7. YOU SHALL NOT STEAL
Nor thieves, nor the greedy…. nor robbers shall not inherit the kingdom of God!
It is forbidden to destroy, damage or steal something that belongs to another or to society. The measure of the sin of theft is determined by the amount of damage and of injustice for the injured party (if the thing was very valuable for the owner – a memory of the mother, a rare book…).
This command can also be sinned against by dishonesty at work. Buying not necessary things is also injustice to those who do not have necessary things, because what I have does not belong only to me. Surplus belongs to the needy and the poor.
We are always obliged to compensate the damage!
- Did it happen in this way? What was going about?
- Am I wasting food, groceries? Excessive spending.
- Do I do my job honestly? Work honestly, because the fruits of your labor are used by others, just as you use the fruits of their labor.
- Irresponsible use of time at work.
- Am I trying to secure my family with my work?
- Do I do my job only as a last duty and a source of pension provision?
- Poorly done work.
- Do I appreciate the result and meaning of my work – for myself and others?
- Do I live on the account of others, I like to lament how sick I am, I behave inappropriate, do I regret myself?
- Do I respect work ethic? Do I pass on my knowledge? Am I proactive at work? Do I expand my qualification?
- Am I trying to be a benefit? Do I use all my options to solve problems at work?
- At work, I deal with suing others, slandering, reading other people’s correspondence, stealing – taking outside the company (materials, food, office supplies, cash, confidential/proprietary information …). Am I encouraging others to do also this, or am I asking them for cooperation, assistance, coverage?
- Am I building a career at any cost? Dishonestly, with abuse of power, of acquaintance or through membership in a political or social organization.
- Do I behave inappropriately – to subordinates, colleagues, candidates, clients, business partners?
- Do I cheat in doing business?
- Do I pay an unfair salary?
- Speculation – do I artificially change the valuation of property in order to benefit from it to the detriment of another?
- Bribery – the one who gives the bribe sins, as does the one who accepts it.
- Tax fraud, forgery of invoices, checks, non-compliance with contracts.
- Non – payment of taxes, non-payment to the Social Insurance institutions.
- Strike – is morally unacceptable if it is accompanied by violence or targets are set that are not directly linked to working conditions or are against the common good.
- Animals – they are God’s creatures, they praise and celebrate Him by their existence, and people should also be kind to them. Animals can be liked, but not focus on love that belongs only to humans. It is undignified to spend sums of money for them, which should preferably alleviate human misery.
Gambling – bets, tickets, lotto, cards, poker, roulette….
- Morally unacceptable
- Slavery of the player’s passion, the desire for mammon
- I’m robbing my own family
- Desire for property of others
- Cheating, dishonest bets
- The money thus acquired is unclean money – acquired by sin, coming from my sin and the sin of others, from another’s misfortune (from the desire for mammon, idolatry, family tragedies – misery in families, marital crises for gambling, gambling, falling into alcoholism, suffering children, unhappy suicides who got into a desperate situation for gambling and betting, such as losing homes, made debts…).
- Mortal sin – owners and operators of betting offices, slot machines, casinos, innkeepers.
Love for the poor.
God created good for all, so we have a duty that it may actually come to all according to justice and with the contribution of love.
- Disordered love for wealth, their selfish use.
- Giving alms to the poor is a testimony of brotherly love, it is also practice of justice that pleases God.
- Not sharing with the poor means robbing them and getting them rid of life – we do not own our things but their stuff – we repay the debt of justice.
Acts of mercy
- charitable deeds
- to teach, advise, cheer
- to forgive, to endure patiently
- to feed the hungry, clothe the ragged, take care of the people without shelter
- to visit the sick and prisoners
- to bury the dead
- giving alms to the poor
