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Theft.. Catholic teaching vs Orthodox.. only for those who willl not get confuse

mikeforjesusmikeforjesus
edited December 1969 in Faith Issues
Theft.. Catholic teaching vs Orthodox.. only for those who willl not get confused..

http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/14564b.htm

I read the first line and the first paragraph or the first big area of text.. after that is a space..

I found this reading very insightful and good news to me..  One thing I learned if the only is that the catholic church believes to steal when in danger of dying or suffering from any form of extreme necessity .. it is not stealing.. and you do not have to make restitution afterwards..

and

"For the notion of theft, the unwilingness of the owner to part with what is rightfully his, is essential. If he be content, or if under some circumstances he can legitimately be presumed to be satisfied with what is done although perhaps displeased at the manner of its doing, there is no theft properly so called. Moreover his unwillingness must be reasonable, not simply insensate close-fistedness"

"Moreover his unwillingness must be reasonable, not simply insensate close-fistedness"

that line is interesting to me..



Do we have lengthy moral explnations of sins like theft....... ?




Comments

  • PopeKyrillosPopeKyrillos
    In the coptic church, a sin is a sin no matter what the circumstance is. In the catholic church, sometimes theft for example is ok, but in the coptic church even if you are 1,000,000 dollars in debt, stealing to get something you need is still wrong. And when you need (not wanting needing it) god will provide for you. You can't go to abouna and be like, i don't have any money, and my family is hungry, so i went to steal a bicmac from mcdonalds. It's still a sin. In the liturgy. we say "for you give them their food in due season." Stealing something you don't need though is a bigger sin. For ex. Stealing money because you're starving, might be less of a sin, but still a sin. But stealing jewlery to sell it and get money for it, when you already have money, is bigger.

    Feel free to correct me,
    PK
  • Meena_AmeenMeena_Ameen
    I Agree with popekyrillos, in our church theft is theft, especially when he says when you need (not wanting needing it) god will provide for you. But know also, that everything you have was given to you from God. You recieved nothing on your own. The catholic church is i believe wrong on this subject because this is a sin that the devil makes you think is ok because it is something needed and not just wanted like almost all other sins. But remember what Jesus said, "Behold the birds of the heaven, that they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; and your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are not ye of much more value then they?" The point is, you do not turn to sin to get what you need, you turn to God.

  • mikeforjesusmikeforjesus
    Look I don't believe much the catholic church would be wrong on this.. maybe you misunderstand what they believe..

    do you agree if you are starving and you will die.. to steal is not wrong?
  • Meena_AmeenMeena_Ameen
    I am saying that im sure God will not punish someone in such a position, but just because someone is in this position it does not mean that the law of God is changed just for him. God will ofcourse remove this sin once repented, but it does not mean that this act is not a sin. Jesus said "Man shall not live by bread alone but by every word of God"
  • PopeKyrillosPopeKyrillos
    Mikeforjesus, It's still a sin if someone steals while he is in need and might die. However like i said before, it just might not be as bad as stealing something you don't need. But it's still a sin.

    PK
  • Anglican
    Of course it is wrong to steal. If there are circumstances which mitigate that sin then God, the all-knowing and all-merciful will make the judgement - not us.

    In Christ,

    Anglian
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