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Yes. There are several explanations for this, but the most popular ones are:

1) Making fires is prohibited work. Activating an electric switch causes a spark, which is kind of like a fire.

2) We have a tradition of considering using electricity to be work.

3) This is stupid, not using electricity is more work. Just push the button.

4) This is stupid, but having a day when we aren't all on our phones is nice, so let's keep all of the silly rules to not lose that




> Activating an electric switch causes a spark, which is kind of like a fire.

So is walking on a carpet and removing your sweater and almost anything involving fabrics and motion.

Is it really a useful definition of "fire" and "spark"? Most people think of those as different things. Fire implies oxygen, you put out fires with heavy blankets or with nitrogen gas since time immemorial. Sparks, as in tiny plasma discharges, does not require oxygen and can not be put out the same way.


There's an important distinction between "thing that happens even if you don't intend it" and "thing that happens because you intentionally caused it" (and the even more subtle distinction between "beneficial side effect of thing you intended" and "neutral/negative side effect of thing you intended").

ie intentionality matters.


We are talking about religion here. Don't try to rationalise it.




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