Encyclopedia of Opinion
Question
Should we have daylight saving time?
Position2 of 2
No, we should not have daylight saving time
Argument3 of 3

Daylight saving time negatively affects religion

It disrupts religious practices that are based on the sun (sunrise, sunset, etc).

The argument

Several religions have practices that occur based on the position of the sun, including Judaism and Islam. While adding/retracting an hour of sunlight may be seen as an annoyance for some people, those practicing certain religions are faced with a larger problem. Some religions require prayers to be said at sunrise and sunset, and therefore get thrown off twice a year when the time changes. For example, say there is a person who practices Islam and must pray at sunrise, has a 2 hour commute to work, and must be at work by 9am. If the spring time change makes the sun rise at 7am instead of 6am, this person must choose between being late to work or blowing off the morning prayer. In this sense, one could even argue that Daylight Saving Time results in religious discrimination.

Context

Several religious practices occur based on the position of the sun in the sky.

Premises

[P1]Several religions, including Judaism and Islam, tie prayers to the position of the sun at sunrise and sunset. [P2] Daylight saving time shifts these times twice a year, forcing observers to choose between their prayers and obligations like work. [P3] This burden amounts to a form of religious discrimination. [C] Therefore, because it negatively affects religion, we should not have daylight saving time.

Counter-arguments

Many of the religious practices based on the position of the sun aren't as rigid as they used to be, thus allowing for some flexibility in people's day-to-day schedule.

Rejecting the premises

[P3]If Daylight Saving Time does in fact discriminate against certain religions, then it is unintentional and can be fixed if workplaces allow later start times, breaks, or early end times for those who engage in religious practices based on the sun's position.