The clerical Fagin was addressing, primarily, people in need, and suggested that his followers should pilfer not "from small family businesses, but from large national businesses." Like the church (editorial note).
I am not making this up. But I am grateful to Fr. Tim-Bit for loosening the sanctions Moses carted down from the mountain. Now that we have scuppered "Thou shalt not steal," we could move on to "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife--unless she is a real babe."
Suggestions for further deviations will, I'm sure, be welcomed.
Lyndon,
ReplyDeleteThis is a comment from your grand-daughter's (Emily's) father in-law. on the 28.Dec. posting. It is a cutious thing that over the millenia we have learnt that the 10 commandments are not, paradoxically, and whatever the old testament says, set in stone. In modern times, killing people by driving carelessly and even dangerously was not considered murder; the killing of oppresive husbands by their wives was viewed leniently. Self defense has always been a reasonable cause for killing.
As far as stealing is concerned, poverty as a reason may not necessarilly be an excuse, but someone once said 'first the bread and then the morals'. The priest may be right: shoplift and eat. Then you might like to think of the moral implications of the commandments. Thus may sin result in moral rectitude.
Or is this mere sophistry....-