Let's say you don't steal because you fear getting caught rather then you think it's morally wrong. You still haven't done the sin, does it make a difference?
Not sinning out of fear compared to it being wrong
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David Lamb
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I would imagine that if your saw nothing morally wrong with stealing, and only didn't steal because you were worried about the consequences, you would probably be committing another sin, coveting, wanting something belonging to somebody else. Also, even thinking stealing is not morally wrong is a sin against God, because it is diametrically opposed to God's commandment, "You shall not steal."
Lambano
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I'm interested to hear the responses.
On the one hand....
If looking at a woman with lust is the same as committing adultery with her in your heart, and calling somebody a sick bastard is the same as shooting him in his heart in your heart, isn't coveting someone's car the same as stealing it in your heart?
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Lambano
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On the other hand...
While researching something for another thread, I ran across an interesting story from a Rabbi about tithing. There were two Jewish men waking down the street. Each one makes $1000 a week, and their financial situations were identical. They're walking down the street together when they run across a crippled beggar. One was moved by compassion and gives the beggar $50 (one 20th of his weekly income). The other is rather contemptuous of the beggar, but because he remembers that Torah encourages all Jews to give 1/10th of their goods to the poor, he reluctantly gave $100 (10% of his weekly income) to the beggar. Which one did what God wanted? The Rabbi's class unanimously said the man who gave only 5% of his income to the poor, but with a giving heart. The Rabbi then asked, "From the point of view of the Beggar, which one did the right thing?"
From the point of view of the lucky guy whose car isn't getting jacked today, which one is doing what God wants? The one who is afraid of going to jail for Grand Theft - Auto, or the one who thinks stealing cars is wrong?
While researching something for another thread, I ran across an interesting story from a Rabbi about tithing. There were two Jewish men waking down the street. Each one makes $1000 a week, and their financial situations were identical. They're walking down the street together when they run across a crippled beggar. One was moved by compassion and gives the beggar $50 (one 20th of his weekly income). The other is rather contemptuous of the beggar, but because he remembers that Torah encourages all Jews to give 1/10th of their goods to the poor, he reluctantly gave $100 (10% of his weekly income) to the beggar. Which one did what God wanted? The Rabbi's class unanimously said the man who gave only 5% of his income to the poor, but with a giving heart. The Rabbi then asked, "From the point of view of the Beggar, which one did the right thing?"
From the point of view of the lucky guy whose car isn't getting jacked today, which one is doing what God wants? The one who is afraid of going to jail for Grand Theft - Auto, or the one who thinks stealing cars is wrong?
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Luke 21"21 And He looked up and saw the rich putting their gifts into the treasury, 2 and He saw also a certain poor widow putting in two mites. 3 So He said, “Truly I say to you that this poor widow has put in more than all; 4 for all these out of their abundance have put in offerings for God, but she out of her poverty put in all the livelihood that she had.”
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