STEALING RAMPANT IN AMERICA
Many lives have been touched by theft in our society today. Millions of dollars are lost every year in this country over the theft of goods and services. One estimate says that 1 out of every 52 shopper’s carries something out of the supermarket for which they haven’t paid. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce, 4 million people are caught shoplifting every year. But for every 1 caught, 35 others get away with it. At least for now. This means that there are over 140 million incidents of shoplifting every year in American! What’s really tragic is that only 10% of all shoplifters come from low income backgrounds. 70% are middle class and 205 are classified as wealthy. These facts are astounding! America appears to be a country of thieves. I suppose that if everyone who was guilty of theft was arrested, there would be no jails to hold them, nor arresting officers to lock them up! One new hotel reported that in their 10 months of operation, they lost 38,000 spoons, 18,000 towels, 355 silver coffee pots, 1,500 silver finger bowls and 100 Bibles to thieves.
Regardless of the reason, stealing is wrong! God, in these verses condemns it and declares it to be a sin. Today, I would like for us to take some time to look at the 8th Commandment, which reads, "Thou Shall Not Steal," and consider what stealing really is, as we think together on this thought.
(From a sermon by Carl Allen, Thou Shalt Not Steal, 10/27/2009)