Yes help them - but the solution is not shoplifting

I agreed with Lord Carey when he said: “Of all people, priests ought to know right from wrong.”

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/north_yorkshire/8431610.stm

Father Tim Jones’ advice to his church congregation to shoplift when they are in a desperate situation is, however, totally and utterly immoral and illegal as it encourages them to break the law.

Shoplifting, without doubt, is a clear act of stealing; whether one steals from a small shop or from any of the big chains. I wonder what would have been the reaction of the congregation when they heard this advice from their priest! Did it come as a complete shock to them? Was it regarded as unbelievable advice? Or were they utterly bewildered by it?

Be it church, mosque, chapel or temple, people come to their religious places seeking a moral path and not to be deliberately misguided or encouraged to commit any sort of crime.

Yes, there is a safety net provided by the state. Yes there are scores of charities and churches who provide care and food for people in need.

I wonder whether Father Tim had asked the congregation to look out for the vulnerable people in their midst and in their communities and urged to help them out.

In times of suffering and need, and when religious leaders recognise the vulnerability of some people in their communities, surely this is the time that the moral dimension in people is given a boost and a support mechanism is created.

Religious guidance should give people dignity and guide them towards a dignified life. Even from a social perspective, what would happen if desperate and poor people in any community were encouraged to steal and rob from others to fulfil their needs?

What would happen if the decent and most vulnerable people in the society are encouraged today to go out and shoplift; an easy option to outsmart others. What if others follow in their footsteps? What if they, in turn, encourage other people in similar situation to go out and commit this immoral act?

Would it not have been the right way to encourage the better off and economically stable people in society to look after those who are in need and are vulnerable? Perhaps it would have been a good idea to suggest a brotherhood circle or a church welfare or community care fund.

One of the five pillars of Islam is ‘Zakah’, an obligatory act of financial charity, when people are obliged to take out 2.5% of their saving after it has reached a certain annual threshold. That purifies the earned wealth as well as fulfils the needs of people in need. When members of human society are not capable of caring for themselves, God the Almighty intervenes and shows a way that everyone can live a dignified and independent life, without resorting to any immoral means. An undignified life in a society is a disgrace on the dignity of the rest of the members of that society or that congregation. Putting things right should be a collective act. Looking after each other and creating strong social bonds is one of the characteristics of all religious teachings and we should sincerely follow that path.