Should Christians be tattletales?

[Earth Wind and Fire]

My county steals from me every year in the form of taxing me for my farm. We don't have a wheel tax so the loafers go free while land owners have to foot the bill for the county government. Every one is on the take. I should get to vote ten times in a county election and these loafers not get one vote. As the Italians say, forget about it.

Do you participate in your local government lie go to to councel meetings and voice your greaveances .... it takes committed conserned citizens assembling together to get stuff accomplished....or you campaign to vote to throw the bums out.

 

[salzer mtn]

I guess you've never read Matthew 17:24-27.

If you say so.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

I have been thinking about this for a while.

Suppose he only made 5 copies (still wrong)
but lets say he was making a 1,000 copies a week.
Would the number of copies make a difference as to how you would approach it?


How about this answer:

Send an Anonymous note to the supervisor expalning that someone is making unauthorized copies, albeit it is for a good cause. Reccomend that he put out a memo out mentioning that this matter will be closely monitered.

thoughts

Up the ante. A Christian turns to forgery because his hours at work have been cut. He "only" forges one check a week, and that to make sure he has groceries on his family's table.

How about a Christian who, due to economic circumstances, also sells drugs. But he "never" sells to kids.

A Christian is having an affair. He never lies to his wife about where he's been, he just doesn't give her a "real" answer, just grunts.

My point is, the amount of sin is irrelevant. The sin, at any level, is sin. If we know, we are required to institute church discipline.

 

[salzer mtn]

In the OP the scenario is one Christian that used the coping machine. The other two never said Christian. In the first scenario, if the Christian is sinning, it is his sin. Sooner or later his super will catch him. Am I the Sin policeman or something ?

 

[Sapper Woody]

In the OP the scenario is one Christian that used the coping machine. The other two never said Christian. In the first scenario, if the Christian is sinning, it is his sin. Sooner or later his super will catch him. Am I the Sin policeman or something ?

No, but you have an obligation to your employer to increase his profits. The first man is stealing. And if you aren't stopping him, you are stealing.

 

[salzer mtn]

No, but you have an obligation to your employer to increase his profits. The first man is stealing. And if you aren't stopping him, you are stealing.

Ok, I will go to the offender and talk to him, if he keeps it up I will not go to the employer. Do you realize if I took your view and applied it to everyone I saw doing anything I considered to be sin I probably wouldn't be alive till Sun down ? By the way what planet do you live on ?

 

[Gina B]

In that case, I haven't much of a clue. If I see something I personally think is wrong, I generally just say it's wrong straight to the person, not to someone else. I tend to be rather blunt like that. No real need to go to anyone else. Nobody's ever done anything but cooperate. Well, one person who thought it was me who told someone they were stealing electric slashed my tires, lol, but the neighbor pointed out that I would have TOLD them to stop stealing it and said it was her that called, then they had to go to court and pay for my tires...they actually tried to use the excuse that being the only Christian neighbor, they naturally assumed I who must have been upset at the theft.

It really doesn't seem worth it to be the goalkeeper of those small things when we have lots of them ourselves that just don't get seen. The bigger things seem so much more important, but that's just my opinion. There's so much going wrong in our world. I mean, we have the skin trade, tons of children sold into it, so much government corruption, so much violence, so much cruelty and hatred, that I just can't see causing too much discord over these types of things. I can understand that wrong is wrong, but it seems it would be too exhausting to try to tackle everything, so maybe prioritizing is a better idea.

OTOH, one who cannot be trusted with something small...so maybe it starts with small.

I don't know.

As believers, how ARE we expected to prioritize when it comes to sin in our world? I guess the answers from those that don't believe in degrees of sin would be the most interesting.

 

[abcgrad94]

(Just to stir the pot a little more. . .)

So is it narking to report other posters on BB? I can't wait to see the replies to this one!:laugh:

 

[Gina B]

(Just to stir the pot a little more. . .)

So is it narking to report other posters on BB? I can't wait to see the replies to this one!:laugh:

Almost choked...LOL That's a mighty big spoon you're wielding, missy!

One forum I was on had a nursery for people who tattled and whined to the administrator/moderator about other people or about the forum.

 

[Sapper Woody]

Ok, I will go to the offender and talk to him, if he keeps it up I will not go to the employer. Do you realize if I took your view and applied it to everyone I saw doing anything I considered to be sin I probably wouldn't be alive till Sun down ? By the way what planet do you live on ?

I am not saying to be on the lookout and try and find things. And I would handle it at first just like you said. I would approach him first. But after that, it would be a sin NOT to say something. Allowing someone to steal from another person is both a sin and a gross injustice to that person.

And I didn't say apply it to all sin. Only sin that harms a third party. If someone is sinning and only harming themselves, it's their prerogative. But if they are harming someone else (anything from spousal abuse all the way down to petty theft) we have an obligation (morally, ethically, legally, and biblically) to step in and inform those who can correct the problem. And ONLY them. We also have an obligation (morally) to keep it in the smallest circle possible.

 

[kyredneck]

(Just to stir the pot a little more. . .)

So is it narking to report other posters on BB? I can't wait to see the replies to this one!:laugh:

Don't come in the back door, tell them up front you're reporting the post, then it's not narking. There ARE posts that should be reported for the sake of the image of this board to outsiders looking in, jmho. There's been one or two I've reported without first informing them because the poster was obviously inebriated, lost all civility, and obnoxious to the extreme.

 

[Salty]

Back in the 8th grade, I saw two kids who had stolen a final exam and were copying the answers. I infomed the teacher. Was I a tatletale?

 

[Revmitchell]

You know where the tail always ends up.

 

[Salty]

You know where the tail always ends up.

Since it is very early in the morning , my brain is not at full speed, please explain your answer

 

[righteousdude2]

After reading all the comments and views....

....I think I should report [tattletale] you all to the moderators for having some solid views :laugh:

 

[saturneptune]

I am not saying to be on the lookout and try and find things. And I would handle it at first just like you said. I would approach him first. But after that, it would be a sin NOT to say something. Allowing someone to steal from another person is both a sin and a gross injustice to that person.

And I didn't say apply it to all sin. Only sin that harms a third party. If someone is sinning and only harming themselves, it's their prerogative. But if they are harming someone else (anything from spousal abuse all the way down to petty theft) we have an obligation (morally, ethically, legally, and biblically) to step in and inform those who can correct the problem. And ONLY them. We also have an obligation (morally) to keep it in the smallest circle possible.

And who defines what that circle is and what sin enters it? You????? Oh and for sure, if you see someone taking a government ink pen, as the federal government is just packed full of upright, honest servants, be sure and put on your Dudley Doright costume and save the day.

 

[salzer mtn]

(Just to stir the pot a little more. . .)

So is it narking to report other posters on BB? I can't wait to see the replies to this one!:laugh:

I can say I have never snitched anyone out on any board I have ever been a member on. I know I can be hard to get along with at times so I apply that to my brother too.

 

[Sapper Woody]

And who defines what that circle is and what sin enters it? You????? Oh and for sure, if you see someone taking a government ink pen, as the federal government is just packed full of upright, honest servants, be sure and put on your Dudley Doright costume and save the day.

The circle is defined by the offender. You start with the offender. If that doesn't work, you bring in the next person. Until it is solved.

And I'm going to ignore your sarcastic and snarky part of the post. Stealing is stealing. Letting someone steal is stealing. Period.

 

[thisnumbersdisconnected]

In the OP the scenario is one Christian that used the coping machine. The other two never said Christian. In the first scenario, if the Christian is sinning, it is his sin. Sooner or later his super will catch him. Am I the Sin policeman or something ?

Galatians 6, NASB
1 Brethren, even if anyone is caught in any trespass, you who are spiritual, restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness; each one looking to yourself, so that you too will not be tempted.
2 Bear one another's burdens, and thereby fulfill the law of Christ.​

 

[North Carolina Tentmaker]

The first words of v. 15 are "If your brother sins ... " without further qualification. Doesn't say "against you." Doesn't say "against the cable company." It says, "If your brother sins ... " Period.

What does that tell you?

No, those are not the first words of Matthew 18:15. The verse reads (this is the entire verse, I posted it before).

[15] Moreover if thy brother shall trespass against thee, go and tell him his fault between thee and him alone: if he shall hear thee, thou hast gained thy brother.

It certainly does include the qualification "against thee" not sure what translation you might be reading numbers, that is the kjv I quoted.