Thou Shalt Not Steal
Pro-crime policies work- for criminals and their enablers.
Thou shalt not steal. What does the Tenth Commandment from God, the Fourth Commandment in how we, as people, should respect and honor one another mean?
The Webster’s-Merriam dictionary defines steal/stealing as 1: to take the property of another wrongfully and especially as a habitual or regular practice. 2: to come or go secretly, unobtrusively, gradually, or unexpectedly. (Steal away in the darkness; stealthily.) Here are some everyday actions of this particular definition. A thief in the night steals valuables from your property. The Boogeyman steals your peace of mind. 3: to steal or attempt to steal a base. (The ball player inched his way to steal second base.)
The definitions of steal/stealing are not as black and white as most would teach their children. Some states inadvertently created a gray area. An example of this point; the District Attorney of Dallas County, John Creuzo. He stated in a 2019 interview, “I will not prosecute crimes of theft of items that are needed and is under $750.00.”
Well, Katey, bar the door. This statement, in the consensus, made theft legal. Cases of theft are rampant in Corporate America, and to combat the endless list of minor crimes, some corporations decided to prosecute those theft actions over $50.00.
The overflow of minor or non-violent crimes in the DA’s office in which crowded the jails in the State of Texas, and then the upsurge of theft in the nation caused the enactment of these new guidelines. The cause of necessity — another gray area — can be justified in different ways in the criminal mind; i.e. my baby needed diapers, my son needs new shoes, my mother needs allergy medicine. Yes, all are necessary commodities, but there are places one can go without going to jail.
The action to take or appropriate without right or leave and with intent to keep or make use of (Jarrod executed his plan to steal the car.) Heads up, stealing a vehicle is called Grand Theft Auto. This example indicates another gray area to stealing. is this a necessity? Is it out of spite or thrill.
The definition; to be taken away by force or unjust means-AKA Robbery by Assault, Strong-Arm Robbery, etc., can be inset into the larger criminal category that includes violent crimes or an Assault on a Person. Explanation, the moment that a suspect introduces a weapon in the criminal act, or he or she touches an innocent victim or by-stander, it becomes an act of violence, and the severity of the charge and the established guidelines change.
The old saying, a little humor goes a long way, can be true in many cases. The next definition of stealing may not be as humorous in this explanation, “to take surreptitiously or without permission.” (Steal a kiss.) Some would argue this definition is a bit surprising to be considered a crime. A flaw in one’s moral compass or moral fiber is the appropriate argument, but not a criminal act, and therefore, it is not a crime. Maybe not, but do you want someone to secretly follow you (all over the town, to watch you at work, and then when you least expect it, they take something not offered? This is a crime-Stalking. Older people call this a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Some criminals will purposely befriend a victim and then take what they can get out of the relationship. The worst-case scenario-rape/sexual assault.
There are so many more explanations for the word steal. Observing these definitions, one must wonder. Which form of the verb steal did God intend for us to follow?
Why not consider all these actions as a crime; no, not necessarily a criminal activity, but a crime against the moral fiber that God placed in all of our souls. After all, all of these actions show a lack of honor, respect, and love for our fellow man?
Every rule has an exception; a ballplayer steals his goal, the next open base, and makes a score. Should this be called stealing, or is it taking advantage of an opponent’s weakness?
Admittedly, stealing a car; is a crime, and only one question needs asking. Did you have permission to take this vehicle? If the answer is no, the thief should be charged with Grand Theft Auto and sent to jail to await trial, bond, and possible conviction. So, jail time is a worthy consequence, right? The stealer should go to jail. The victim of this perpetrator is dishonored, robbed of a blessing he received by Heavenly Father, and left to find another way of transportation. Would this be considered a sin against the Ten Commandments of God? Thou shalt not steal. This commandment simple enough to understand and follow…right? Right? Not so much, the interpretation of the law and salt worthiness of the defense attorney assigned to the case will make the crime seem like a gesture of faith.
This thought process is absolutely out of the intention of God, but we must forgive the perp and let the law of the land do its duty. What is seen by most as a criminal act can be dismissed by the powers-that-be. There must be an established need in which motivated this choice of exploitation to or on society. If such a cause exists, the victim of the crime or the corporation may forgive the action against them.
Statistically speaking-and I wanted to add it in my article, crime in this country has gone up more than half, as documented in the National Crimes Database. Most of these crimes are non-violent in all, but the rise of violent crimes has gone up significantly in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.
We know stealing is a sin-its right there in the top ten. Why take a chance going to hell/Hades for a few bucks? Why take a risk? If you are reading this article, and are contemplating stealing, bear this in mind. Before taking what is not yours, reconsider. There is so much to lose by taking the chance to steal. The District Attorney in your county does not have to give breaks to any criminal activity, so why risk it? Think of the criminal consequences when you get caught. There will be a theft charge on the record, and then finding a job will be difficult. If you did not buy the item, then it is not yours. If there is no proof of purchase it is not yours.
Extended research, from as early as the 1950s, showed that one act of stealing can potentially lead to another. If this cycle of action isn’t stopped, this could lead to an undetermined time in lock-up. Is the separation from the family worth it? Is losing the safety net of a good home worth it? However, they do not realize that when captured and detained, they face criminal charges which follow them all their lives. A criminal record on file hinders a convicted parolee’s chances for jobs. The choices they made for a thrill, steals time away from their family. Precious time that they lose, time in which cannot be given back, made up, or even put aside. There is an adage that states that if you start stealing, even small items at a young age, you will go for the more expensive items when the perpetrator gets older. What a shame. So many people in jail for stupid games.
One new center of focus for these criminal acts is the adrenaline rush in which comes along with stealing. Investigators and researchers agree this to be a powerful motive. This new impact on crime sends the perpetrator into a frenzied mindset that focuses on one thing; the fix. Most addictions begin with the need to satisfy the urge, so they go out and steal. The adrenaline junky, whether man or woman cares less about being caught by the police, and more for the item taken out of a garage or home. The stolen merchandise is an earned trophy that they keep to show off to those who instigated this particular behavior.
The peace of mind of the victim gives them little pause the trophy is in hand is all they care about. The fall-out for the crime is left for society to ‘clean-up’. The victim no longer feels safe in their environment, their home, their sanctuary. They do care about the satisfaction of the thrill.
What draws most crooks to steal is the adventure in the crime, what ecstasy they feel in not getting caught, the secret of being inconspicuous, and how this time they beat the crime; all of these characteristics of the venture are too strong to ignore. It is a game they play with the police, society, and themselves. However, as with most thrill-seekers, the euphoria is short-lived, and the cycle continues.
Stealing is stealing, genius. Look for thrills in other ways: take up motocross, sky-diving, the military. Tease the local junkyard dog and let it chase you. There is always going to pasture and slapping a bull on the ass.
Although irrelevant, most people will justify this stroke of stupidity as a means to feed their addiction. Is the adrenaline rush, or the addiction to drugs or alcohol worth it? Would it not be better to quit and live some normalcy of a healthy life?
Prisoners sit in fear, silence, in frustration over the crime they are charged and convicted. There is so much time and nothing to do. This is crap. Get help, take an online course, and get your high school diploma. Set up the realm of a healthy based life. Not just eating right and leaving behind the drugs or alcohol, but spend time to get to know yourself, and then most of all, God. Many hours of endless days are spent thinking of all the picnics and family bar-b-cues at Grandma’s house that they will miss out on due to the choices they made. The ball games their children will play without them being there, or the holiday seasons missed because of the consequences of their choice to take or steal. The continuous agonizing nights laid awake thinking of loved ones in their beds; safe and secure; and then Satan rears his ugly head. Now, good thoughts of family safety grow to doubt. Why? They aren’t there. They allowed themselves to succumb to the temptation of evil, pushed that nagging voice of conscience to the side, and broke the law. Remember, when your sentence comes to an end, God is still there with you. His bond of promise is still intact. Don’t break yours to be with him.
The future does not look so bright in the jail cell. The inmate by his or her actions in this time of waiting out the sentence must consider that their spouse may have found a new love and moved on with his or her life. The children will keep growing up without the other parent because time stands still for no one, not even a convict. The mothers and fathers, along with the other peoples in the extended family, will wait out the time to see their reformed child, but they cannot stand to see their child or loved one in prison for the stupid act of stealing.
Is stealing worth the trip to jail? Are the addictions still being fed? Is the thrill sought before jail fulfilled?
The adjustment to jail is different. All convicts take to lock up and adjust differently than others. Most sit on their time and wait it out, but others consider it a new skill set of thrills. A very few will take advantage of the time and do self-help classes, earn a degree, better themselves.
At the end of the day, when the sun goes down on your side of town, think before you act. God says rather firmly that it is a sin to steal; this is not how he intended for us to treat our brothers and sisters in Christ. The laws of the land, the civility of the society adopted this law as well. Most of our laws are based on the Ten Commandments. Why risk it?
