# Your thoughts about this topic \[stealing\] **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [December 31, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998 "2010-12-31T22:17:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nathaniel1994](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/c37758/32.png) [@nathaniel1994](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nathaniel1994)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/1 "2010-12-31T22:17:40Z")
God said not to steal, but if humans are selling something that benefits everyone, but it costs money and you get the product illegally do you think god counts that as a sin? I’m just curious. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [December 31, 2010, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/2 "2010-12-31T22:29:45Z")
Yes, I do think so. Food, for instance, benefits everyone and you can steal it. Still a sin to steal it. It is only not a sin if you have no other choice, so that the harm of stealing is outweighed by the benefit of having it and you can’t obtain it in any other way. “Do unto others as you would have others do unto you” is one of the rules God taught. Consider it from that point of view - if you had something that you were offering for sale, but someone stole it, would that be what you wanted? Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Grumman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/43a26b/32.png) [@Grumman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grumman)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/3 "2011-01-01T00:44:27Z")
> [@Shodan](#): > > It is only not a sin if you have no other choice, so that the harm of stealing is outweighed by the benefit of having it and you can’t obtain it in any other way. You never have no other choice. And basing it on judgements of the harm caused are automatically suspect, because you’re simply stating the harm to _your victim_ is outweighed by the benefit to _you_. ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/4 "2011-01-01T01:01:03Z")
God is typically portrayed as a control and dominance freak, concerned with submission and obedience; in many ways he’s a stand-in for how the authorities who promote his worship want to be regarded. Just as, say, the Greek gods are basically your classic self indulgent aristocrats writ large. So in all likelihood your generic standard God would consider it a sin to steal regardless of your reasons, because that’s Breaking The Rules. > [@Grumman](#): > > You never have no other choice. Unless you are counting “die quietly and don’t bother the rest of us” as a “choice” that’s a rather implausible statement, given that people can and have died because they couldn’t afford medical treatment or food or heat during the winter. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/5 "2011-01-01T01:16:49Z")
I steal every day. (I download movies from bit torrents). But I don’t believe in sin or God so I guess I’m screwed. ---
**Author:** ![ZPG\_Zealot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/e47c2d/32.png) [@ZPG\_Zealot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZPG_Zealot)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/6 "2011-01-01T01:17:44Z")
> [@nathaniel1994](#): > > God said not to steal, but if humans are selling something that benefits everyone, but it costs money and you get the product illegally do you think god counts that as a sin? I’m just curious. Depends entirely on the circumstances. Stealing in a manner that harms someone or something else should be considered a sin. Stealing in which what is stolen will never be missed is more of a grey area. ---
**Author:** ![Caveat\_lector\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ea5d25/32.png) [@Caveat\_lector\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caveat_lector_1)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/7 "2011-01-01T19:12:58Z")
> [@nathaniel1994](#): > > God said not to steal, but if humans are selling something that benefits everyone, but it costs money and you get the product illegally do you think god counts that as a sin? I’m just curious. Wouldn’t many or most things sold fall under “something that benefits everyone, but costs money?” So if this isn’t wrong then its okay to steal food, TV’s, cars, computers, books, clothing, etc. I think (or hope) that most people would feel that this is nonsense. So I’ll say yes its wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/8 "2011-01-01T19:25:09Z")
> [@Grumman](#): > > You never have no other choice. Technically true, but not a useful distinction - if the choice is “steal or starve to death” that is not much of a choice. > [@](#): > > And basing it on judgements of the harm caused are automatically suspect, because you’re simply stating the harm to _your victim_ is outweighed by the benefit to _you_. No more (or less) suspect than any other moral judgment based on utility. Regards, Shodan ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/9 "2011-01-01T20:53:15Z")
> [@Caveat\_lector\_1](#): > > Wouldn’t many or most things sold fall under “something that benefits everyone, but costs money?” So if this isn’t wrong then its okay to steal food, TV’s, cars, computers, books, clothing, etc. I think (or hope) that most people would feel that this is nonsense. So I’ll say yes its wrong. This, exactly, is what’s confusing me about the OP. The question seems to amount to: _is it OK to steal, if I want to?_ ---
**Author:** ![Candyman74](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ad7895/32.png) [@Candyman74](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Candyman74)\ **Post date:** [January 1, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/10 "2011-01-01T21:21:16Z")
> [@nathaniel1994](#): > > God said not to steal, but if humans are selling something that benefits everyone, but it costs money and you get the product illegally do you think god counts that as a sin? I’m just curious. Well, food benefits everyone. Is it OK if I steal your food? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 2, 2011, 11:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/11 "2011-01-02T11:31:56Z")
I have two possible interpretations of the OP: [ol] [li]If a basic necessity is being withheld from people unfairly, is it okay to steal that necessity?[/li] If my stealing of something benefits everyone, is it wrong to steal?[/ol] ---
**Author:** ![Kozmik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/8dc957/32.png) [@Kozmik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kozmik)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 5:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/12 "2011-01-03T05:12:41Z")
> [@nathaniel1994](#): > > God said not to steal, **but if humans are selling something that benefits everyone** , but it costs money and you get the product illegally do you think god counts that as a sin? I’m just curious. Water? ---
**Author:** ![Freudian\_Slit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/5daacb/32.png) [@Freudian\_Slit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freudian_Slit)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2011, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/your-thoughts-about-this-topic-stealing/565998/13 "2011-01-03T05:27:46Z")
> [@ZPG\_Zealot](#): > > Depends entirely on the circumstances. Stealing in a manner that harms someone or something else should be considered a sin. Stealing in which what is stolen will never be missed is more of a grey area. [Like taking someone’s wallet after they’ve offered to shake hands with a respected female member of the community?](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showpost.php?p=13005121&postcount=200)