Chapter LIX: Co-operation in Dishonesty

THERE is another snare to be avoided which is sometimes very dangerous. It arises from the sins of others. You have associates who are dishonest, and who want to make use of you to carry on their designs. If they do not want this, they at least want to get you mixed up in the same kind of business so that they may not be told of, or because an unquiet conscience gets some consolation in the thought that others are as bad as themselves.

No matter what the motive may be that leads them to drag you into their dishonesty, have nothing whatever to do with it.

But suppose it is a person who has the confidence of the head of the establishment, who carries things as he pleases, and he or she threatens to get you turned out if you do not do as they wish you. Never mind; suffer yourselves to be turned out of the place, but do not steal.

Even if it be a child in the family, a brother or a sister of your employer, or a fellow-clerk, have nothing to do with their wickedness. If it be a partner in any business in which you are employed who is stealing from his partner, and who threatens or coaxes you, give no heed to him.

Even if you are threatened with being accused of stealing yourself, or with having slanderous stories set afloat about you by wicked persons, out of spite and malice, do not be moved an inch from the right course. Have nothing to do with their wickedness.

God will reward you for all you have to suffer. He will make the right appear in good time, and all your sufferings will be rich crowns of merit for you. “Blessed are you when men revile you and persecute you falsely for My sake, and for justice’ sake. Rejoice and be exceeding glad, for great shall be your reward in heaven” (St. Matt. v. 11).

The question may be asked: “If I know of another’s stealing and I have nothing to do with it myself, am I obliged to make it known? It is a thing I should not like to do, for nothing seems meaner than to be telling of others.”

We cannot always do just what we like; we must do what the law of God requires. As St. Paul says: “But as for me it is a thing of the least account to be judged by you or by human judgment,... but He that judgeth me is the Lord” (1 Cor. iv. 3).

In truth, there is nothing mean, nothing dishonorable in informing when wickedness is going on, and your information will stop it. It requires courage, it is true, but that makes it the more noble and more full of merit.

In most cases you are bound, through many motives, to give information.

It is your duty to your employers, a duty of charity and often of justice. If you are in charge of certain things and responsible for their safe-keeping, and allow them to be taken, you would be bound in justice to take means to prevent their being stolen; and if you did not, you would be under obligation to make good the loss.

If you are not in such a position, it is a duty of charity, at least, to inform and prevent the evil from going on. You are, for the time being, a member of the family; and can you believe that you can fold your arms and let robbery go on without trying to prevent it? The very idea is monstrous; it is contrary to the first principles of conscience.

Then it is a duty you owe yourself. If you do not inform, you run a great risk of losing your own character. When it is discovered, as it will very likely be, and it is known that you were aware of it and did not tell, you will be almost sure to be considered as an accomplice in the crime. Your character is valuable to you, and it is your duty to preserve it, and you have no right to expose it to so great a risk of being lost.

Charity to innocent persons who may be unjustly suspected or accused requires that the real offender be known.

And finally, it is a charity to the dishonest persons. It is far better for them to be found out and punished than to be allowed to go on hardening themselves and increasing in guilt all the while. The rule is, then, in spite of all your dislike, to do your duty and reveal their sin.

Are there no exceptions to this rule? Undoubtedly there are. Let us see what they are.

If they should be violent persons, of a slanderous tongue and willing to do you mischief in revenge for telling of them, would that excuse you? I think not. As I said before, your reputation is in the hands of God, who will see to it that all turns out well for you. They will not hurt you. You will come out of such trials like gold purified in the fire, very lovely in the eyes of men for your solid virtue, and in God’s all-seeing eye for your faithfulness to Him, though at the cost of some suffering. But suppose your information will do no good, but only get yourself into trouble? In that case you are not under any obligation to reveal.

The guilty persons may be so much in the confidence of the employer as to be able to throw suspicion off themselves on you and injure you seriously. No obligation of charity to others can outweigh that of justice to yourself and your own reputation. It is well in such case to get prudent advice and act upon it.