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Date: February 8, 2018

To:Bro. Rey Allan B. Balderosa, Sc

By: Escarlan, Reuben P.

Re: Reflection Paper 6: How to treat other human beings (Cont.)

Seventh Commandment “You shall not commit adultery.”

Eight Commandments: “You shall not steal.”

Questions to Discuss part I:

1. What is bribery?

The Revised Penal Code of the Philippines provides three kinds of bribery punishable by our
law:

Article 210. Direct Bribery

Acts punished

1. Agreeing to perform, or performing, in consideration of any offer, promise, gift or

present – an act constituting a crime, in connection with the performance of his official
duties;

2. Accepting a gift in consideration of the execution of an act which does not constitute a
crime, in connection with the performance of his official duty;

3. Agreeing to refrain, or by refraining, from doing something which it is his official duty to
do, in consideration of gift or promise.

Elements

1. Offender is a public officer within the scope of Article 203;

2. Offender accepts an offer or a promise or receives a gift or present by himself or through

another;

3. Such offer or promise be accepted, or gift or present received by the public officer –
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a. With a view to committing some crime; or

b. In consideration of the execution of an act which does not constitute a crime, but
the act must be unjust; or
c. To refrain from doing something which it is his official duty to do.

4. The act which offender agrees to perform or which he executes be connected with the
performance of his official duties.

Article 211. Indirect Bribery

Elements

1. Offender is a public officer;

2. He accepts gifts;
3. The gifts are offered to him by reason of his office.

Article 211-A. Qualified Bribery

Elements

1. Offender is a public officer entrusted with law enforcement;

2. He refrains from arresting or prosecuting an offender who has committed a crime;
3. Offender has committed a crime punishable by reclusion perpetua and/or death;
4. Offender refrains from arresting or prosecuting in consideration of any offer, promise,
gift, or present.

2. How is bribery related to the 8th commandment? What makes it wrong?

The crime of bribery is a form of stealing, and the eight commandment provides “Thou
shall not steal.” The story of Pontius Pilate in the history of Christianity may be considered as
one of an act of bribery for it involves an exercise of duty for sake of power, but no Christian
who doesn’t know the story of Judas, an apostle of Christ, who betrayed Him in exchange of
gold, to prosecute Christ for the sins of His people.

In the present time, bribery is commonly a political crime. It is another way of doing a
legal matter in an illegal way or doing an illegal matter in illegal way, prohibited by law and
prohibited by scriptures. In Deuteronomy 16:19, the giving and receiving of bribes is a form of
injustice according to the Scriptures; thus, Moses prohibited it. Moreover, in Ecclesiastes 7:7
Bribery is a vice that corrupts the mind, and in Samuel 8:3, bribery perverts justice. If we can
buy justice, can we call it really a justice? Can we guarantee the protection we ought to receive
from our government? If we can correct our violations of law by paying them to make them
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appear that we are innocent, can we escape the judgment from the above? In any way, we are all
equal in the eyes of the law and in the eyes of God; in any way, we have the same rights granted
by law and by scriptures, we must learn to live with them, to respect them, and to act in
accordance with them than no one will be prejudiced because of the freedom attaching with our
rights.

Questions to Discuss part II

1. Is it possible for Christians in your society to resist the temptation to give or receive
bribes of one kind or another? How?

Yes. It is possible for Christians in our society to resist temptation to give and receive
bribes of one kind or another.

Temptation always starts in our mind, not in circumstances. Jesus said, “ For from within,
out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed,
wickedness, deceit, eagerness for lustful pleasure, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these
vile things come from within.” Jesus as scriptures provide, was even tempted, yet he never
sinned for he said “it is not a sin to be tempted. Temptations only become a sin when you give in
to it.”

Let us be reminded that our minds and bodies are residence of all evil deeds and
temptations. It is within us on how we are going to overcome them. Refuse to be intimidated,
refuse to be tempted. Be prepared that from a minute from now, you will be tested and you will
be tempted. Seek for his presence, seek for righteousness.

2. Reread the comments above on the eighth commandment and note any ways
mentioned that would make a thief sense their guilt.

David once said “keep me from paying attention to what is worthless.” Job also said “I
made a covenant with my eyes not to look with lust upon a young woman.”

The more you focus on “I don’t want to do this,” the stronger in draws you into its web.

My religious teacher once said “ignoring a temptation is far more effective than fighting
it. Once your mind is on something else, the temptation loses its power. So when temptation calls
you on the phone, don’t argue with it, just hang up! It is okay to run away from temptations, get
up and turn off the television set, walk away from the group that is gossiping, leave the theater in
the middle of the movie, it’s like to avoid being stung, stay away from the bees.
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3. What temptations to theft are faced by leaders or managers in a Christian

organization or church?

Like how the politics in our government runs, it is almost the same as to our Christian
organizations or Church. The temptations for power, the temptations for money, and the
temptations of disobedience, they are among those of which the society of Christians is facing
right now. As St. Paul said “all temptations follow the same patterns. We are very familiar with
his evil schemes.”

We are always being reminded that we are only humans, but it gives us no right of letting
ourselves to be tempted when there is temptations, it gives us no right to commit as many
mistakes as we can and ask His forgiveness saying “I am just human. I am not perfect. So, I
commit mistakes and sins.” It is a test to our faith, a challenge to our community as Christians on
how to overcome, live with Christ and not to be tempted despite of their existence.