Bringing back memories of Eric Liddell's refusal to race on a Sunday, the issue of football on a Sunday has been raised in the Scottish parliament after a girls' football team from Back qualified for the 16-team Coca-Cola Sevens finals at Tynecastle in Edinburgh on 25 May. The school team looks set to miss out playing in the national tournament because a number of parents have withdrawn their children, citing religious observance on the isles.

Western Isles MSP, Alasdair Allan, asserted that sports should be open to all, regardless of race or religion, and has called on the organisers "to avert a situation in which a team in the final would be disqualified simply because of the religious traditions of the families from which they come".

In a 1980s, as part of the Keep Sunday Special campaign, the Jubilee Centre published a number of booklets such as The Sunday Sport Question and Soccer on Sundays. We argued in favour of keeping Sunday special because:

• A day of rest is part of God's plan for all people
• God cares deeply about family and community life
• God cares for those with low incomes and little influence
• God requires that Christians show their love in regular meetings together, love for him in worship and for each other in fellowship
• Where Sunday is different, this is a standing witness to the resurrection of Christ and his impact on the world
• For centuries now, Sunday has symbolised that, as a society, we aim to acknowledge God in our public life

Quite clearly, society - and perhaps even many parts of the Church - have moved on from this historic position. And yet, in a culture obsessed with the assertion of individual rights, is the Western Isles MSP not correct to defend the right of his constituents who choose to enjoy their Sundays at church, with immediate family and relatives, for the needy, and for personal rest and relaxation?

To explore the issue further, download our set of four Bible studies: Why Keep Sunday Special?