Stealing from the rich to give to the poor, A.K.A Robin Hood

[Renae]

so...we had a debate in class about this topic and I was wondering about your opinions.
Is it correct to steal from the rich and give to the poor since the rich people were anyway basically stealing the poor people's money (through high taxes) ?

if there is already a topic for this than please tell me

[Tea Ess]

Great topic! At first I thought this was a thread about modern U.S. taxing policy. By the way, if you would like, I could share my opinion on that too!

This ties in with 'was it right for people to lie to the Nazis to protect the Jews?'. A teacher of a worldview class I attend holds the position that God's commandments can overrule each other; that the command to not murder and value of human life comes above that of false witness. He also pointed out that war is essentially trying to deceive your opponent. You have to be careful with that though, because it could come to deciding on your own whether or not something qualifies as a higher commandment.

I have not fully decided wether or not to adopt this belief as my own. The story of Corrie Ten Boom sheds some light on this. In the book (and therefore in real life), Corrie practices with the rest of the household what to do in the case of a Nazi inspection. She and the rest of family lie to protect the Jews they are hiding. The family is taken away, some will survive and some won't. The Jews escape later and all survive (except one, who apparently aged enough to suffer mentally).

In another case in the book, a young women, when asked if a girl in the house was a Jew, refused to lie and said yes, she was. The girl was taken away and put with 70 other Jewish people, and all escaped three or so nights later.

In each case, God appears to have blessed the efforts of those who served Him.

Now, to the original case.

I think that there isn't a clear action applicable to every circumstance. Part of it is good grounding in Scripture, and the other part is seeking God's will for a particular need.

You can't decide much on the spot, you have to know what you will do in a tough situation ahead of time.

So, I believe that it would depend on the case. If I had done everything in my power to help the family in dire need, and they still were on the brink of starvation, then I believe I would steal to provide for them.

Now, that might not translate clearly to a case like Robin Hood, where he was robbing to provide for an entire town.

[Pete the Moose]

First off it depends on the Robin Hood legend. Some, have him set in the well known Sherwood Forest. Others in completely different places. A good deal also have it actually being Saxon vs Norman, which brings up conquest, which is an entirely different debate. In fact it's possible Robin Hood was a highwayman. But we don't know since it was rather a long time ago.[/end protection of Robin]

That said, depends. Though in most cases I would say no.

[Tea Ess]

So, are you who I think you are? The timing would certainly coincide with a particular occurrence which would influence you...

The [/insert something here] is definitely a ToO style...

You seem to know a good deal of Robin Hood and Sherwwod forest...

In your first post you gave an overall impression suggesting you were from the ToO...

And finally you gave an argument in the style of a certain user from ToO...

But then again, you might just like that avatar and Robin Hood.

Either way, welcome to the board!

I'd agree that Robin Hood was probably not like the legends make out. I haven't heard the possiblility of him having been a highway man before.

[Renae]

I see.....so your saying to choose the lesser evil?

[Smile Awhile]

Stealig is wrong. Period.

[Renae]

Stealig is wrong. Period.

Thank you Smile Awhile! That is very true...stealing is wrong. Period.
But I am also confused on this point: If the poor would have died without Robin hood's help, would it have been better for him to steal then to let the King tax them to death?
Which also brings me to a different situation: What if you are harbouring Christian missionaries in your house ( and Christianity is forbidden in the said country). Would it be better to lie to the authorities about their whereabouts, or to let the authorities find them and kill them?

[gabbygirl17]

Well, My dad explained something like that but with lying; It went along with the Connecticut shooting that happened. The teacher that lied to the shooter saying Her students were in the Gym. Now she could of said I am not telling but probley just said what she though of. She lied to save her students not for her benefit. She wasnt lying to save her but other lives. God is merciful. Like Corrie Tin Boom and her family lied when they had to hide Jews, Amy Carmicheal had to get the girls from the temple like kidnapping. Does that help?
Yes, stealing is stealing, lying is lying, and kidnapping is kidnapping. But I believe it depends on your circumstances

[Renae]

Well, My dad explained something like that but with lying; It went along with the Connecticut shooting that happened. The teacher that lied to the shooter saying Her students were in the Gym. Now she could of said I am not telling but probley just said what she though of. She lied to save her students not for her benefit. She wasnt lying to save her but other lives. God is merciful. Like Corrie Tin Boom and her family lied when they had to hide Jews, Amy Carmicheal had to get the girls from the temple like kidnapping. Does that help?
Yes, stealing is stealing, lying is lying, and kidnapping is kidnapping. But I believe it depends on your circumstances

ok..ok...I'm kinda getting the picture here. I definitely think I would have chosen to lie instead of giving up the kids.

[Garrett'sBiggestFan]

Though, with the lying to Nazis about Jews question, does the Bible actually ever say "Do not lie." The ten commandments passage talks about giving false witness against someone. In the Nazi case, you wouldn't be be bearing witness against anyone by lying...
There are also New Testament passages in Paul's letters, such as Collossians 3:9, "Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices." I see verses like this as commands to Christians and the ways that they should relate to their fellow Brothers and Sisters in Christ. So, in these cases too, there is no specific command to not lie.

[Metal15]

there is no specific command to not lie.

There are lots of verses against lying:

Proverbs 12:22, "Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight."

Proverbs 19:9, "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish."

Psalm 107:7, "No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes."

Proverbs 6:16-17, "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,"

To name some. ^

[Garrett'sBiggestFan]

there is no specific command to not lie.

There are lots of verses against lying:

Proverbs 12:22, "Lying lips are abomination to the LORD: but they that deal truly are his delight."

Proverbs 19:9, "A false witness will not go unpunished, and he who breathes out lies will perish."

Psalm 107:7, "No one who practices deceit shall dwell in my house; no one who utters lies shall continue before my eyes."

Proverbs 6:16-17, "There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,"

To name some. ^

Ok at least the ones I mentioned don't do that.
If we assume for sake of conversation that any lying is a sin, there may be occasions that one has to sin, because we live in a fallen world. Either one has to lie, or has to hand an innocent Jew over to certain doom, all because they live in a world where Nazis are out to get Jews... Maybe that's the case.

[Joy]

Rahab lied, and she was not struck down by God. She was listed in Hebrews 11, the Faith Chapter.