Blue laws notwithstanding (no Sunday activities before 13.30 under state law as a general rule except for grocers and emergency situations; alcohol is prohibited on Sunday), the state’s history with athletics events also has precedence. On 2 April 1978 (Sunday), organisers held the inaugural Cooper River Bridge Run (Mount Pleasant-Charleston) 10k on Sunday at 10.00. The original course was from Patriots Point (a Mount Pleasant attraction of retired military ships) to the reversible lane of the Pearman Bridge over the Cooper, and to Meeting Street in Charleston, where the race finished at White Point Gardens, near the Battery. One problem — there are numerous churches on Meeting (Wesley United Methodist, Wallingford Presbyterian, Citadel Square Baptist, Trinity United Methodist, St. Michael’s (Anglican), Circular Congregational, First Scots Presbyterian, First Baptist). They complained when the race was run during church hour, and the result led to the 1979 race being moved to Saturday, where the past 32 Bridge Runs have been held.

Most members of my church travel in by public transport and older members of my congregation tell me how much more difficult it was to make the journey to church before Sunday trading became widespread in the 1990s. The congregation was much smaller back then and has recovered since. In short, Sunday trading sustains my church and enables members to attend.

Jon has pointed out the emerging school of thought among theologians questioning the concept of Sabbath, and whether this must necessarily be on a Sunday. Based on my own experience, resting from one’s labours and doing the “work of the Lord” doesn’t have to be on Sunday, and is about making choices and time to rest from the normal pattern of work.

(Phew, that probably should have been more than one sentence!)

Another point that occurred to me was that by saying that a Sunday marathon would disrupt travel to and from places of worship, Dr Carson was presumably assuming that most people would drive or be driven to church. It would be interesting to know how far these worshippers are actually travelling, and whether it might be a challenging and rewarding experience for them to leave their cars at home for one spring morning and try out the bodies their Creator gave them.

Second (and I speak as a practicing Christian), Christians must understand that they don’t ‘own’ Sunday. The law allows for the practice or non-practice of religion as one sees fit. If a Christian’s conscience keeps them from taking part in the marathon, that is a matter for their own particular conscience. A hard choice might need to be made. The value of their religious practice would come under introspection. But that’s life. It would certainly be easier for me to give up caffeine and chocolate for Lent if none were available to buy, but to try to pass a law to remove coffee and sweets from the shelves for forty days would be absurd.