Not from hell
I’ve been catching up on some game playing. Primarily the adventures of Hershel Layton. Professor Layton and Pandora’s Box is based in a time when an Englishman could travel around with a young boy who wasn’t his close relative without being arrested or lynched. It’s based in a time when almost all problems can be solved with a cup of tea and a relaxing bout of puzzle solving.
But how would you solve this problem… your family is starving and you have no money?
Would you steal?
It’s a presumptuous question… I’m presuming you haven’t stolen anything before. I mean, the question would then be, ‘what did you steal?’.
Don’t worry, I won’t judge you. I’ve stolen loads over the years… mostly from my places of employment. Paper, pens, computer components, contacts, dignity… I’ve even stolen the likeness of copyrighted characters. That’s probably the one I’ll go to hell for.
Oh, this has become a confessional…
The reason I ask is that there is a small storm brewing over the comments of Father Jones. You can see the details of the story here, but essentially he told his congregation that if they were going to steal, they should steal from big chain stores as opposed to family run businesses.
I don’t normally share the views of the church, but this seems like really sound advice from someone wearing a dog collar. I’m not advocating stealing… and neither was Father Jones. He was talking about people who need to feed themselves through crime, the really desperate. And the interesting thing is that even in such a civilised place as the United Kingdom, we still have people who need to resort to some grim measures.
The reason why I think this is such an amazing thing to say isn’t that it highlights the hypocrisy of the church (as some people have suggested… apparently something in the Ten Commandments says something about not stealing), rather it shows that a member of the church can rally against the institutional dogma and apply Christian teachings to the real world.
It’s a Christmas miracle.
Really, it is.
You see, whether he meant to or not, Father Jones has sanctioned non-voluntary charity. By saying that people should steal from big chains, the result is that the big chains put their prices up, meaning that those of us who can afford to buy food bear the burden of those that cannot. It’s almost a non-governmental welfare system that works.
Sure, it’s open to abuse, and Father Jones wasn’t talking about robbing a widescreen TV from Asda… but that aside, I think the guy deserves a medal, not as a religious man, but as a humanist and a realist.
So yes, here is my slushy, sentimental Christmas related message, the moral dressed in red and green…
…if you see the homeless and the poor this Christmas, you know what to do. Go and help them… go and help them ram-raid a petrol station, God will thank you.
Happy Christmas,
Ad
First off, happy holidays to you too. I kinda know the feeling. Though I dont currently steal to survive, if i wasnt receiving financial help from relatives, i would probably have to. the economy is pretty weak right now and i havent been able to get a job, regardless of the countless applications ive filled out. honestly, right now im just trying to find a way to make something of my future, but its a lot easier said than done.
regardless though, i try to stay positive, and im thankful for all i do have. hopefully with the new year will come the sort of opportunities im on the constant lookout for.
Wow, I don’t encourage really that people stoop to such low levels, because it only spreads more sorrow, but there are wonderful ways to help all sorts of people. Money is actually rarely the best form of charity. Anybody can throw money at a problem, but there is no effort or thought into it. Learning about someone, and then figuring out what can be done just for them is true charity.
I’ve never seen someone barf so adorably! He kind of looks like Astro boy.
“the result is that the big chains put their prices up, meaning that those of us who can afford to buy food bear the burden of those that cannot. It’s almost a non-governmental welfare system that works.”
the same thing tends to happen with our non-socialized health-care here in the states, I don’t know the math, but I’ve heard the whole thing would be cheaper and more efficient if we changed the system. I am tempted to suggest a socialized food system to someone and see what happens.
Hey Tia, I agree about the Astro-boy-esque cuteness of barfing.
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Yo! have an excellent crimble fella! x
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I heard a while back that walmart wouldn’t press charges on stolen goods under $25. That would be my shoplifting place of choice. ah ha! found a link. yikes, its a long one.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/13/business/13walmart.html?_r=1&ei=5094&en=6a5fe7409934d1c9&hp=&ex=1152849600&adxnnl=1&partner=homepage&adxnnlx=1152765735-rDD1fQ6kCOor2FftwbxDHw
I won’t say I never stolen anything, that’d be a lie, but I feel pretty bad about stealing these days.
However, I agree with the padres thoughts on the matter.
Anyway, if you hear about how the big chains treat the suppliers, esp the grocery stores dealing with farmers, then you have almost no reason to feel bad.
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