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Wow...something is not a crime b/c a poor little old lady did it?
I'm with driftwood. I wouldn't have made some public scene, but I would have told someone about it. Who knows? If she really is resorting to stealing b/c of financial constraints, she may be able to hook up with some social resources. At the very least, they need to make sure of her mental status.
I'm with driftwood. I wouldn't have made some public scene, but I would have told someone about it.
the difference between stealing out of need and stealing out of want is that poor people probably would not have stolen the food if they could afford it.
Most poor people are even too ashamed to admit that they are poor. A rich guy who steals because he simply wants more will always steal because there is no such thing as ever having enough.
It is not the stealing itself which is evil, but the desire to always want more.
I live in East Nashville and there are some parts of it that have alot of poor people. I regularly go to a Kroger's supermarket that's in a poor area. Awhile back when I was at the checkout lane there was an elderly lady in front of me who just had four or five small items to pay for and she was acting really confused and not making any sense when she was talking to the clerk. When the clerk turned her head to look at a check or whatever it was that the woman was talking to her about I saw the woman slip one of the unpaid items into her purse which she had positioned on the conveyer thing that slides your groceries towards the scanner. She was obviously shoplifting. She mumbled a little bit and paid for the other items and I just stood there wondering what to do and I didn't do anything. At first I thought she was just a little senile and I felt kind of bad for her but after leaving the store I had the strong sense that her confusing behavior was just an act in case she got caught so she could pretend she was just confused. I do think she was poor, she certainly looked like it, and she must have been in her seventies at least.
Here's my feeling about it now. I was caught off guard, was a little confused about what was going on, felt sorry for this woman, and made the wrong decision. I think I should have told someone I'd just seen someone shoplifting. Even though I don't think it was an expensive item it was stealing. I realize that elderly people often find themselves in very desperate financial circumstances but resorting to shoplifting isn't the answer. I know this isn't a specific religious question but it does have moral implications. I feel I did the wrong thing, what would you have done?
Quote:
Originally Posted by MontanaGuy
I feel I did the wrong thing, what would you have done?
I think you did the right thing. There are very poor persons that are not better then anyone else but don't steal and the Lord provides for their needs. If the Lord can feed birds, elephants, and whales he can feed us
There are very poor persons that are not better then anyone else but don't steal and the Lord provides for their needs. If the Lord can feed birds, elephants, and whales he can feed us
What about the people who die of starvation? I hope you are not suggesting that these people deserved to die of starvation since there was no (divine) intervention.
Originally Posted by Patmos
Quote:
There are very poor persons that are not better then anyone else but don't steal and the Lord provides for their needs. If the Lord can feed birds, elephants, and whales he can feed us
Originally Posted by Quote:
What about the people who die of starvation? I hope you are not suggesting that these people deserved to die of starvation since there was no (divine) intervention.
Not at all. Many persons have died from starvation from bad government polices. Many have died in Africa in the past 45 years as a result of famines started by rival war Lords or nations. Sometimes bad crops happen a many tragically die. What about the people who die of starvation? There is a appointed time to die for every person that will ever live on the face of the earth. Its not how one dies but did someone really come to saving faith in the Lord of the universe or not by choose. With the more light one responds to the more revelation one will receive from the Lord that will lead one to saving faith and salvation. Persons that have died before the age of accountability set for each person by the Lord will not face judgment and persons that have passed the age of accountability by the Lord and have chosen to stay lost will be held accountable for their sins.
The Lord is not accountable to us, we are accountable to him.
The Lord is not accountable to us, we are accountable to him.
True, but then the question regarding the poor is: Am I my brother's keeper?
Many rich countries refuse to remit the debts of many 3rd world countries, which is a major cause for them being poor and unable to help their poor citizens. Instead the rich rather make use of their cheap resources and only help them if they can help themselves at the same time.
I would confront the person in the parking lot and would tell her I saw her stealing and take it upon myself to bring the merchandise back into the store and purchase the item for her and then I would share the Lord with this particular person and say to her that the Lord will take care of your needs if you put your trust in Him
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the difference between stealing out of need and stealing out of want is that poor people probably would not have stolen the food if they could afford it.
A rich guy who steals because he simply wants more will always steal because there is no such thing as ever having enough.
It is not the stealing itself which is evil, but the desire to always want more.
I hope you are not suggesting that these people deserved to die of starvation since there was no (divine) intervention.
True, but then the question regarding the poor is: Am I my brother's keeper?
