The Coveted Commandment: THOU SHALT NOT STEAL, COVETING OK? © 2013 by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.

by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr.(*)

Other related posts by Wayne Dan Lewis, Sr. can be found at:

http://thecovetedcommandment.blogspot.com/

Thou Shalt Not Steal[2]

Thou shalt not steal is the 8^th of 10 commandments endorsed by Moses.[3] In this edition of The Coveted Commandment, I find it necessary to explore how this commandment has exploded in such a way as to have so many caveats, interpretations, or references, that the punishment(s) too have evolved from cutting off of hands, hanging, retribution in the form of livestock, to imprisonment, and yet, apply more to those of lesser means, than those in power.

Thou shalt not steal, from its original verse, was unambiguous. Or, so I thought. Stealing, as referenced in the original commandments, was said to relate to kidnapping, or the theft of a human person, forbidding slavery.[4] In other laws, the 8^th commandment references the unauthorized taking of one person’s possession and using it without their permission.

For the most part, historically, even today, it seems that stealing had three components:

1. it was wrong to take something that did not belong to the taker,

2. that for so doing, there would be a penalty, and

3. it would be the carrying out of those penalt(ies) that would satisfy the misdeed. For example: 2 times the possession in livestock; labor for the offended and/or other restitution as determined by the courts. [5]

Why has this commandment evolved where it lends itself to the many misinterpretations, and perhaps has given way to the idea, that theft, or the unauthorized removal of or taking of others’ possessions, can be categorized in such a way as to have little to know meaning, particularly by the levels of punishments that are currently in place. To steal, or to take something that does not belong to you, is degreed, in such a way, that depending on what is taken, or who is taking it, that the act of taking is in itself, circumspect.

Who Steals?

Don’t expect a statistical perspective on this, but I am going to go out on a limb here and suggest that everyone steals. Please don’t call your attorneys on me, I mean this in the most positive, respected way, that many of us are thieves. And, I believe that many of us are in good company. I am sure that our sweet mothers stole a recipe or two from grandmother; that our fathers “borrowed” a tool or two from a friend but didn’t return it. I don’t doubt that one of our men/women of the cloth lifted a pen or two from a parishioner, inadvertently of course, but has yet to return it. I am sure several of us have stood by the punch clock a few minutes longer, or maybe punched in earlier than was allowed. But, enough of this pettiness. Let’s go big time and look at those who hold public office and who have misappropriated campaign funds. Let us not forget those who are in positions of authority and who, without consent, and in violation of various laws, have taken kickbacks and bribes. We know that goes on, all throughout our various governmental bodies. But, I don’t want to overlook those who commit thefts on almost a daily basis.

We have to include our petty thieves. We have into include the small-time bank robbers; the simple robbers, as well those who commit fraud on their jobs. We have to include those carjack, or who commit burglaries of our homes. And of course, we have to include our own thefts that we each have committed. Now, now, don’t thank me. I can only point and accuse if I also point the other four fingers at me. I have too have stolen, lifted, taken, or committed a theft, of some kind or another. The amount(s) are immaterial, because stealing is stealing. Why did I do it? Why does anyone steal? What is their/our motivation?

What is the Motivation behind Stealing?

Why do we steal? It can be said that stealing is inevitable. We all are subject to take something that doesn’t belong to us. We could find a $10.00 bill on the ground and try to find out who owns it, the same way we would if we found a bag of money containing $10,000. Or, would we keep the $10,000? Would that be stealing? If it is stealing to keep the $10,000, is it not stealing to keep the $10.00? Why would we return $10,000 and keep the $10.00?

Why do people steal on their jobs? Why do people steal in public office? Why do people break in other people’s homes or cars? What is the motivation to steal? Is it fair to say that some people are born thieves? Is it fair to say that some people were raised to be thieves? Is it fair to say that circumstances forces us to steal other people’s things?

Does a lack of a job justify stealing? Does a low income job justify stealing? If either of these are justified, then why do people who have jobs, paying well above the minimum wage commit thefts from their jobs, on their jobs, or regardless of the fact that they have a job? What is the motivation to steal?

We know that families who are hitting on hard times, they may steal food and milk to feed their families? Are they justified? By the same token, the teller who short changes his/her customers may do so because maybe it is easy to do so. The unintended consequence is that the teller buys himself/herself things that their salary would not allow them to buy ordinarily. Is this justified?

What about the politician, who hides campaign contributions? Is he/she justified? Or the non-profit worker who handles donations, who shaves a few dollars off of the top, are they justified in taking that money and paying for a loved-one’s surgery or special needs?

When is stealing justified?

When is The Best Time to Steal?

The best time to steal? Is that not the dumbest question to ask: “When is the best time to steal?” The question is perhaps dumb, but apparently there is an answer. From my distant background in law enforcement and security, the best time has little to do with the clock. It has more to do with the opportunity. The opportunity is more often than not about the victim. The victim can be me, or you. The opportunity is the failure of the victim to take every reasonable care to protect their valuables-from thieves.

Am I blaming the victim for their losses? Yes. We live in a world of theft, thieves, and those who take things from us. To believe that no one is stealing, or not taking something of value from us, or anyone, is to be naïve. Thefts are occurring everyday, not only throughout America, but throughout the world. Thefts are an integral part of lives, and yet, many of us act as though we can put our valuables down, leave our doors unlocked, or not take preventive action to prevent the loss of our valuables.

We know that thieves break in and take our valuables. We know that our leaders misappropriate funds. We know that thefts occur all the time, but not to us. Why? Because we know when the next theft is likely to occur, so we are always on guard. Always. On guard.

Antedotal story: My wife and I parked our 1998 Plymouth Voyager in a garage in the CBD during Hurricane Katrina, while we drove our 2004 Jeep Cherokee to Texas. The Voyager was locked, and all valuables were removed. After the storm, we discovered that the Voyager had been stolen from the garage. We later learned that the vehicle was in Houston, Texas. When it was eventually returned to us, we found diapers in the back seat and clothing for children, and a partial pack of cigarettes. The theft, while not acceptable was forgivable. Someone had stolen our vehicle to save their family from the outcome of a major disaster. It cost us to restore the vehicle, because the only damage was the rear window. We understood, and we forgave.

We were the victims of this crime. The opportunity that was taken advantage of, would have been to someone, even if not us. The doors on the van were locked, and the steering wheel had a locking bar. But we created the opportunity for the theft of our vehicle. We put it where we thought it was safe from potential damaging flood waters at our home, which did flood, but we put it where someone would need it for their benefit, not ours. They stole our vehicle. Had we left it at home, it would have not been stolen (maybe). Just flooded.

We didn’t understand that the timing was right for a theft. We didn’t realize that we created the opportunity for someone who, whether they stole that one time, or everyday of their lives, the opportunity was right, and we created it for that purpose.

This example is not to suggest that thefts are okay, or that are all thefts are forgivable. If the same person(s) were to come along and steal our car again, or break into our home, we would not necessarily be so forgiving. But, we are still guilty of providing the opportunity for theft. Here is how:

In general, we lock our cars, we lock our homes, and put passwords on our bank accounts. This suggests that we must have something of value and we know it. The more security we employ, the perceived higher value our possessions suggest. So, what should we do? Not lock our cars? Or not locke our homes? No! There is nothing we can do to deter thefts. Thefts are inevitable. Someone is going to always steal something, and not anything that we can do, can stop them from trying. Even if we have guns in our homes, it does not discourage a committed thief from attempting to steal from us, and in some cases, do us harm.

The best time for a thief to commit a theft is all the time. Just like in boxing, your opponent/thief is waiting for us to drop our guard. We are an opportunity waiting to happen for those who are committed to committing a theft. We have to always be on guard.

Thou Shalt Not Covet [6]-

The definition of coveting varies somewhat according to several dictionaries. Here are 3 different definitions:

Covet [7]

transitive verb

1 : to wish for earnestly <covet an award>

2: to desire (what belongs to another) inordinately or culpably

intransitive verb

: to feel inordinate desire for what belongs to another

Covet [8]

v.tr.

1. To feel blameworthy desire for (that which is another's). See Synonyms at envy.

2. To wish for longingly. See Synonyms at desire.

v.intr.

To feel immoderate desire for that which is another's.

Covet [9]

To covet is defined as to strongly want something that someone else has.

(verb) An example of to covet is to dream of owning the car that your neighbor drives.

Perhaps a good question is, why should the definitions be different if the meaning is the same? A good question, but it is also important to understand motivation. What inspires us, or what moves us to do the things that we do? If we were follow the 10th Commandment's logic, longing for our brother's car that only serves a family of five by another brother would be wrong. Correct me if I am wrong. If the logic of long for something can be measured, what is the standard of longing, and do so as to be "blameworthy"?

I contend that coveting is a type of motive, or desire to achieve, acquire, or to have something that is not within our grasp. I contend that aspiring to break a current world record is coveting, but that overcome it with a goals and objectives, does not make coveting that world record, held for some 5 years prior, wrong. We must be allowed to covet. We must be allowed to be motivated by the achievements of others, where in so doing, we do attempt to rob, kill or harm our brother or neighbors, but instead, we seek to make our lives better, or improved.

The Coveted Commandment and Stealing-A Comparison?

Let’s review:

The 8^th Commandment? Thou shalt not steal.

The Coveted Commandment? Thou shalt build wealth

Contrast: One commandment suggests that we “not” do something, while the other commandment suggests that we “do” do something;

Compare: Both suggest that we are capable of making a choice to do something, even if one directs us not to “do” something;

Compare: Both commandments speak to wealth. While only one commandment speaks specifically to wealth, the other implies wealth (Stealing). What do we ordinarily steal? I think, unless I am wrong, we steal something of value. I believe that when we steal something that if it can be used to obtain something else of equal or greater value. It has value that can be used to build wealth, or a position of power.

The Coveted Commandment[10] does not suggest stealing. But it does look at the 8^th commandment, as it relates to the 10^th Commandment (Thou shalt not covet), which prohibits coveting. If one covets, one is breaking the 10^th commandment, but one is not stealing. But, if one steals, one has to have coveted, theoretically. Coveting was, and perhaps, still is, an important issue as it relates to scripture. It basically forbids desiring strongly what someone else has. I don’t understand this commandment, although I have called myself having followed as many of the commandments as I could as I grew up.

But as I look back, I was breaking at least one of the 10 commandments. I was coveting my neighbor’s lifestyle, my neighbor’s car, as well as my neighbor’s home. It was without hesitation. We spoke of coveting like it was nothing, even though we did not use the term “coveting”, we knew that whenever we saw someone with a brand new, shiny, car, or something better than we had, we desired it strongly, as well. But coveting was not a prerequisite to stealing, at least not for me. But, I watched throughout my life how people lost their cars by being carjacked, or how people’s homes were broken into after they bought a new television, only to have it stolen. I lived through people loosing their weekly income by someone who would knock them in the head and take their monies. All of this suggests that coveting was a prerequisite to stealing. But we have to go back and see if coveting is wrong in itself, if it doesn’t lead to stealing.

The Upside of Coveting

We are not going to solve the issue of stealing by this discussion. As a matter of a fact, as I previously indicated, thefts are constant. They will forever and a day, continue to happen throughout our communities, if not throughout the world. If coveting is a prerequisite to stealing, is it fair to say that coveting and stealing are interconnected? I do not believe so. I believe that coveting is as much a prerequisite to building wealth as it it to stealing. Unfortunately, wealth build through stealing is the negative outcome. But wealth building through collaborations, partnerships and investing can be a positive outcome. I believe that more often than not, coveting should be encouraged as a good thing, where the outcome is wealth. Obviously, when coveting leads to theft, coveting is given a bad thing. But coveting, in and of itself, has to be a good thing. It has to serve as an inspiration point in people’s lives.

The Coveted Commandment, Thou Shalt Build Wealth, cannot be shared or endorsed for the masses, because, the other side of coveting is perceived to be selfishness. Those who have power selfishly use coveting to build wealth, while using that same power to project coveting as sinful and wrong on those who otherwise are made into criminals as thieves, burglars, robbers, and other acts where theft is the outcome.

The Coveted Commandment, if it were real, if it were codified, would not have the reputation of being a negative aspect of our lives, but a positive one, Coveting, a strong desire to have something, or to achieve something of value, even if someone else’s, would not be wrong on its face. Coveting, when it results in the unauthorized removal or taking of others’ valuables or material things, is wrong. Coveting, when it leads to setting goals and objectives to achieve that which others have, would be good. And, it is good, when it results in a positive outcome.

RELEVANCE?

Stealing, or theft, preceded by coveting, has led to a tremendous number of kinds of thefts. Long ago, people may have just stolen cattle, oxen, or maybe even land. Today, people steal identities, bank accounts, credit cards, social security checks, commit kickbacks, ponzie schemes, and many other types of acts, which are alleged to be criminal, wrong, or sinful. The motivation to commit these acts, theoretically, can be said to be preceded by an overwhelming desire to have someone’s identity, for wrongful means. The taking of someone else’s land, without governmental oversite, or by illegal means by, and to otherwise build on or sell it for personal gain, maybe preceded by covetous behavior. The relevance here is that coveting, by definition, preceding theft or any other criminal act, for the most part, gets a bad reputation. But I don’t think coveting is wrong, if it can be proven that a desire to have something someone has, motivates us to achieve independently and with the intent of doing something constructively in order to acquire that which we see that someone else has. I honestly believe that there can be an upside to coveting and I will cover that shortly, right after we identify the various types of thefts that maybe preceded by coveting.

Types of Thefts [11]

Below are types of thefts. I believe that these types of thefts are preceded by covetous behavior and thought. I have not substantiated that coveting is good or bad, but I do contend that coveting, that if is a precipitating behavior, can lead to committing thefts, the same way coveting can lead to building wealth. I further contend that building wealth can be done constructively, where those who are willing, will set goals and objectives to invest in themselves, and work together to achieve financial and economic well-being.

Theft is defined as taking, using, or keeping someone else's property without the person's consent. There are various types of theft that all relate to what was taken or used without permission. Theft can also be defined based on the intent of the item that was misused or taken. If you were to mistakenly keep something that belongs to someone else, this wouldn't be considered theft because you were unaware that you had the item that belonged to someone else.

· Mugging is one type of theft that is quite common. Mugging is defined as a street robbery. You can see a lot of mugging's in larger towns with tourists because these people seem to be easier targets for those wanting to mug someone.

· Robbery is another type of theft that also happens to encompass many other different types of theft. Robbery is defined as seizing property of someone else using violence or intimidation. Robbery can happen to many different people in any type of environment. This basically means that you take someone's property by being violent and forcing the person to do what you would like.

· Larceny is another type of theft that exists in the US. Larceny theft is defined as taking or keeping someone's property without their consent as well as using no force or fraud to acquire the items.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1269895

Misappropriation Act [12] -Misappropriation is the intentional and illegal use of funds for another use or other unauthorized purpose than its intended purpose. The Misappropriation Act (31 USC, Section 1301) requires that funds appropriated by Congress be used only of the programs and purposes for which the appropriation was made.

The 8 Types of Identity Theft[13]

There are several types of identity theft. Knowing what to do if you are a victim of identity theft starts by knowing what type of identity theft you are dealing with.

Financial Identity Theft
Insurance Identity Theft
Medical Identity Theft
Criminal Identity Theft
Driver’s License Identity Theft
Social Security Identity Theft
Child Identity Theft

Types of White Collar Crime [14]

Bank Fraud
Blackmail
Bribery
Cellular Phone Fraud
Counterfeiting
Credit Card Fraud
Currency Schemes
Embezz1ement
Environmental Schemes
Extortion
Forgery-Insider Trading
Kickback
Money Laundering
Securities Fraud
Tax Evasion
Welfare Fraud

Coveting Gone Wrong?

If we could exchange the 10^th commandment[15] for the Coveted Commandment, or perhaps make the Coveted Commandment one in which coveting has a more positive outcome, crimes like the ones outlined above, may have less likely an opportunity to occur. We have to believe that coveting is the impetus for anyone of, if not all of the commandments that prohibit violation of one’s neighbor and/or his possessions, or what codify as crimes today.

If we are willing to accept the fact that coveting is not in itself a bad thing, as much as it is a sense of motivation, and yes, it is a strong desire to have something, where that desire is energized to put together a business plan, or a set of goals that result in the growth of a business, or perhaps the true acquisition of wealth, then coveting can be a positive tool in personal development.

If, and that’s a big IF, we can open the door to the possibility that coveting is good and a source of inspiration, that if properly channeled, we can see fewer crimes as we have come to know, and hopefully, more people achieving greater things in their lives. Will that result in the elimination of the 10^th Commandment? No. But it should result in the 10^th commandment clearly indicating that coveting, with the intent of committing a wrong against one’s neighbor is strictly forbidden. In addition, coveting, for the purpose of building one’s self in a positive manner, needs to be strategically incorporated for the benefit of all.

The Coveted Commandment: Thou Shalt Build Wealth.[16]

(*) No part of this post should be considered as legal, religious or financial advice. All information deeemed to be from reliable sources but not guaranteed. You are advised to seek professional assistance as it relates to your personal situation.

[1] Thou Shalt Not Steal- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thou_shalt_not_steal- Originally suggested against the theft of persons, or humans-kidnapping.

[2] Thou Shalt Not Steal- http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20%3A15&version=KJV

[3] The 8^th Commandment according to- http://godstenlaws.com/ten-commandments/index.html

[4] Significant voices of academic theologians (such as German Old Testament scholar A. Alt: Das Verbot des Diebstahls im Dekalog (1953)) suggest that commandment "you shall not steal" was originally intended against stealing people—against abductions and slavery, in agreement with the Talmudic interpretation of the statement as "you shall not kidnap" (Sanhedrin 86a). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/You_shall_not_steal

[5] Exodus 22-1-9 http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+22&version=KJV

[6] Thou Shalt Not Covet- Exodus 20: 17- http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20&version=KJV

[7] Covet Definition A- http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/covet

[8] Covet Definition B- http://www.thefreedictionary.com/covet

[9] Covet Definition C- http://www.yourdictionary.com/covet