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Morally Confused
wrote:
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Hi, guys —
- Is it a sin to report a crime?
Sounds silly at first, but I ask because
of my motive. The crime committed, directly
affects and harms myself and my family.
- Is it selfish to report such a crime
in the hope of limiting the damage done
to my family?
Morally Confused
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{
Is
it a sin to report a crime that directly affects
and harms myself and my family? }
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Mary
Ann replied:
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Morally Confused —
You have a duty to report crime
and a duty to protect your family.
If you are referring to a family
member committing a crime often, an addict who steals, for instance, or an abuser, it is
a good thing to report them because then
the person will be required to get mandatory
help.
Your family needs to know that you
will defend them.
Mary Ann
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Eric
replied:
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Morally Confused —
I certainly don't think it would
be a sin in the situation you are
referring to. It's OK to defend oneself
against unjust aggression or harm.
It might be different if, for example,
the crime didn't affect you and you
were motivated by revenge or hatred
against the individual.
Eric
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John
replied:
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Morally Confused —
By reporting the crime, you are not
acting selfishly and certainly not
sinfully.
Legitimate self defense and defense
of your family from physical, psychological,
and financial harm is not selfish.
In fact, you have a moral and legal
obligation to do so.
This is not to say that we should
not be merciful. Nevertheless, never
confuse mercy with leniency.
Hope this helps,
John DiMascio
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Morally
Confused replied:
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Hi guys,
As you can assume, it's a really
long story. I did report this person
10 years ago for the same thing and
they were charged and tried for the
crime. Honestly, I think my motive
then was more revenge because the
damage had already been done but
we were able to prove that we had
paid some money we didn't owe and
also that we didn't owe all the other
money that the government said we
had to pay.
We found out last year this person
has continued to commit this same
type of crime against us (multiple
times) and now the government says
we have to pay $100K that we don't
owe (again). We tried to handle it
without turning them in but the court
would not agree to hear the case.
If I turn them in this time, they
might spend a couple of years in
jail and I don't want that.
I felt some regret for reporting
the crime 10 years ago. I have asked
for forgiveness and forgiven myself.
It took years for me to get to the
point where I really don't want to
cause harm to this person but, neither
do we have the ability to pay this
kind of money. It is financially
devastating to our present family
situation, as well as any future
we've worked for and had hoped to
have.
The only problem with reporting the
crime again is that it may not help
us at all. Maybe, I have no way
of knowing the outcome, it will
only serve to get them in trouble
and we will still have to pay something
we don't owe. If we cannot get a
judge to say we don't owe it, then
we have to pay it.
- Do you still think it's not sinful?
I'm so glad to have gotten a few
good answers. Thank you for giving my the opportunity to to ask. This has been on
my heart for sometime and it's important
to hear an unbiased answer from someone
with a Christian heart. For this
I am so thankful.
You're a blessing.
Morally Confused
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Mary
Ann replied:
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Morally Confused —
It is not only not sinful to
report him, it is mistaken to think
that prosecution and punishment would
be doing him harm. It would do him
good. For the sake of justice and
of his eternal soul,
he needs the feedback from the justice
system.
A couple of years in jail might be
just what he needs. It is immoral
and wrong:
- to let him defraud you
- to allow this harm to your family,
and
- to let the possibility of restitution
pass by, a restitution that even
God demands when there is a question
of theft.
Mary Ann
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