These Australian LDS parents decided not to watch their son play a rugby league final Down Under because the game was on a Sunday. More power to them.
I’m reminded of the “Chariots of Fire” scene where the Scottish minister refused to run in the Olympics because the race was on a Sunday. The most interesting thing about that were the many discussions that ensued about proper Sabbath Day worship.
My personal take: my family doesn’t watch much TV on Sundays. We honor the Sabbath by going to Church and avoiding going shopping. We’re not Pharisees about this: if we are missing something, and it can’t wait until Monday, we go to the store. If there is something on TV we really want to watch, we turn the set on. If my son were playing in the World Series or Super Bowl, I’d turn on the set to watch him, or, more likely, I’d try to get tickets to the game.
The Spencer W Kimball manual we are reading at Church this year says people should not hold picnics on Sundays. (I taught the Sabbath Day lesson on this in High Priest’s several Sundays ago). My position on this is that picnics and trips to the park are appropriate Sunday activities for our family. Such activities may not be appropriate for other families, but for us they are spiritual, restful and happy times. My feeling is that people should prayerfully consider what are appropriate activities for them on Sundays. Some families may consider TV watching and family picnics appropriate — others may not. I also think there may come a time later in life when appropriate Sunday activities change for me and my family. But for now I feel we are honoring the Sabbath the way we should.
Having said that, I appreciate people like this Australian family who have made another decision on how they will honor the Sabbath. I think it is a nice reminder that Sunday is not just another day like any other and that people should try to honor the Sabbath in their own ways. For this family, that includes not turning on the telly. Bully for them.