SEVERAL years ago, I had the good fortune to spend a Sabbath on the island of Harris during an extended trip to the Outer Hebrides.

Very pleasant it was, too, helped by the fact the sun was splitting the sky and, as I ventured out for a coastal walk, I met practically nobody.

There were very few cars on the roads, too, and the only folk who seemed to be out and about were hurriedly going to or from church for their weekly worship.

It had a special feeling about it and I imagine it was reminiscent of the rest of the UK in a bygone era before Sunday trading laws were relaxed and the Church still had a dominant role in society.

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Sadly, over the years, Sunday has become just another day in the week as people turn their back on religion as it is and replaced by the all-encompassing consumerist society.

It is a shame, really, but the market now decides where once the church did.

But not on the Outer Hebrides, which remains the last bastion of Sabbath observance, although even there it has been eroded away over the years.

Now Tesco has reopened the can of worms and has been accused of dividing the island community after deciding to open the local supermarket on Sundays.

More than 1,800 people have signed an online petition against the move and Stornoway Community Council said debate over the decision had caused division and so it has asked Tesco to reconsider.

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Tesco, for its part, has said it had received a “significant amount” of positive reaction to the plans and the store in Stornoway is due to open on Sundays from 17 November.

But the community council said some islanders felt “extremely strongly” about Sunday openings and added that not all opponents to the move were churchgoers.

Tesco has previously said the new opening times would create jobs and no members of staff would be forced to work on a Sunday.

The supermarket has every right to open on a Sunday in Stornoway, as it does elsewhere, and it should hold its nerve in the face of the opposition as it cannot be dictated to on the grounds of religion.

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The Sabbath is, of course, a day which is given over to worship and was created to allow people to spend the day studying the Bible. Tesco opening its doors on a Sunday does nothing to change that.

Churchgoers and people from all faiths the length and breadth of the country will observe their holy days as they see fit and they have every right to do so.

However, those people of no faith also have the right to spend Sundays doing what they want to do too.

If that means spending all day in a pub watching endless dreary English football matches then so be it.

Neither is my cup of tea but I respect the rights of people to spend the day worshipping and also the rights of those who that can’t stay out of the pub.

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While I do like the traditions of the Sabbath, I feel uncomfortable about a blanket observance which feels like it is being imposed by religious leaders on everyone, regardless of faith.

That sort of thing only belongs to really dangerous zealots like Iran's morality police and the Taliban and Stornoway is far from those.

Observing the Sabbath is a sacred thing to some churchgoers and I hope that continues.

Being able to buy loo rolls on a Sunday will not break that and those who that preach tolerance and loving thy neighbour should live by their own words.