ADA MAE D.

ABELLERA
CHRISTIAN ETHICS 4
LESSON 6
FEBRUARY 1, 2018

QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS:

1. WHAT IS BRIBERY?

Bribery is the act of giving something in exchange of a favor or future favors or of

something of greater value. This, for me, is an improper means of getting what we want
because we are taking advantage of the weakness of others. It is against the principle of fair
dealing. This act may produce a lot of evil consequences so as much as possible we must avoid
in engaging to this kind of act. Everyone must learn how to be fair and be contented with what
is due him.

2. HOW IS BRIBERY RELATED TO THE EIGHT COMMANDMENT? WHAT MAKES IT WRONG?

Bribery is related to the eight commandment in the sense that bribery is also a form of
stealing. When we bribe someone just to get what we want, we are taking something that is
supposed to be for someone else. We took someone something that is rightfully his or hers. We
never know. May be, that something which we took from her or him is his or her everything.
The fact that we took something which is not ours is wrong in itself. Worst, the act could
produce or cause unlikely consequences.

ANOTHER QUESTIONS TO DISCUSS:

1. IS IT POSSIBLE FOR CHRISTIAN IN YOUR SOCIETY TO RESIST THE TEMPTATION TO GIVE OR
RECEIVE BRIBES OF ONE KIND OR ANOTHER? HOW?
Yes, it is still possible to resist participating in the act of bribery by just being contended
with what we have, by accepting only what is due us and by respecting what is due to others.
Also, we must learn how to take envy in our hearts because most of the time, it is an active
factor which leads one to do the bribing.
2. REREAD THE COMMENTS ABOVE ON THE EIGHT COMMANDMENT AND NOTE ANYWAYS
MENTIONED THAT WOULD MAKE A THIEF SENSE THEIR GUILT. CAN YOU THINK OF OTHER
TYPES OF THEFT NOT MENTIONED HERE?
The following would make a thief sense his guilt:
a) Longing for that which belongs to others;
b) Injury to other in anyway;
c) Taking away the right of others to their hurt;
d) Failure to perform our duty to others;
e) Defrauding employer through waste, neglect, using paid time for personal business, or
the divulging of his secrets; and
f) Mistreating an employee or withholding what is his due.
For me, the enumeration is not exclusive. There are so many forms of theft not
mentioned here which I cannot enumerate further. But anything which causes injustice to
others through our fault may be considered as theft.
3. WHAT TEMPTATIONS TO THEFT ARE FACED BY LEADERS OR MANAGERS IN A CHRISTIAN
ORGANIZATION OR CHURCH?

There are a lot of temptations to theft which are faced by our leaders of the church. In
the Philippines for example, there is this separation of the church and the state but for many
times, the church or should I say its leaders, are still actively participating in political matters.
Their influences matter especially to our fellow Christians. They could change the beliefs or
dispositions of the Christians with the words coming from their mouth. Also basic example are
the monetary collections in the church, there is a great temptation that someone would take
improper favors out of those.