Many in Boston doubt the new hours will increase sales; instead, liquor sales will be spread throughout the week, and owners will have to pay staff on Sundays. Stores can choose to remain closed, of course - but they risk losing their customer base if nearby competitors stay open.

Andrew Stern, manager of the Wine Emporium in Boston's South End neighborhood, says the family-run store will open on Sundays for a trial period to gauge cost-effectiveness. But he believes Sunday sales are in customers' best interests, and calls the repeal "part of this country's coming of age." "Everything else is open on Sundays," he says. "Why can't this be, too?"

Down the street looms the Union United Methodist Church, an imposing American Gothic cathedral. There, the Rev. Martin McLee worries that the repeal could make Sunday seem less sacred. "The sacredness of the Sabbath can be preserved, without crossing the line separating church and state," he says. "It has worked for centuries; why change now?"

While blue laws are most closely linked to Puritan New England, they've sparked debates nationwide, especially in the Bible Belt. "These 'don't laws' are being called into question across the South," says Robert Snyder, professor of American studies at the University of South Florida. "Part of the undercurrent here is that you can't legislate morality."

And these repeals may spur others. Already, 27 states have relaxed alcohol laws. "You have this domino effect because of cross-border sales," says Mr. Coleman. Connecticut's Gov. John Rowland said he'd support ending his state's ban - a day after Massachusetts' law took effect.

Like other battles between church and state, the repeal of remaining blue laws may be a sign of how secular America has become. "Religion doesn't play a central role in politics anymore," says Mr. Drummey. "This does represent a shift - more of a symbolic changeover from another time,"

And it's a sign, too, of America's growing pluralism. "The Sabbath was a time for religion, for family, to renew kinship bonds," says Dr. Snyder. "But religion isn't static in this country. Sunday, Christmas, Easter - these aren't necessarily the days of celebration for everybody anymore. [The repeals] show how dynamic society is, and how much things change."

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