Should You Report a Crime?

While scanning items at a self-check-out, I noticed the man next to me was throwing unscanned items into his bags.

I thought of different approaches I could take:

“He’s probably poor so it's not his fault.”

“It’s not my place to do anything.”

“It's the store's job to catch thieves.”

I've heard these excuses for other sins:

“He can’t help it.” (e.g. He was born homosexual or she had bad parenting.)(1)

“It’s not my place to judge.”(2)

“God will convict him.”(3) 

While only God can convict a person of sin, He expects Christians to hold Biblical views of sin, report crimes, and confront sinning believers. See How, Who, and What to Judge According to Scripture.

Scripture doesn't support the "Judge not!" teaching that has become so popular among Christians and non-Christians alike. We need to read the full message of Scripture and quit taking two words out of context.

We have a responsibility to speak up for God's truth, even when it would be easier to turn a blind eye. And within the Body of Christ we're commanded to confront fellow believers involved in unrepentant sin (Galatians 6:1). 

Let’s not make excuses for ignoring "crimes" no matter where we find them.
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In my situation, I informed the clerk who “helped” the thief scan the unscanned items in his bags.

(1) See Unashamed of God’s Word and Self-pity and Blame-shifting.
(2) See Nobody’s Business.
(3) See 3 Lame Excuses for not Judging.
 
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