I had this discussion with a local teen.
He had his IPod stolen from his locker.
He said “I guess it is ok, the kid was probably poor and needed it more than I did.”
I was all over him.
I said: what an arrogant insulting statement you have made. Assuming poor people are not moral people. Assuming that one cannot have integrity or honor in poverty.
You are so wrong, There are many many books about impoverished people acting with integrity. Learn your history so you will not say anything as insulting again.
Never mistake immorality for poverty.
I said: what an arrogant insulting statement you have made. Assuming poor people are not moral people. Assuming that one cannot have integrity or honor in poverty.
Was reading the following the past few days:
Luk 17:1 One day Jesus said to His disciples, “There will always be temptations to sin, but what sorrow awaits the person who does the tempting!
Luk 17:2 It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a millstone hung around your neck than to cause one of these little ones to fall into sin.
Luk 17:3 So watch yourselves! “If another believer sins, rebuke that person; then if there is repentance, forgive.
Correct me if I am wrong in my interpretation. Many of us can say we don’t tempt people. We can say I don’t steal so I didn’t tempt anyone by what I did so I’m good, I don’t deserve the millstone.
BUT, if you go beyond the easy interpretation, it seems to be saying “not correcting” someone is the SAME as tempting. That takes a little more thinking and I will have to admit, I deserve several millstones. It takes time, effort and “risk of offending” to correct someone. If you love someone, you will speak the truth....................
But it does reference only to believers so I will play that card. But then it leads me to Proverbs:
Always correct a fool......................
Never correct a fool........................
Guess I will have to go to the corner and think a little.