Stealing is immoral, right? But what if stealing was the only way to feed a sta

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   ChilliWillyposted 13 years ago

   Stealing is immoral, right?  But what if stealing was the only way to feed a starving child?

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   Cow Flipperposted 13 years ago

   I believe the line is murky. I believe that if you are willing to suffer the repercussions of the theft to feed the child then it is a just cause. If I were a store owner and someone took money or food to feed their child because they had no other choice I'd be more than willing to be charitable to that person and their loved ones. I'd drop any charges and find out how much help they needed so I could find a legal and charitable way to help them.

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   Ken Crowposted 13 years ago

   If you were stealing milk, bread, carrots and meat it is one thing. If I were the judge, I honestly would probably say, "get out of here and balif take him down the hall to the food stamp department" and I would get you some help.
   
   On the other hand if you were stealing a new Corvette to sell to a chop shop, you would be in a whole big bunch of trouble.

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   keepitnaturalposted 13 years ago

   It's all down to individual circumstances -as is every crime in my eyes. You can't judge people purely based on what they have done untill you know the full story. In this case anyone would do the same if they were really that desperate, so no it is not immoral, merely survival.

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   Thesourceposted 13 years ago

   This is a good question. I believe during the time when the Old Testament was written, it was acceptable to pick food from the farms of others to feed yourselves and your dependents, if they are hungry.
   
   I believe basic survival is more important than following the rules of society. However, be absolutely sure if there is no other moral way to survive. In this case society is ignorant and guilty in the way they treat the poor and the needy.
   
   What about the rich oil companies making huge profits on the backs of the working poor? What about the rich health insurance and health care provide making huge profits on the back of sick and poor? Many become bankrupt and lose their home to them.
   
   It seem society has accepted this form of daylight robbery by the rich and powerful.

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   ahmizposted 13 years ago

   If you're stealing food from the rich after having tried all avenues of options (including begging and pleading, asking for charities, etc.) in order to feed a starving child, then it's not immoral in my opinion.
   
   If you're asking/teaching the child to steal from others as well, or are stealing from people in as dire straits as yourself (or people just making ends meet), then that's immoral.

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   muffingirl1posted 13 years ago

   didnt robin hood steal from the rich and give to the poor?? today many people are starving in different countries all over the world. Today..how many of us will be sitting down to a roast sunday dinner? think of the amount of waste. you tell me now. is stealing food to give to a starving child acceptable?  i think the question we need to ask is, is throwing out so much wasted food acceptble when children around the corner are starving?

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   David R Bradleyposted 13 years ago

   Have you read Les Misarables?  If not, tune in to that and get back to us.  You're asking the right question and I think the answer is a gray as a cloudy afternoon sky...

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   Jangaplanetposted 13 years ago

   In the monetary system -aka money system, every human being on earth will sin because of it. Stealing is wrong and you would get treated bad if you were to be caught doing it. People would mock you, and shame you for it, and call you all kinds of names.You would be considered a sinner or a low life. Yet someone who steals for the sake of feeding their child, did it out of love. Now not everyone is fortunate to have money or a great job or an education. Every single human being is good in his heart, but the system lets us fail at our own goodness for the sake of surviving and feeding ourselves. So then it is not you who is sinful ,it is the system that's forcing people to sin, but not of there own doing , but for living.Love will alwys conquer all, but the system might punish you for it.

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    Fire10posted 13 years ago

    It would be understandable, not necessarily justifiable.  It would never be 'okay' to take something without paying for it, but that doesn't mean that all stealing is on the same level. 
    
    Some people steal the most non-life-sustaining things!  I think it is because we have this huge misconception of what our needs really are...  especially in quite prosperous countries!

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    Dr. Wendyposted 13 years ago

    Stealing is going to hurt someone down the line.  Even if you are stealing from some big company, their profits will be lowered and their prices go up, so guess who has to pay?  Those of us who really don't have it to pay.  I understand where you are coming from though, I really do.  You are talking about a person who is backed into a corner with headlights shining in his eyes.  There are places that will help you.  There are food banks.  Salvation Army and many other churches will help.  Apply for food stamps.  Let people know you need help.  There are people who will help.

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    nightwork4posted 13 years ago

    stealing is something that is debatable as to being immoral. a lot depends on why you stole, who you stole from and what you did with what you stole.

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    cobrienposted 13 years ago

    There are churches that help feed hungry children.

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    dspaldingposted 13 years ago

    great question.  i believe morality and religion are relative.  usually, someone believes that something is "immoral" if it's something they would not personally do or believe in.  i think feeding a starving child is far more important than upholding a moral standard.

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    jasper420posted 13 years ago

    there is a road between right and wrong its called circumstance not everything has an answer and not every answer is black nor white grey exists

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    philirodjeposted 13 years ago

    Stealing is not an excuse. i would chose begging instead of stealing.
    you could get killed, arrested, or hurt.

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    luckycharmzposted 13 years ago

    I believe that stealing is always morally wrong.  But the question is why does a person get to the stage of stealing in order to feed the family.  Is someone stealing from him, like the banks, or the government, or because it is a result of credit card debts.
    
    The same situation happened in France when a loaf of bread costs millions.  People were stealing bread just to survive. 
    
    Marie Antoinette couldn't relate to them, hence her infamous words: "Let them eat cake."

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    Pageliftposted 13 years ago

    I would steal for a starving child, any day. It would be harder for a child to steal for themselves, and if I had to, to save a life, I would steal for them, without losing an hours worth of sleep at night.

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    Tirzah Laughsposted 13 years ago

    Greater immorality.
    
    Allowing a child to die through starvation and neglect is immoral.
    
    Theft is immoral.
    
    Theft is less immoral than causing death through inaction.

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    micahjoyposted 13 years ago

    first of all, i highly doubt stealing would ever be the ONLY WAY to feed a starving child.  If someone were asking for food to feed a starving child, many people/places would help. Unfortunately, many people either beg for, or steal MONEY... which makes things blurry because while money can BUY food, money is NOT food and will not feed a starving child, and even people that beg for money under the pretense of helping their families often use the money for other things.  (I once gave a dollar to a man outside a grocery store who wanted to "get some food"... and then later saw him in the liquor store. awesome.)
    
    I honestly don't think I've ever heard of food being stolen - if someone went into a grocery store and stole bread, milk, cheese and vegetables to feed a starving child, that would be a first.
    
    ...not to mention, if you went to jail for stealing, THEN what would the child do? You'd be hurting more than helping, really.

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    C.V.Rajanposted 10 years ago

    "Sstealing was only way to feed a starving child" seems rather exaggerated. Perhaps the one who was so curious to feed a starving child found stealing as one of the easiest options at that point of time, instead of exploring any other avenues. His ethical and moral standards perhaps were only that much. He had no serious qualms about stealing and he found it a convenient excuse to justify a "noble" cause!

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