Did I steal?
Question:
Last year, I went to Goodwill to buy books about dinosaurs and dragons because they are cool. It was seven books. I went up to the cashier to purchase the books. The cashier was someone I know. He scanned the books I wanted to purchase, but I noticed that only three were scanned. I told him about the other books that weren't scanned, and he told me that it was a discount, which I guess he meant he was giving them to me for free. I told him again about the other books not being scanned into the register, and he told me to stop talking. After that, I paid for what was scanned and went on my way. Did I steal the books that weren't scanned? I wanted to go back and pay for the books, but I didn't want to make the employee think he was letting me steal. I feel bad about it, so I decided to make it up by donating five dollars for the books that weren't scanned.
I look forward to hearing from you and seeing what you think.
Answer:
You didn't steal from the store; the employee did. It was a difficult situation, but since you knew the employee was cheating his employer, you approved what he was doing by taking the books. "And although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them" (Romans 1:32).
Your decision to donate money to the business to pay for the books is a good solution to the problem.
Response:
Thank you so much for your response. I didn't want the business to lose money, so I thought donating money to them would be an awesome way to make up for the books. A month or two ago, I donated five more dollars to show I still feel bad about what happened a year ago.
