So, if you purposefully avoided answering my question to the gas pump post because you were embarrassed to tell the TRUTH, you're a big WEENIE!
You probably guessed since I posted the question I was struggling with the pervasive American thought, "Of course, FILL UP! It's their mistake. They have to honor that price. It's not stealing ~ we are paying for it after all!"
I don't like the "WWJD" marketing theme. Though a brilliant slogan, I just saw it on too many t-shirts, bracelets and coffee mugs for it to produce any fond affection in my heart anymore. With that said, I truly do have a hard time seeing Jesus pull away from the 35 cent gas pump, having just filled his suburban up for $7.00, instead of $70.00, his long hair blowing in the wind, a big smile on His face, saying to Himself, "Omniscience ROCKS! That was one SWEET deal!"
I'm reminded of a verse, I Cor. 10:23 & 24. It says:
"Everything is permissible ~ but not everything is beneficial. Everything is permissible ~ not everything is constructive. Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others."
I'm sure we're all thinking, "Is too beneficial!" Beneficial to my wallet! But, is it beneficial to your conscience?
We are called to answer to a higher Authority.
Thanks to the THREE that responded!
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
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5 comments:
I struggled with responding....I thought either way I answered people could get the wrong idea. Plus....(and you can call this self serving or a cop out, but) I really didn't know what I would do. I've been both pleasing, and displeasing to Jesus in similiar situations.
One time, in Walmart I got out to the car, loaded both the kids, and then realized there was a bag of cheese that had inadvertantly got left in the buggy and went unscanned. I realized this, but I was in a hurry and did not want to unbuckle the kids, stand in line again, and rebuckle the kids. So, I didn't. And, yes, I should have gone back another day...but I didn't...it was a bag of cheese.
Still another time, I got home from a shopping trip in Chattanooga with my kids, and once home I realized Sara Kate had "helped herself" to some tights and socks. She just put them in a bag, she really didn't understand (she wasn't trying to steal). Of course, I explained her error, and the next time I was in Chattanooga (a few days later) I returned both items.
On the one hand, if I commented that I wouldn't or couldn't fill up, then I look very self righteous, and perhaps judgemental. On the other, if honesty would require admitting I'd do wrong, then I'd look as if my faith wasn't important to me. Either way, for me, there was no good option.
Here's what I "Think" I would do. If I realized that the pump was misprogrammed before hand, I'd probably inquire first...or at least go to a different pump. I certainly would not call others to have them benefit from someone's mistakes....even though oil company profits are in the billions.
If I didn't realize it, (and most likely that would be the case, because I only pay attention to the price on the sign, not at the pump) and filled up, and then found out later on the news or something, I probably would not go back.
Don't know if that's acceptable or not, but I'm trying to be as honest as I can be.
It certainly was "fuel for thought"
-Shana
Whewwww! You just wore me out girl! Actually, I was simply hoping for more "Heck yeah!" responses like my best friend wrote, cause I truly think that's what we all WANT to say! It was just thought provoking to me and I wanted to see what others thought!
Thanks for sharing!!!
Love this post! I think that in your scenario, Jesus would also be singing, "Gimme gas in my Ford, keep me truckin' for the Lord! Gimme gas in my Ford, I pray.....Hallelujah!"
And I will sing Hosanna, Sing Hosanna! Sing Hosanna to the King of Kings!
hee hee.......
That was a tough question and I kept going back to read the post and thinking about what I would actually do.
In the end, I realized that it would NOT BE beneficial to do it according to my faith and morality. But, YES, it would be beneficial for my wallet. But, again, my thoughts were also that the oil companies are not going to miss the money on a .35/gallon mix-up for one afternoon at one gas station. So, I probably would have pumped the gasoline and then fretted over it for the remainder of the day.
(Side note here: I also found myself feeling terrible for the attendant who made the mistake. Did he lose his job? Did he have pay for the mistake out of his paycheck? What happened to the attendant????)
Back to the morality discussion....
But, then, what's more important? My conscience & morality or my checkbook & my small 'vengance' victory that the oil companies made a little less money that day?
Here's one more thing to throw out there....
When you go to buy a piece of clothing at a department store and you find a fabulous blouse that is 'on sale' for $15.00, you think, 'GREAT, What a deal!' You take it to the register to buy it and they ring it up and it rings up at $35. The clerk tells you it SHOULD have been labled as $35! Do you say, 'Well, you should honor the $15 price tag that is on it.' Or do you say ,'If it is mislabled, I can't, in good conscience, pay only $15.00 for it. I should pay the $35.00.'
In both instances, the price for the good in question was mislabled. In one case, we 'argue' for the lower labled price and the other is a moral dilemma! So, what's the major difference in the 2? Is it that we KNOW that .35/gallon is unreal and we don't KNOW that the blouse was mislabled???? HMMMMMM......
In the end, my moral conscience should win out, but I can't say that I wouldn't want to buy the gasoline just 1 time for .35/gallon. One of the major oil companies DID post the largest profits in recorded history last year!! But, THEY are not responsible for my moral conscience, now are they? I am responsible for that!!
I admit, I wasn't sure how to answer in a comment. I read that post over and over and over and it was a good little debate I had in my head several times over the past few days!
Thanks, Chelle, for making us think, I mean, really think AND for calling us out on it when we didn't comment!! You are and will always be one of my favorite people.
Hoping to not be judged for my thoughts on the matter,
Cyndi
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