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Upholder · Tue Dec 22, 2009 , 06:33 AM

Get a load of this. According to a C of E priest, it's OK for people to shoplift if they find themselves in hard times:

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,580807,00.html

The Scripture is very clear about theft:

"Thou shalt not steal." (Exodus 20:15)

...and in the New Testament:

"Let him that stole steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that needeth." (Ephesians 4:28)

This is the sort of thing that happens when preachers forsake the Scripture and become advocates of a humanistic "social gospel" which only offers its hearers a temporary salvation from the hardships of this life, but without any certain hope for eternity.

Jerry80871852 · Tue Dec 22, 2009 , 06:17 PM

He states;

""I would ask them not to take any more than they need, for any longer than they need ... My advice does not contradict the Bible's eighth commandment because God's love for the poor and despised outweighs the property rights of the rich."

And he has the nerve to say he is not contradicting the Bible. Seems he needs to study it a bit more, for he has surely missed something.

Davo · Wed Dec 23, 2009 , 07:27 PM

I expect he would complain if they stole from him.

I can remember a preacher we had sometimes by the name of the Adolph Shultes (Alf) He used to visit people in prison. One young man he visited said "When I get out I will come and burgle you." Alf replied, "Here is my address, but you would be wasting you time, if I have anything you want, I will give it to you. Why steal from me and come back in here when I would give you anything I have?" The next time he visited, the young man said "When I get out I would like to visit you, I won't steal anything." The third time, the young man said "When I get out I would like to visit you and I'd like to give you something, would that be alright?" "That would depend where you got it." said Alf.

He said that none of the criminals who visited him on their release ever stole anything from him, however Christians were different. He said that on a number of occasions when he visited Christians, he saw some of his books on their shelves.

Jerry80871852 · Wed Dec 23, 2009 , 08:33 PM

Yes, the Baptist Book store that I visits once in a while, they say they have many who steal from their store.

The only thing with these prisoners, or any one else, motive means a lot. Are they just not stealing from him, but yet stealing from others? They be those who select whom they steal from. Hopefully with the opportunity Adolph Shulte had he showed them the way to Christ and they accepted the free gift.

PS. Perhaps those who stole from him who claimed to be Christians, were not Christian, and those stealing form the Baptist Book Store are not really Christians either.

**George** · Thu Dec 24, 2009 , 09:11 AM

Yes, it is indeed a sad thing when Christian people steal from others. I suspect that in many cases people would give to others as did Alf.

I recall when we used to have tables set up in the auditorium to display materials from the various ministries we had in Church. I had a table set up there with a full set of the books we use in Reformers Unanimous. About half of them must have gotten up and walked away. Stealing is bad enough but to steal from inside a Church is beyond my imagination.

In Christ,
George

Jerry80871852 · Thu Dec 24, 2009 , 01:30 PM

George Wrote:Yes, it is indeed a sad thing when Christian people steal from others. I suspect that in many cases people would give to others as did Alf.

I recall when we used to have tables set up in the auditorium to display materials from the various ministries we had in Church. I had a table set up there with a full set of the books we use in Reformers Unanimous. About half of them must have gotten up and walked away. Stealing is bad enough but to steal from inside a Church is beyond my imagination.

In Christ,
George

George, Are people who steal really Christians?

Mt�7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

One thing for sure, those who steal are not showing the fruit of a Christians person, and the Hoy Scriptures are clear, we shall know them by their fruit.

Of course if they are not, and they are stealing Bibles and Christian literature, hopefully they will put it to good use by reading and studying it them repent of their deeds.