STEALING: What if a person steals bread?

God commanded "Thou shall not steal." In the New Testament, thieves cannot enter the kingdom of God, no condition. Stealing is stealing, big or small. God also commands us to obey human authorities. Whatever be the pertinent law or ordinance on this, that should be followed. If a person steals bread only to feed his starving family, that's up to the owner if he could forgive the thief. If not, the corresponding legal procedures should be followed. The offense is light and the punishment is also light.

Thats something quite sad. May be we must tell him not to steal, and buy him instead. But I am sure that people will misuse that opportunity.

What would keep him from stealing more and more if they get away with it once or twice? There are plenty of places people can go to get help when in need. Most of the time if you ask someone to buy you food for starving family members or offer to do work to feed your family people are much more apt to help than having you ask for money. The person should be punished.

The law maybe harsh but it is the law. (dura lex sed lex). The end will not justify the means. If she goes free just because of this reason, more doors to corruption will be opened.

This is a great question. We were having a discussion about this just the other day. I believe that although the act of stealing is wrong, the action was justified. The person stole only to feed his family and not to steal for profit or ill gain. If he was punished the punishment should fit the crime. Perhaps let him work off the amount of food he stole. To lock him up would help nobody, it would cost the tax payers money and put his family in an even worse situation. I agree that stealing even to eat should be a person's last action, when all else has failed. As someone else mentioned there are other options, but obviously this person either did not know about them or had no direct access to them. People need to be more understanding that sometimes a person feels they have no other choice and that feeding their starving family is worth going to jail for.

this one would be a hard one for me because i wouldn't like being stole frm but i might try to turn the situation around maybe give the person a small job to work off the stolen goods but at the same time giving the person a way to support themself. and i agree with the thou shalt not steal but desperate times cause for desperate measures, so maybe punishment is not allways the right answer, i mean if its only bread. u know

i don't think so.poverty is not an excuse for stealing.working hard and maintaining a family is the legal way to do it.everybody should work and feed their family.

Yes, he should be punished. Stealing is stealing. There are better choices and options to utilize for feeding a family. Soup kitchens, meal programs, homeless shelters... Or even borrowing from someone else. Being poor does not give anybody the right to steal from someone else who is trying to also make a living.