Turn in the lawbreaker, or not?

[Janet842]

I was working in –––––– for a man who was illegally working under another man's contracting license. Both men broke ––––– law to do this. One is Christian, I don't know about the other.

My question is, what does God require of me? I have the proof required that if submitted will convict both these men. Do I turn them in, or not?

It will mean considerable hardship for both. One may have his license suspended for a length of time (or permanently lose his license and thereby his business), the other (the Christian)... well I just don't know what would happen to him. I would imagine huge fines. I don't know if he would get thrown in jail for awhile or not.

Opinions? Scripturally based would be preferred.

 

[Buzzy]

How have they wronged you?

 

[Janet842]

Is that a factor in making the decision? I would just like to get responses based on what is the correct action for a Christian to take when they know the law has been broken.

 

[Buzzy]

Then it seems you've already decided and just want to be reassured. I assumed there was some personal offense to cause such destruction of lives.

 

[Janet842]

I have not decided and I hold no unforgiveness against these people, which is why the situation is so confusing.

James 5:19-20 says "My brothers, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring him back, remember this: Whoever turns a sinner from the error of his way will save him from death and cover over a multitude of sins.

2 Peter 3:17 says "Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position."

Galatians 6:1 "Brothers, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted." (Turning them in wouldn't exactly be gentle. But none of us now reside in the same state so opportunity to work within a Body of Believers doesn't exist.)

There are more scriptures, but none seem to directly address turning someone in to government, they all seem to address correcting someone from within the Body of Believers.

So I'm still confused.

 

[Aibrean]

I would turn them in. If you know they are committing crimes, by not reporting you are no more than an accessory to their evil ways.

We are to submit to the authorities. They obviously aren't.

 

[Examine Yourselves]

It really is a simple answer, You need to expand your concern to those whom hire them in good faith believing that they are inf act in compliance with the law. So I guess the question is are you prepared to allow innocent 3rd parties to be mislead, lied to and possibly harmed. If you see wrong and do nothing about it, who will? God doesn't require you to do anything, but He did give you a pretty good directory of what he expects from those who claim to follow Him. If you do nothing about it, then you endorse it.

 

[Janet842]

I turned them in and sent off the rest of the evidence that I have to the head investigator for the State. If the evidence is sufficient, I will appear in court as the State's lead witness.

 

[freeman007]

Under the constitution which is the supreme law of the land and in the minds of the founding fathers if there is no injured party there is no crime. Most laws are not crimes if broken as no one becomes a victim.

 

[Aibrean]

The people who hired him are the victims.

Would you want to be treated by a doctor who didn't have a license?

 

[Buzzy]

So did you find yourself to be "without sin" enough to cast the first stone?

 

[Aibrean]

Do you think all sinners should just be told to live in their sin?

 

[Buzzy]

How did Paul tell us to handle sin and wrongdoing within the church? At least one of these people is a Christian. Is what was described a SIN?

 

[Aibrean]

Firstly, the wrong has not been done against the OP, but others. It's not a case of sin only, but also criminal offenses to which all Christians are to be submissive to the governing authorities.

Secondly, it is Jesus who tells us how to handle sin within the church (not to be confused with crime which is against the state).

"If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault, between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have gained your brother. But if he does not listen, take one or two others along with you, that every charge may be established by the evidence of two or three witnesses. If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church. And if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax collector."

You can't try and blanket how to address sin with how to address crime. They are not one and the same always.

 

[JackKerouac]

So did you find yourself to be "without sin" enough to cast the first stone?

Not even close.

 

[Buzzy]

Guess she shouldn't have asked on a Christian forum sorry I gave the Christian answer.

 

[Aibrean]

So did I.

 

[JackKerouac]

Guess she shouldn't have asked on a Christian forum sorry I gave the Christian answer.

No, you didn't.

 

[Janet842]

Matthew 15“If your brother sins against you,b go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over. 16But if he will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’c 17If he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, treat him as you would a pagan or a tax collector.

 

[Aibrean]

I just posted that, but we aren't just talking about sin here. We are talking about crime. Not reporting makes you an accessory to it.