Schumer and Republican senator spar over which day is Sabbath

Republican senator quotes the Bible to say Sunday is the sabbath, but Democratic senator points out Old Testament places the sabbath on Saturday.

By Paul Shindman, World Israel News

Democratic Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer gave a Republican colleague a bible and civics lesson after Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith said voting on Sunday would not be allowed in her state because it would violate the holy sabbath, media reports said Thursday.

On Wednesday, Hyde-Smith backed a move by southern Republican senators to ban electoral activity on Sundays, claiming the new legislation was justified because Sunday is the Sabbath day.

“I can speak for Mississippi on why we would never do that on a Sunday or hold an election on a Sunday,” Hyde-Smith told Schumer.

Holding up a dollar bill she said: “This says the ‘United States of America in God we trust.’ Etched in stone in front of the U.S. Senate chamber is ‘In God we trust.’ When you swore in all these witnesses, the last thing you said to them in your instructions, was ‘so help you God.’”

“In God’s word in Exodus 28:18, it says, remember the Sabbath and keep it holy,” Hyde-Smith said at a meeting of the Senate Rules and Administration Committee.

Schumer, from New York, is Jewish and reminded Hyde-Smith that America cannot make laws based on one religion over another.

“Another member (Hyde-Smith) of the committee defended limits to early voting on Sundays, a day when many African-Americans go to vote after church, by quoting the bible and the commandment to keep the sabbath holy,” Schumer said during a speech in the Senate.

“I don’t know where to begin with that one, but I’ll start by reminding my colleagues of the separation between church and state, and frankly, the Bible passage she talked about comes from the Old Testament when the Sabbath was on Saturday,” Schumer said.

“Senator Hyde-Smith comments are emblematic of the push by lawmakers in GA and other states to disenfranchise racial minority, low-income, elderly, rural, disabled, and student voters,” the ADL tweeted. “Equally as offensive, she totally disregards the Sabbath of Jews, Muslims and some Christians.”

Jews and some Christian Churches observe the Sabbath on Saturday, while Friday is the holy day of the week for Muslims.