For some strange reason this issue comes up a lot in my dealings with fellow Christians, mostly IRL, but also online. And more than is necessary has derailed a fruitful conversation and left it dead in the water, almost exclusively when the other Christian is a hardline believer in Saturday being the Sabbath, and Sunday being such a perversion that it makes them agitated to the point of disengaging.
I'm a relatively new Christian, always seeking to learn more from others regardless of their beliefs, and I find it baffling how often this topic shuts down folks who are typically among the most Bible literate I engage with. I've seen it deflect from great conversations too often. It's just weird to me.
I did some basic research on this, and AFAIK God never handed down a stone tablet establishing a calender, and the Hebrew calender (and early Roman calender) coincided with the earlier Babylonian calender, and the young Christian church began celebrating Sunday to honor the resurrection, and later the Roman Constantine calender established Sunday as the 7th day. Am I missing something? Why do some find it so overwhelmingly necessary to, seemingly obstenately, observe Saturday Sabbath, and WHY does it so often happen to cause these people to get so angry to the point of distraction? Why is following the Constantine calender a perversion, but not the arbitrary Hebrew calendar?
I realize this is just my experience, but it's an overwhelming experience and has often frustrated me. I do not mean disrespect, but I believe the day is not as important as the ceremony being celebrated with the body of Christ and I would like ammunition to evaluate situation better, and frankly argue against it. Without exception, I haven't met a person whose spiritual life has been improved by this belief; it has kept all of them away from church participation as a result. And honestly, their outward spirits reflect that.
Thanks, I'll check back after work in 12 hours, lol.
Apologies for typos and grammar. I'm bad at phones.
EDIT: I ask here respectfully as honestly, some GREAT Christian practitioners and scholars are here. It's a blessing!
Make sure to read these posts, they're all giving great pieces to the puzzle.
Overall the theme is absolutely correct. Arguing needlessly on minor points is a big part of the Devil's toolbox.
U/PandaMoon17 cited Titus 3:9-11, very good.
Also add 1 Timothy 6:4-5 and 2 Timothy 2:23. Annecdotally a big part of it is the 85%/15% argument. Any given protestant religion typically agrees with 85% of doctrine and typically is the most important stuff, so no big deal. The stuff disagreed upon and where people get hung up is typically 15% or less of their doctrine and or secondary issues and doesn't matter (dressing in robes, incense, wearing funny hats, singing specific songs in a certain way, the trappings of worship).
Likewise, as you've discovered, minor doctrinal issues and stuff like which day you observe kinda don't matter to most folks. Paul gave a great example of this obsession of minutiae with the eating of sacrificed food.
1 Corinthians 10:25-33 - Paul explains all food comes from God and it really isnt an issue. The issue comes from the perceptions of others, specifically in that instance, a fellow who he seems to infer is being witnessed to. The guy made a big deal about the food being offered had been sacrificed to a pagan god, so the dude had some opinions about what that did to the food. Paul doesn't want to give the wrong impression to the guy, so suggested to abstain from eating the sacrificed food.
Pauls main point from dealing with others is you want to edify and enrich their life, rather than complicate or, God forbid, cause issues with bringing them closer to salvation.
The term "when in Rome, do as the Romans do" you wouldnt participate in activities you are convicted against (orgies and vomitoriums come to mind).
Hmm... ok good example, when i was a teen i went with my dad to a pentacostal church (protistant but with catholic trappings), and they were blessing the communion and stated the cup now held the literal blood, and the bread became the literal flesh of Christ (Transubstantiation). Paraphrasing, they said all who belived were to come up and receive the communion. My dad went up but i refused, i didnt believe it literally changed, so i thought i was doing right by these weirdos.
He chastized me when driving home. I knew what was right and what God intended. It was not deception to participate, but honored their love and faith in Christ as brothers and sisters.
When we get to Heaven, we can talk about all the little silly things we thought were important.