Something on my Mind: No Buyee? No Takee! (2)

Let me start off by listing two other possible motivations for stealing:

4. Boredom. We are raising a nation of bored, directionless children, with social media being one of greatest contributors to this problem. There is a rush (see #2) to taking something that isn't yours (so I hear), and it simply breaks up the daily tedium.

One antidote to this factor is to have a real life: a fulfilling job, meaningful relationships, and a touch of character and courage, works every time.

5. Anger. This sounds something like: "I couldn't help it, I was ticked off." This is the "blame game" rationale and it is so full of holes that it's hardly worth wasting even moments addressing it. In this case, the blame is based on family life (usually no father present), the colour or race card, or socio-economics factor. These are all real issues, no question, but they are never excuses to go out and rip someone off. Never.

Have you ever considered the cost (pun not really intended) of taking what is not yours? We referred to places where stealing can take place, but I will remind you what I said last week:

"There are job sites, supply yards. regular retail outlets, public places and institutions, and, of course, houses, where we call it breaking and entering." I must add that mugging people and robbing banks should be listed, too. Let throw the way our taxes are dealt with by the CRA, while I'm at it.

Things stolen must be replaced. Inventory that was purchased must now be purchased again. That likely leads to greater surveillance, more staffing to maintain that surveillance . Perhaps there has to be a re-working of how merchandise is presented.

And that all costs money, which will be passed along to the consumer. So, in other words, the thief may not pay, but you and I will.

There may be the shortsighted view that it's just one chocolate bar, or one light bulb, or one tie, but it's not. It's one item by one person in one store at one time. Multiply that by many items stolen by many people in many stores over many hours –all in one day—and you get the picture.

There are many ways that stealing takes place. It may be by shoplifters in some retail outlet. It may be fraudulent returns. It may be employees ripping off their employers.

Then there is gas and dash, where it may actually cost the clerks their lives, in trying to stop scumbags from gassing up without paying. And beyond the cost to the retailer, there is the cost to family life and the courts when these people are charged and put away. Stealing is a very expensive way of getting free things.

I did some googling on the cost of stealing. The dates are a little old, but that only suggests to me that the figures are higher today (as we're not getting better as society, you know).

They say that shoplifting costs retailers worldwide $112 billion (that with a "b," not an "m") on an annual basis. Even when employees rip off their bosses, it costs the employers anywhere from $20 billion to $40 billion (again, starting with a "b"), though I don't know if that's here in "enlightened" North America or worldwide.

There's more, but I trust you get the picture. The main thrust of this eighth commandment is the forbidding of taking something that is not yours.

Here are a couple of really simple principles to live by:

1. If it's not yours, don't take it. Plain and simple. If you want it and it's available, go through the proper channels, namely, pay for it, work for it, or earn it somehow. There are agencies that help people who just can't afford the basic necessities; ripping others off is not an option.

2. If someone else is stealing, deal with it. Dealing with it could involved being a "fink," one way or the other. I know that word is so '60ish, but it fits in right here. Maybe you do not have the physical or personal wherewithal to confront the thief, but there is a 9-1-1 phone call/text to the cops, the venue itself, or even a friend.

And yes, we would be much, much better off if we stopped stealing. It makes sense at every level.

Something on my Mind: No Buyee? No Takee!

I suppose this could be the start of a couple of Christmas newspaper columns in a roundabout way. I plan one or two Christmas-themed papers columns in a couple of weeks, as I take a break from my Ten Commandments series.

The token link between this "do not steal" commandment, so cleverly expressed in the title, and Christmas, is because Christmas is one of the busiest shopping frenzies of the year (next to Black Friday)—and one of the most fertile times of this vile practice of shoplifting.

I work a few hours a week in a thrift store, and even there, the epidemic of thievery is out of this world. It is beyond me how people can stoop to taking what is not theirs, especially in a retail outlet that already has rock bottom prices, to say nothing of a store that provides high quality wares for those who need a break. Another factor in these low prices is that the workers are volunteers.

It's the retail version of biting the hand that feeds you.

Thrift stores are not the only vulnerable venues for stealing. There are job sites, supply yards. regular retail outlets, public places and institutions, and, of course, houses, where it gets its own designation, namely, breaking and entering.

I am appalled, yet aware enough to recognize that stealing, whatever form it takes, is not on par with sexual assault, murder and any other form of violence. But stealing is stealing, and taking something that is not yours is wrong

That's W-R-O-N-G, as is selfish, ignorant, evil, and costly. We may play the "blame game" by attacking the rich retailer, or playing the "needy victim card" by blaming our family life, but taking what is not yours is still so very wrong.

We may even play the word game, and sugarcoat it by calling it pilfer, poach, filch, borrow. I like "five-finger discount," but I don\'t want to sound glib about it.

I once stole a candy bar from a local corner store when I was ten-years-old. My parents made short work of that, one of many blessings coming from a traditional family that embraced common sense, along with consistent, caring virtues that we sadly lack today. We really need to get back to having parents who are allowed to be, well, parents these days.

I have always wondered why people steal. I don't know directly, of course, so I can only surmise the following reasons:

1. Need. There is no legitimate reason to steal, but this could be the closest. However, clothes are so inexpensive these days in thrift stores, and soup kitchens and food banks are so plentiful, that "need" is not a really good reason. It's a sad reflection on our society that these safety nets are necessary and available, but it's helpful they are around.

There used be the other safety net (family) that took care of its members when the chips were down. But then someone stole the chips. Of course, with family life imploding, no longer an option anymore.

2. Thrill. I suppose there is some rush in getting something for nothing, daring the clerk to catch him, pleasing the gang that's watching. If the thief would take a second to think that one man's thrill is another man's ill--loss of inventory and sales, as well as security issues, for example—he might give it a second thought.

But then again, I can't use "think" and "thief" in the same sentence. Scheming and stealing are not hallmarks of a rational person, no matter how clever they appear to be. I would put "thief" and "ignorant" in the same sentence, though.

3. Dare. The daredevil approach seems courageous and heroic, though neither word comes to mind when I think of common thieves. A lot of dares are picked up because the ingrate is actually cowardly and spineless. There is no positive word to describe this type of person.

Peer pressure is a crummy motivation for doing something really stupid.

We'll finish the rest next week. In the meantime, if you take something, pay for it

Something on my Mind: No Hanky-Panky (2)

I cannot fathom how relevant these ten commandments are, even as we
finish off 2017. I trust I have conveyed how significantly appropriate
obedience to them makes for better individuals, homes, and, society.

And this seventh one, namely, "do not commit adultery," may be the most
important.

I have a pretty good idea why it is seventh on the list, but I don't
want to digress too much. Just think in terms in being right with God
(Commandment #1), then the rest fall into place. I know that's an
oversimplification, but that's the truth.

Unrestrained passion with someone who is not your (married) partner, in
or out of a marriage, is a dangerous habit. In Scripture, it is a
forbidden practice, but owing to the secular, godless culture we are
immersed in, my Bible argument doesn't have a lot of credibility.

You would find it an interesting study to see what stats there are on
the economic, emotional, social, sexual, physical, and mental impact
that affairs, pornography, peep shows, strip shows, and flings have on
society as a whole, which is made up of the workplace, homes, and yes,
even churches.

I don't have the stats at my fingertips, but the Internet is a wonderful
tool (usually) for that. You would be shocked to read of the massive
damage that serial infidelity and rampant unfaithfulness has on our
society today.

And I am not even using God, the church or the Bible to support my
argument.

What would happen if we all kept our hands to ourselves, our eyes for
our wife (or husband), and our money where it should be spent responsibly?

Saying that, it's almost as if I can hear a collective "whoopee" on the
part of every victim, every humiliated wife, every abandoned child, and
every legitimate social agency. Maybe even the courts and law would
shout out, too, while we're at it. They have to deal with the rampant
violence, senseless fraud, and utter depths of humanity, on a daily
basis, when it comes to the results of adultery. We mustn't forget the
danger that officers put themselves in when dealing with a domestic dispute.

No stable society remains stable for long with this chaos in the
bedroom. No society can endure for long when there are incessant
attacks on its moral foundation.

A generation ago girlie magazines came through the mail, shrouded in
paper bags. At least there was token discretion back then. Today,
however, all shame is off and there is access to everything through the
click of a button in the privacy of one's home. And no, by God's grace,
I do not speak from experience.

You're possibly wondering if I have wandered off from my "no
hanky-panky" commandment. No, not at all. You see there are many
"roads" leading to an unfaithful lifestyle. And when we sound the
alarm at what's available on supermarket shelves, on cable television
offers, or what can be downloaded on the Internet, we have solid grounds
for concern.

In other words, often times the actual act of adultery is the end result
of careless morals.

A more positive, uplifting angle is simple: Keep yourself pure for the
one you will be committed to for the rest of your life (or if you are
married, stay committed to her or him only). Keep yours eyes, hands,
and mind under control. Don't allow yourself to come under the bondage
of unbridled pornography. (And I did say "bondage"; it's certainly not
freedom.)

As I said last time, the Scriptures make it very clear that sex is good
(as well as healthy and necessary), but sex must be within the context
of a monogamous marriage between a man and woman. No ifs, ands, or
buts. This point can be affirmed without using the Bible.

Physicians, economists, psychologists, and others will attest to the
fact that serial infidelity is a counter-productive, destructive habit.
I don't think they would weigh in on the moral or spiritual element.
They don't need to.

There may be the momentary rush of illicit sex, but that's as far as it
goes. Even the Scriptures speak of the "pleasures of sin for a season."

Think long term and big time. Do the right thing and back off and away.
It's not merely a one-night fling that is at stake: it's a
generational, self-destructive one.

Something on my Mind: No Hanky-Panky (1)

While each one of the Ten Commandments is applicable and timely, this seventh one and the one we just looked at seem more relevant than ever before. I'll leave the "murder" edict alone for now, though just to add that so much more could have been said, in light of what happened at Orlando, Las Vegas, New York City, and, most recently, Sutherland Springs (Texas).

Think with me about your circle of friends and relatives, colleagues and neighbours. Now break it down in terms of relationships—those married and those not married; those where one of parties is married, but the other is not. Good: Let's now talk in terms of the seventh commandment, the vice of adultery.

Don't sugarcoat it with some Hollywood mantra, like "if it feels good, do it." Don't even allow yourself to cave in to those other feeder vices, namely, pornography, x-rated movies, and Internet smut. And while you're at it, don't blur the lines between lust and love, guys and gals, or whatever you think you can get away with.

One reason our culture has been turned on its head in these past few decades is there has been a wholehearted abandonment of self-control in the area of sex. Restraint has been supplanted by no holds barred, and "nothing doing" has been trumped by "anything goes."

By the way the Brits have taken quite a hit in this area. I don't know where the expression, "No sex please, we're British," came from, but it's a cheap shot that is unnecessary—although they're not exemplary in their behaviour by any stretch. They say that the Victorian era was marked by an attitude in which there was no sex. I counter that this current era is marked (or is is "marred"?) by living as if there is nothing else but sex.

The Bible is not against sex—not by any means. One of the first commands to a newly-created Adam and Eve was to "go forth and multiply." And subsequent to that, one of the first recorded acts on the part of Adam and Eve was the starting of their family.

It's that fine line between sex for procreation (in marriage) or recreation (outside of marriage) that seems out of control these days.

However, the Bible makes it very clear that if you truly want sustained happiness, good health, stable family life, and a better society overall, you will not commit adultery. That sounds like God is the ultimate Killjoy, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Back to my second paragraph: Think through those friends, relatives, colleagues and neighbours, and catalogue those who have had affairs, flings, one-night-stands, and other euphemisms for unbridled sex. Those events are often made out to be such a wonderful conquest, but I assure you that the results and memories tell a different tale.

My assignment for you today is to think about the wife that was dumped, the kids' trust that was shattered, the home that was broken up, the money woes that followed, and the lives of the then-lovers that were destroyed. Let me use some words to describe the results in our culture, if we are don't obey this seventh commandment: grief, poverty, violence, disillusionment, STD's, infertility, bitterness, anger, confusion, promiscuity, addiction, murder, unemployment—and I'm just warming up.

And someone says that adultery has no consequences?

We can all reject the idea that God is our Maker. And we can all reject the law of gravity. But rejecting the law of gravity doesn't help when we jump off a building; we still suffer the consequences.

So it is with rejecting the laws of God. He has made us and knows what's best for us. So when He says "no hanky-panky" (His thoughts, but my creative spin on the wording), He knows what He's talking about.

Look at that list that I started a few paragraphs ago. What good can come out of the consequences of any adulterous relationship? I can help you with the answer: None.

With a culture hell-bent on self-destruction in this area, the blame must be clearly placed at the feet of those disobeying this commandment. I know for a fact that there are a lot of "amens" as I write, and they are not just from religious people.

They are from the victims of these rampant acts. I think it is prudent to think of all possible consequences before you commit adultery—then run from it as far as possible.

Keeping your hands to yourself would be a great place to start.

Something on my Mind: You Shall Not Murder (2)

Last week, we looked at what this sixth commandment does not apply to. So if if it does not include hunting, gun control, or capital punishment (and pacifism, which I didn't deal with), what does it mean?

It essentially has to do with the sanctity of life, from womb to tomb,. Murdering a defenceless human being and giving it a fancy name like "abortion," or murdering a very ill or elderly person, and giving it a likewise fancy name like "euthanasia," is cowardly and contemptible.

Likewise, that commandment includes "life itself." Cold-blooded murder, that is targeted and intentional, is dead wrong, no pun intended. Even the courts identify such as first-degree murder.

Beyond that, sometimes death takes place inadvertently when, for example, during a fight or robbery or momentary outburst that ends in death. That would be classified as second-degree murder or manslaughter. Death is death, to be sure, but the difference is whether it was intentional or not.

All lives matter (not just black or blue ones, by the way), and we are commanded to treat each person as the special beings that they are, regardless of culture, race, ethnicity, sexuality, and language. It doesn't mean that we necessarily endorse or embrace people's choices, of course, but there is no place for murder.

We observe that sort of murderous mayhem these days, one more example of the desperate trajectory of our western civilization. I still wonder, that if this sixth of the Ten Commandments was followed, how much better our world would be.

Actually, I don't wonder at all: It would be much, much better. And safer.

Can you imagine (and with the bloody assaults within our nation, that's all you can do), a society where this law was understood and implemented? I haven't been around for the past 10,000 years, so I don't know if things are getting worse. I do know that there are more people than ever before, and that the news agencies are seemingly everywhere, reporting anything that smacks of sensationalism.

Another concrete ramification of this commandment is that of self-defence. If I am being attacked on the street, it is my duty to defend myself. The same goes for my house being broken into: I should not stand idly by while my family and I are being assaulted. That is a non-starter, and I personally see no option here against force here.

Please note that I am using the word "defend," but not necessarily "murder."

That would be one of many reasons why a disarmed citizenry is a dead citizenry, and gun control is wrong. Maybe the good guys would comply, but the bad guys wouldn't, so actually bad things would become far worse.

If we truly understood the value of human life, then we would grasp when and where our people needed to be armed. Even a better grasp of Scripture also works in our favour on this issue, but that's likely too much of a stretch for many people.

Life is far too valuable to be made vulnerable. Those who doesn't have that common sense and rational approach to life are actually the dangerous ones—whether they are politicians, celebrities, or even religious leaders.

They are the loose cannons when it comes to gun control (pun mercilessly intended).

The value of human life is implicit in this sixth commandment. Embrace it, and you will live...in more ways than one.