The Christian Action League is re-running this Urgent Action Alert for those who may not have seen it or have yet to respond to their Representatives in the North Carolina House. It’s been updated. The League urges you to share it with your pastor, your key church leadership, your Sunday School class, etc. An expansion of Sunday hunting is “just one more thing” to diminish the influence of our sacred institutions and frustrate the indispensable work of our churches.
-Dr. Mark Creech
Executive Director
Bill Will Clear the Way for Sunday Hunting
Contact Your Representative in the NC House and express your opposition right away – time is of the essence
Christian Action League
April 17, 2015
Wednesday (April 15), the House Wildlife Resources Committee passed HB 640 – Outdoor Heritage Act. The measure is meant to address a number of hunting related topics, one of which is allowing Sunday hunting on private lands.
North Carolina already allows for bow hunting and falconry on Sundays. This bill, however, expands hunting with firearms on private property provided that the hunter is the landowner, a member of the landowner’s family or has written permission from the landowner. Hunting of migratory waterfowl and chasing deer with dogs on Sunday would not be included in the new law. Moreover, Sunday hunters must be at least 300 yards from a place of worship.
During debate on the bill, Rep. William Brisson (D-Bladen) argued that even at 300 yards away high powered rifles could still be problematic for many of the small rural churches across the state. Other members of the committee expressed concerns about the way hunting on Sunday would create disruptive noise for worshippers. Still, proponents of the measure said safety and noise concerns would be just as pertinent on any other day of the week.
“Rep. Bob Steinburg (R-Chowan) made the most solid argument against Sunday hunting,” said Dr. Mark Creech, executive director of the Christian Action League. “I had planned to speak on the measure, but that opportunity was never allotted to the public by the chairman of the committee because of time. But Steinburg essentially argued what I had planned to say. Steinburg contended,
‘As a Christian, I’ll tell you, this is personal to me. I’m just a little tired of those things that we have valued in this nation for so long being whittled away from us one after another. And this is just one more incidence of that with Sunday hunting.’”
Dr. Creech added,
“Our churches make an indispensable contribution to the general welfare of our state and nation. The list is long, very long. You could sum it up simply by saying the churches pass along the virtues that make people self-governing so they’ll need less government in their lives.
“I understand that distinctive Christian institutions like the ‘Lord’s Day’ or the ‘Christian Sabbath’ must find their place in the larger social context. Yet, it should also be noted that when the general context ignores religion or fails to properly respond to its sacred institutions, then the value of religious influence is greatly diminished. That doesn’t bode well for our country.
“Sunday is the church’s prime time for performing its irreplaceable work. Lawmakers understand the necessity of legislation that creates a friendly business environment; our churches also need for lawmakers to consider whether their actions create a friendly environment for the work of our churches.
“This legislation is just one more thing to frustrate the critical work of the church.”
The Outdoor Heritage Act was filed on Monday, heard and passed in committee on Wednesday, and could be on the House floor for consideration as early as Monday evening at 7:00 pm. The bill is not currently listed on the calendar for Monday, but it still could be added.
Read the correspondence Dr. Creech sent to House members by clicking here
Take Christian Action:
A great deal of support has been voiced for this measure from people who have a vested interest in Sunday hunting. However, the bill has been moving so quickly, people who would oppose the measure have not had ample time to be informed or contact their lawmakers to express their concerns. Citizen Christians should seek to express their concerns NOW, especially if they can catch their lawmaker at home over the weekend. If you can’t reach him or her while they’re at home, call their office and leave a voicemail, giving your name and where you live to show that you are one of their constituents. If your time is limited, send them an email.
Please contact the person who represents you in the North Carolina House and urge him or her to either amend out Sunday hunting or vote against HB 640 – Outdoor Heritage Act.
This legislation will likely pass if there is not a public outcry from people who are opposed. There is only a small window of opportunity to respond. Don’t delay to tell your Representative in the NC House that you want them to vote, “NO.”
If you don’t know who represents you in the N.C. House, here is a very simple way to find out. Simply click onto WRAL’s, Find Your Lawmakers. Then enter your address and press “Search.” It will show you all of the lawmakers that represent you in your district on both the federal and state levels. You’ll want to access the email link and phone number underneath the name of your State Representative and express your opposition to HB 640 – Outdoor Heritage Act.
Please forward this Urgent Action Alert to others that you may know who oppose making Sunday hunting with firearms legal in North Carolina.