Not coming to child's birthday party on a Sunday

[TheZebraCrosser]

I've received an RSVP response from a parent who is a fellow Christian declining an invitation to a child's birthday party meal at 5pm on a Sunday 'as they keep Sundays for church services and fellowship'

Er, surely celebrating a child's birthday is fellowship.?

I feel a tad irked by this almost as if I'm being scolded for daring to do something as evil as having a birthday party on a Sunday.

Sigh,,,, are there really still such legalistic attitudes?!

I'm unsure how to respond. Any ideas?

I might just say "oh dear sorry the timing doesn't work for you. Thanks for letting me know"

just say "thanks for letting us know".

you have to respect their beliefs. They didn't "tell" your son he shouldn't be celebrating!

I love pixie - I just feel sad that there are people who really still think that kind of thing matters.

Rosa - yes of course - all fine - of course I resist but they have the same beliefs as me!!

But of a back story!

She hasn't said your son can't celebrate but that her son will not be celebrating. Maybe they go to the evening service?

*respect

I think it's sad that you want to judge them so much whilst complaining that you feel judged. You do your way, let them do theirs.

This is why religion is bonkers - everyone has a different interpretation of words written in books by goodness knows who, it could have been completely made up

She was ridiculous

I'm not judging. I feel I'm being judged.

I posted in religion not AIBU.

I was hoping to get responses from fellow Christians to gauge if I'm out of step with how others feel.

Sigh,,,, are there really still such legalistic attitudes?!
Sounds fairly judgemental to me!

But that's the thing, religion is personal, not everyone follows the same path even if it does come under the same umbrella, and sorry but you are judging them using words like farcical.

Elisheva- but legalism is just wrong. It's bonkers trying to keep a set of man made rules thinking that will make God love you more!

It's not me judging, it's what Jesus said.

I think you are probably viewing it through the prism of old drummed in guilt. The other Christian probably didn’t mean any of the perceived implied dig. You have done nothing wrong as a Christian. I don’t think it’s wrong of them either. We all have our own approaches to our faith.

The detail was probably added because they felt like you were owed an explanation.

When a party clashes with church, I reply with "sorry we can't make it, we'll be at church". Do people find that rude?

Well, like the rsvp OP got "we keep Sundays for church services and fellowship'" it's kind of superfluous information and might come across a bit sanctimonious/judgmental.

What's wrong with "Sorry we can't make it. Hope you have a lovely time."

They are unusual, the majority of people who attend church do not keep the rest of Sunday "special" in fact the choristers often go shopping between the two services (evensong is at 5)

She said - I didn't say farcical. I said Pharisaical. I follow Jesus. Jesus in the bible condemned the Pharisees for trying to be holy by making up rules to keep.

Jesus let his disciples pick corn on Sundays when they were hungry. The Pharisees tut tutted.

Jesus healed people on Sundays. The Pharisees tut tutted at that too.

"they have the same beliefs as me!!"

not in detail. These are things are personal. This is how they choose to do their Sunday.

The Ten Commandments says to remember the Sabbath and keep it Holy. That is not a man made rule!

PS my parents had some friends refuse their 50th anniversary party invite because it was a Sunday. Mum was really offended, sorry to say, but dad was fine, and when he died the couple offered more help than a lot of other people who were happy to be friends when there was a party on offer, but not when mum was grieving.

Someone said it, sorry - multi tasking.

You do come across judgemental though, maybe they didn't need to explain why they couldn't come, maybe they felt they wanted to show it wasn't an excuse they were making up, either way different people do things different ways.

Elisheva- depends what your idea of holy is!

See also earlier post about eating / healing etc. Jesus left pretty clear guidance about the rules the Pharisees has regarding Sunday activities.

Does no one think the original poster is being judgemental or sancimonious? I feel a simple 'no thanks we are busy' would have sufficed. No need to point out what Sunday is / is not for.

Were the roles reversed, that's what I would have said to avoid coming across as 'holier than thou' or sanctimonious.

Sorry I meant original texter, not original poster, op being me!

Ramadan I understand as the fasting element means you could not eat.
We didn't invite the parents to eat and 5 year olds don't fast. So it was due to religious observance (I imagine either mosque school or reserving the time for family visits).

She said no- yes ok, that's a fair point.