* Q. 259. What is the seventh commandment of God?
A. The seventh commandment of God is: Thou shalt not steal.

 * To steal is to take or to retain voluntarily something belonging to another, for gain, against his reasonable will. To steal secretly is theft; to steal violently is robbery.

 * Theft and robbery are contrary to the natural law and are opposed to justice. They are considered mortal sins unless that which is stolen is of little value. Even in the case of slight value, the violence attached to robbery may make it a mortal sm.

 * When the thing stolen is of great value, solely from its own intrinsic worth, it is said to constitute absolutely grave matter. Theft or robbery of something which in itself is grave matter may not impose a hardship on the owner but it is a mortal sin because it is a serious attack on society, on the public peace of a community, and on its security. Dishonesty which seriously disturbs the public order is always a mortal sin. The amount that constitutes absolutely grave matter in theft or robbery varies in different countries, owing to the special conditions and circumstances of the countries.

 * When the thing stolen is of relatively greater value, that is, not from its own intrinsic worth, but considering the condition of the owner and the injury suffered, it is said to constitute relatively grave matter. The theft, for example, from a poor man of an amount that is required for one day's support of himself and his family would constitute, at least, relatively grave matter and would be a mortal sin.

 * One who frequently steals things of small value from one or different persons within a short period (a month of two), the total of which is of serious value, commits a mortal sin in the last act of the series of stealing, because the small amounts stolen go together to constitute grave matter.

 * > "Thou shalt not steal" (Exodus 20:15).

 * Q. 260. What are we commanded by the seventh commandment?
A. By the seventh commandment we are commanded to respect what belongs to others, to live up to our business agreements, and to pay our just debts.

 * These obligations are imposed on us in the court of conscience even though the civil law may not oblige us. It is sinful to incur willfully debts beyond one's ability to pay. The desire for pleasure and social and political ambition do not justify living beyond one's means, an abuse which has become a prevalent vice.

 * > "The beginning of a good way is to do justice; and this is more acceptable with God than to offer sacrifices ... Better is a little with justice, than great revenues with iniquity" (Proverbs 16:5, 8).

 * > "The wicked man borrows and does not repay" (Psalm 36:21).

 * > "Render to all men whatever is their due; tribute to whom tribute is due; taxes to whom taxes are due ... " (Romans 13:7).

 * Q. 261. What does the seventh commandment forbid?
A. Besides stealing, the seventh commandment forbids cheating, unjust keeping of what belongs to others, unjust damage to the property of others, and the accepting of bribes by public officials.

 * The seventh commandment is violated by merchants who use false weights and measures, make exorbitant profits, or lie about the essential qualities of their goods; by those who obtain money from others by persuading them to make unsound investments with the assurance of gain; and by those who knowingly pass counterfeit money or take undue advantage of the ignorance or necessity of another.

 * Employers who defraud laborers by not paying them a just, living wage keep what belongs to others and are guilty of grave injustice not only to the employee but also to members of his family. This injustice can cause serious sins in the domestic life as well as in the social life of a community. Employees who waste time during working hours, do careless work, or neglect to take reasonable care of the property of their employers violate the seventh commandment.

 * Public officials are obliged to make appointments on merit; they sin against the seventh commandment when they demand money or its equivalent for such appointments. If these appointees do not render a just service for the tax payments of a community, a further injustice is done to the citizens. Public officials sin mortally by taking bribes for allowing persons to violate the law in serious matters. The guilt of these officials is all the greater when they violate their oath to uphold the law.

 * "Do not any unjust thing in judgment, in rule, in weight, or in measure. Let the balance be just and the weights equal, the bushel just, and the sextary equal" (Leviticus 19:35-36).

 * Q. 262. Are we obliged to restore to the owner stolen goods, or their value?
A. We are obliged to restore to the owner stolen goods, or their value, whenever we are able.

 * If the owner is dead, stolen goods must be restored to the heirs. If the owner or heir of stolen goods cannot be determined, the goods or their value are to be given to the poor or pious causes. A person who has obtained goods unjustly, but who no longer possesses them, must sincerely intend to make due restitution as soon as he can; otherwise his sin cannot be forgiven.

 * A person who deliberately assists another in stealing, even though he receives none of the loot, must make restitution if the other person does not do so. Stolen goods that have been bought or received as a gift must be restored to their rightful owner. Compensation may be demanded from the person who stole the goods, but not from their owner. In some places, civil law makes provisions for the owner in such cases.

 * Lost goods that are found may be kept only after every reasonable effort has been made to find the owner and to restore the goods.

 * > "If any man steal an ox or a sheep, and kill or sell it: he shall restore five oxen for one ox, and four sheep for one sheep" (Exodus 22:1).

 * Q. 263. Are we obliged to repair damage unjustly done to the property of others?
A. We are obliged to repair damage unjustly done to the property of others, or to pay the amount of the damage, as; far as we are able.

 * A person who has accidentally damaged the property of another through no fault of his own is not obliged to repair the damage unless required to do so by civil law.

 * > "If any man hurt a field or a vineyard, and put in his beast to feed upon that which is other men's: he shall restore the best of whatsoever he hath in his own field, or in his vineyard, according to the estimation of the damage" (Exodus 22:5).

 * Q. 264. What is the eighth commandment of God?
A. The eighth commandment of God is: Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

 * > "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor" (Exodus 20:16).

 * Q. 265. What are we commanded by the eighth commandment?
A. By the eighth commandment we are commanded to speak the truth in all things, but especially in what concerns the good name and honor of others.

 * This commandment concerns the practice of the virtue of truthfulness which promotes the general welfare of society, the orderly function of which depends, in large measure, on its members speaking the truth.

 * A good name is a most precious possession. The eighth commandment obliges us to respect the good name of our neighbor by not making known his faults when we have no right to do so and by not making false accusations against him.

 * > "Speak ye truth everyone to his neighbor" (Zacharias 8:16).

 * > "Wherefore, put away lying and speak truth each one with his neighbor, because we are members of one another" (Ephesians 4:25).

 * Q. 266. What does the eighth commandment forbid?
A. The eighth commandment forbids lies, rash judgment, detraction, calumny, and the telling of secrets we are bound to keep

 * A lie expresses opposition between one's word and one's thought; it implies the intention to deceive by stating what is false. A lie is intrinsically wrong and is opposed to the natural law. It undermines mutual trust among men.

 * Ordinarily, a lie told in jest or for someone's benefit is a venial sin; a deliberate lie which causes serious harm is a mortal sin. A lie told under oath is perjury and is always a mortal sin.

 * It is permissible to give an evasive answer to a question when there is no obligation to answer. In this case, the hearer is permitted to deceive himself by his own interpretation.

 * Cheating in examinations is wrong because one thereby acquires unearned credits in studies. If by cheating one wins a prize, one really steals and is obliged to restitution.

 * > "Thou shalt fly lying" (Exodus 23:7).

 * > "Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord" (Proverbs 12:22).

 * Q. 267. When does a person commit the sin of rash judgment?
A. A person commits the sin of rash judgment when, without sufficient reason, he believes something harmful to another's character.

 * We rightly prize the favorable judgment of others about our character. We may not, without certain knowledge, believe things that undermine or destroy the character of another. Rash judgment is a sin against justice; it is a mortal sin if grave injustice is done deliberately. To suspend judgment about a person's character until suspicion or doubt can be settled is not sinful.

 * > "Before thou inquire, blame no man" (Ecclesiasticus 11:7).

 * > "Do not judge, that you may not be judged. For with what judgment you judge, you shall be judged; and with what measure you measure, it shall be measured to you. But why dost thou see the speck in thy brother's eye, and yet dost not consider the beam in thy own eye?" (Matthew 7:1-3).

 * Q. 268. When does a person commit the sin of detraction?
A. A person commits the sin of detraction when, without a good reason, he makes known the hidden faults of another.

 * There must be a sufficiently grave reason to reveal the hidden faults of others, for example, the defense of one's self or others; the correction of others by their parents or superiors; the welfare of society, as when one is obliged to inform public authorities of another's secret crimes. A person who has been found guilty in court has lost his good name owing to the charge proved against him. It is not detraction to speak of this court action to others, nor is it against the eighth commandment to speak of faults that are generally known in a community. It is, however, more charitable not to do so.

 * Detraction is a mortal sin if it unjustly does great harm to a person's reputation.

 * We should avoid unkind remarks about others, and tale bearing which needlessly causes misunderstanding, distrust, and enmity.

 * Contumely or insult dishonors a person unjustly in his presence by refusing to show him the signs of honor due him, or by not noticing him, or by making known his faults, without sufficient reason. The same harm can be done by any means of communication, as by letter, telephone, radio, motion picture, or television. Contumely is a sin against justice and charity and its gravity depends on the extent of the dishonor shown.

 * > "The slanderer of his neighbor in secret: him I will destroy" (Psalm 100:5).

 * > "A good name is better than great riches: and good favor is above silver and gold" (Proverbs 22:1).

 * > "The whisperer and the double tongued is accursed: for he hath troubled many that were at peace" (Ecclesiasticus 28:15).

 * > "Take care of a good name: for this shall continue with thee, more than a thousand treasures precious and great" (Ecclesiasticus 41:15).

 * > "Admonish them ... speaking evil of none" (Titus 3:1-2).

 * Q. 269. When does a person commit the sin of calumny or slander?
A. A person commits the sin of calumny or slander when by lying he injures the good name of another.

 * We are guilty of calumny or slander when we falsely charge another with defects or sins. Calumny is opposed to truth, justice, and charity. It is a mortal sin if serious harm is deliberately done.

 * To listen with pleasure to calumny, slander, or detraction is a mortal sin against justice and against charity when prompted by hatred; it is a venial sin when the motive is curiosity or levity. We should try to change a conversation that seriously deals with calumny, slander, or detraction, or we should show that we are not interested in such conversation.

 * > "Thou shalt not calumniate thy neighbor" (Leviticus 19:13).

 * > "Devise not a lie against thy brother: neither do the like against thy friend" (Ecclesiasticus 7:13).

 * > "Plunder no one, accuse no one falsely" (Luke 3:14).

 * Q. 270. When are we obliged to keep a secret?
A. We are obliged to keep a secret when we have promised to do so, when our office requires it, or when the good of another demands it.

 * A person who violates a secret commits a mortal sin if he foresees that it will reasonably give greater offense or cause grave harm to another, or if the fact made known under secrecy is serious; otherwise it is a venial sin.

 * It is permissible to reveal a secret if consent to do so can be reasonably presumed. A secret should be revealed to prevent some grave harm to the general welfare of a community or to an innocent party. Secrets of the confessional may never be revealed, no matter what the consequence, even if it be death.

 * It is sinful to read a letter addressed to another without his permission, or to eavesdrop on private conversation, unless done in order to prevent some grave harm.

 * Q. 271. What must a person do who has sinned by detraction or calumny, or has told a secret he is bound keep?
A. A person who has sinned by detraction or calumny, or who has told a secret he is bound to keep must repair the harm he has done to his neighbor, as far as he is able.

 * This reparation, like the restoration of stolen goods, is necessary because a person's good name and honor are more precious than his material possessions. This obligation is serious when grave harm is done. It is binding even if the one who must retract thereby suffers some harm. If a person insults someone publicly, he is obliged to apologize publicly; if the insult is in private, the apology may be made privately.

 * Q. 272. What is the ninth commandment of God?
A. The ninth commandment of God is: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife.

 * > "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife: nor his house" (Deuteronomy 5:21).

 * Q. 273. What are we commanded by the ninth commandment?
A. By the ninth commandment we are commanded to be pure in thought and desire.

 * > "Evil thoughts are an abomination to the Lord: and pure words most beautiful shall be confirmed by him" (Proverbs 15:26).

 * > "Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God" (Matthew 5:8).

 * > "For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, immorality, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. These are the things that defile a man" (Matthew 15:19-20).

 * > "Therefore mortify your members, which are on earth: immorality, uncleanness, lust, evil desire and covetousness (which is a form of idol worship). Because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the unbelievers" (Colossians 3:5-6).

 * > "Beloved, I exhort you as strangers and pilgrims to abstain from carnal desires which war against the soul" (1 Peter 2:11).28

 * Q. 274. Are mere thoughts about impure things always sinful in themselves?
A. Mere thoughts about impure things are not always sinful in themselves, but such thoughts are dangerous.

 * Q. 275. When do thoughts about impure things become sinful?
A. Thoughts about impure things become sinful when a person thinks of an unchaste act and deliberately takes pleasure in so thinking, or when unchaste desire or passion is aroused and consent is given to it.

 * Q. 276. What is forbidden by the ninth commandment?
A. The ninth commandment forbids all thoughts and desires contrary to chastity.

 * We should form the habit of praying immediately when we are beset by impure thoughts, desires, or imaginations. It is well to know by heart many ejaculations addressed to Our Lord and His Blessed Mother which we should repeat in time of such temptations.

 * In confessing deliberate impure desires, one must tell the confessor their object, for example, a married or single person, of the same or the opposite sex, because such circumstances change the nature of the sin.

 * Q. 277. What is the tenth commandment of God?
A. The tenth commandment of God is: Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's goods.

 * See Scripture, question 272, Deuteronomy 5:21.

 * Q. 278. What does the tenth commandment forbid?
A. The tenth commandment forbids all desire to take or to keep unjustly what belongs to others, and also forbids envy at their success.

 * It is permissible to seek material prosperity if we do so honestly and do not expose ourselves to the proximate dangers of sin.

 * > "The eye of the envious is wicked" (Ecclesiasticus 14:8).

 * > "Take heed and guard yourself from all covetousness, for a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions" (Luke 12:15).

 * > "For covetousness is the root of all evils, and some in their eagerness to get rich have strayed from the faith and have involved themselves in many troubles" (1 Timothy 6:10).

 * > "Let your manner of life be without avarice; be content with what you have, for he himself has said, 'I will not leave thee, neither will I forsake thee' " (Hebrew 13:5).

 * IMPORTANT POINTS ABOUT THE 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th COMMANDMENTS

 * The seventh and eighth commandments are concerned primarily with our duties toward two possessions of our- neighbor his material goods and his good reputation. Because human beings are inclined to be selfish and neglectful of the rights of others, God considered it necessary to lay down the explicit commands: "Thou shalt not steal" ... "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor". Like the other commandments, these two commandments actually prescribe more obligations than those which they explicitly assert. The seventh commandment forbids not only stealing but every type of dishonest dealing; the eighth forbids not only falsehood but also many other sins of the tongue such as gossiping, the unlawful revelation of secrets, etc.

 * The ninth and tenth commandments are related to the sixth and seventh- the ninth forbidding interior sins regarding matters of purity, while the sixth forbids external acts; the tenth forbidding those internal sins the external performance of which is forbidden by the seventh commandment.

 * In our days there is much dishonesty, due largely to the excessive desire of people for riches and luxuries. In business, in politics, even in the home, many people are so anxious to enrich themselves that they are entirely unconcerned with the rights of their fellow men. Moreover, crimes of theft and robbery, often accompanied by violence or even murder, are becoming more and more common.

 * Sometimes people buy stolen goods knowingly, and apparently do not realize that they have no claim to them but that they must give them back to the real owner. Indeed, even if a person buys stolen goods without realizing that they have been stolen, he may not keep them when he finds out that they were stolen if he knows the owner. If the owner appears and proves his right to the goods, the man who has bought them must restore them, even though the owner makes no recompense for the price the recipient has paid; but the latter has a right to get his money back from the thief who sold him the goods.

 * The civil law is unable to accomplish much toward preventing these violations of the seventh commandment. True, people are sent to prison for theft when they are captured. But many escape the law; many others commit sins of dishonesty in so clever a way that there is no civil law to cover their case. But they do not escape the all-seeing eye of God. And no matter how successfully a person may have acquired dishonest gain, no matter how prosperous he may have made himself at the expense of his fellow men, death will come in a few brief years to separate him from his riches and to summon him to judgment before the throne of an all-just God.

 * Many persons, by not paying their just debts, are guilty of sins against the seventh commandment. Some claim that they are unable to pay, yet they continue to buy luxuries, a fact which shows that they are not sincere. There are even some who deliberately refuse to pay a debt even though they know it was contracted, if the creditor has no written proof of his claim. God's law of justice is not limited to what can be proved in a civil court.

 * Sins of the tongue which injure others are also prevalent. Without the least qualm of conscience men lie to their fellow men. There are many who gravely injure the reputation of their fellows by their uncharitable, often false, remarks and stories. Backbiting, tale-bearing, the violation of secrets that one should keep, rash judgments-how common these are today!

 * Catholics, followers of Our Lord who was so attentive to the rights of others, should try to lead men to observe these commandments-and the best way is to inspire them by good example. We must be strictly honest in our dealings with others. Even when there is a question of something of slight value, we must never take it or keep it if it belongs to another. How many, for example, seem to think that if they find something on the street, they are entitled to keep it without an attempt to find the owner! Similarly, we must watch over our speech, rejecting every form of falsehood, carefully avoiding anything that might wound our neighbor's character, shunning rash and harsh judgments about our neighbor. "Do not judge, that you may not be judged" (Matt. 7:1).

 * RESOLUTION:

 * Resolve to be strictly honest both in deed and in word.

 * Complete Exercises For Lesson 20

 * STUDY HELPS

 * A. TRUE OR FALSE.

 * (Check each of the following statements as either true or false. The correct answers can be found in the preceding portions of this lesson).

 * A person who has damaged another's property through no fault of his own is bound in conscience to make reparation for the damage, even when the civil law does not require it.

 * Even a slight lie told under oath is a mortal sin.

 * If the owner of stolen goods or his heir cannot be found, the thief may keep them.

 * We are always allowed to tell the hidden faults of others as long as what we say is true.

 * To speak about the publicly known faults of others is not against justice.

 * To judge a person rashly is against justice even if we say or do nothing unjust to him.

 * When a person deliberately takes pleasure in an impure thought he is guilty of grave sin, even though he does not commit any bad action.

 * When we find something we may keep it without making any further investigation.

 * If a creditor cannot prove by a written document that his debtor owes him money, the debtor has no obligation to pay.

 * If a person finds out after buying an article that it was really stolen, and the owner appears and demands it, he must return it, and has no right to receive any payment from the owner.

 * B. PROBLEMS AND EXERCISES.

 * (Answer the questions orally or write them as your teacher may direct):

 * Myron has stolen $3.00 from a rich man. Is that a mortal gin or a venial sin? Give the reason for your answer.

 * Sibyl is in a department store buying clothespins for her mother. On her way out she stops at the jewelry counter to admire the display. Yielding to temptation, she steals a brooch priced at $50. What commandment has she broken? Is her sin mortal or venial? Why?

 * Siegfried is living in a furnished room on an old-age pension. The pension is not enough to pay his expenses every month, so the parish St. Vincent de Paul Society helps him out regularly. Laurinda runs his errands. He gives her a $5.00 bill, erroneously thinking it is $1.00. She doesn't correct his mistake. Her purchase amounted to 95 cents. The old man tells the child to keep the change. Has she committed any sin? What kind of sin? Why?

 * Elmer confesses he has stolen an expensive bicycle from the sporting goods store in his neighborhood. Is God's justice satisfied when Elmer tells the sin he has committed? Is there anything else Elmer must do, in addition to telling the sin with sorrow? What is that obligation?

 * Two years ago Myrna stole 50 cents from the pocketbook of a playmate's mother. She told her sin in confession, but forgot that her obligation did not end with the mere telling of the sin. She is now willing to do her duty, but that family has moved to another State. What is she to do about it, since she doesn't know the present whereabouts of the family?

 * Millicent buys a very fine camera from an acquaintance for $5, thinking she is getting a good bargain. That afternoon a boy comes to her house and proves that it is his camera which was stolen by Millicent's acquaintance. Must Millicent give it to the boy? May she demand $5 from him to make up for the price she paid? May she demand that amount from her dishonest acquaintance?

 * Every now and then a child is heard to say: "Findings is keepings!" If you find a lost article is it yours? Explain your answer.

 * One who is willfully destructive of beautiful or expensive things no this own may be called a vandal. What do you think of children who ruin or disfigure buildings, monuments, even churches with paint, indelible crayons, knives and other sharp instruments of destruction? Do they offend against the seventh commandment? Suppose they do these things "just for fun!" Does that change your conviction?

 * Rhoda, with a rating of 95% wins the four years' High School scholarship worth $500. Priscilla, her nearest competitor, received 93 %. Priscilla was thoroughly honest in her examination; but Rhoda cheated on only one answer that gave her 5 % credit. Which of the Ten Commandments did Rhoda break? How can she make her peace with God?

 * Tabitha, an extremely inquisitive schoolgirl, makes it a practice to listen to the conversations on her telephone, a party line. Is that permissible in ordinary circumstances? What commandment is violated?

 * Gustave, a janitor in a stylish apartment house, now and then opens the tenants' mail out of sheer curiosity. Does he commit sin in acting that way? What personal right of the tenants is violated? What commandment safeguards that right of the tenants?

 * Chrysostom, a choir boy, with ambitions to become a priest, is sometimes upset in conscience because filthy thoughts and vile imaginations assail him. As soon as he notices their presence, he utters the ejaculation: "Jesus and Mary, help me!" What do you think about his custom? Explain your answer in two or three short sentences.

 * Sophronia, endowed by God with an exceptionally beautiful voice, hopes someday to become a famous singer. She has ambitions to own a beautiful home and to earn plenty of money with which to help her father and mother, her brothers and sisters. Is Sophronia breaking any of God's commandments by having such high hopes and ambitions? Explain.

 * John, a rich man, employs Harvey as handy man on his estate. Harvey works faithfully for eight hours a day, but gives him only $25 a week-a sum that is entirely insufficient for the needs of Harvey and his wife and five children. Does sin against the seventh commandment? Explain.

 * Mrs. Jones, suffering from a bad headache, tells her daughter Helen to inform anyone who may visit her that afternoon that she is not at home. Do you think that Helen is allowed to say this without breaking the eighth commandment?