Should a Christian use all the legal loopholes in or laws to avoid paying our debts? I personally think the bible teaches us to be honest, and when you use these laws to protect your assets you are cheating those you owe, or in some cases, you use them to not pay for your care and make others pay for you like when you are older. I ask this because my wife’s sister said it was not “immoral” because it legal, but wouldn’t that same logic mean abortion is not immoral because it is legal also. As Christians aren’t we to be better than the standards of the world?<\/p>\n
I look forward to hearing from you and what you think according to God’s word.<\/p>\n\t
Technically, a loophole is an ambiguity or poorly written law that allows unintended consequences. The bankruptcy laws are not loopholes but how the country intends to handle people who are in more debt than they can pay.<\/p>\n
In the biblical days, when a person could not pay his debts, everything he had was sold. If this did not cover his debts, then he, his wife, and children were placed in servitude to work until his debt was paid off. The Old Law had a provision that Israelites in debt to fellow Israelites could not be placed in bondage for more than seven years.<\/p>\n\n
While we don’t typically have the threat of slavery hanging over our heads if we don’t make payments on our debts, it is still important to pay our debts. Borrowing involves making promises to repay the loaned money. God expects His people to keep their word. “But let your statement be, ‘Yes, yes’ or ‘No, no’; anything beyond these is of evil<\/em>” (Matthew 5:37). A person who mismanages his money is being a poor steward of what God has given him. Every effort must be given to pay what you owe.<\/p>\n However, there can be times when circumstances overwhelm a person. Illness or a disaster can strike and make it nearly impossible to pay back what is owed. Instead of servitude or debtor’s prison, we use courts to determine how the debt will be settled. Some items are protected, usually items that are needed for living and being able to earn an income. That should not be surprising. The Law of Moses did not allow a person’s garment to be held beyond that day. “If you ever take your neighbor’s cloak as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets, for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for I am gracious<\/em>” (Exodus 22:26-27).<\/p>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Question: Should a Christian use all the legal loopholes in or laws to avoid paying our debts? I personally think the bible teaches us to be honest, and when you use these laws to protect your assets you are cheating those you owe, or in some cases, you use them to not pay for your…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[258],"class_list":["post-35875","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-answer","tag-money-management"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":84951,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/christians-and-bankruptcy\/","url_meta":{"origin":35875,"position":0},"title":"Christians and Bankruptcy","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"February 23, 2025","format":false,"excerpt":"by Art Cornell via Sentry Magazine, Vol. 15, No. 1, March 31, 1989 On a recent visit to the Chapallear's home, I told Floyd I was working for a bankruptcy judge. He asked me whether I thought a Christian could file for bankruptcy. I thought for a moment and replied\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Article"","block_context":{"text":"Article","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/article\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":37804,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/should-christians-end-their-business-because-of-the-health-care-laws-that-include-birth-control\/","url_meta":{"origin":35875,"position":1},"title":"Should Christians end their business because of the health care laws that include birth control?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"March 14, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I'm not directly affected by this change in law but I know people who are. Should Christians with employees end their business because of the health care laws that now include birth control as a \"women's right?\" Answer: Roman Catholics protest this new requirement because in their beliefs any\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":18752,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-a-christian-must-file-for-bankruptcy-is-he-still-obligated-to-pay-off-his-debts\/","url_meta":{"origin":35875,"position":2},"title":"If a Christian must file for bankruptcy, is he still obligated to pay off his debts?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"May 26, 2009","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: If one borrows money and they get behind the eight-ball, if you will, so they file bankruptcy, are they morally responsible to pay the borrowed amount back? I said if they did it with the intent of trying to rip someone off that was a sin, but I didn't\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":16843,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/if-two-people-commit-fornication-should-they-be-forced-to-marry\/","url_meta":{"origin":35875,"position":3},"title":"If two people commit fornication, should they be forced to marry?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"November 13, 2008","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I was wondering if we today should apply this law in the Old Testament. \"And if a man entice a maid that is not betrothed, and lie with her, he shall surely endow her to be his wife. If her father utterly refuse to give her unto him, he\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Answer"","block_context":{"text":"Answer","link":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/category\/answer\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"","width":0,"height":0},"classes":[]},{"id":7556,"url":"https:\/\/www.lavistachurchofchrist.org\/cms\/can-i-tell-you-about-a-way-to-get-married-without-government-involvement\/","url_meta":{"origin":35875,"position":4},"title":"Can I tell you about a way to get married without government involvement?","author":"Jeffrey Hamilton","date":"October 19, 2006","format":false,"excerpt":"Question: I noticed a guy wrote\u00a0a piece about marriage claiming he didn't need a piece of paper. He is right by all means; all you need is two witnesses and you can be married by American law. 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