There was no getting around the stubborn fact that taking sweetmeats was only 'hooking,' while taking bacon and hams and such valuables was plain simple stealing - and there was a command against that in the Bible. So they inwardly resolved that so long as they remained in the business, their piracies should not again be sullied with the crime of stealing.
About this quote
- What does it mean?
- The quote contrasts harmless indulgence (eating sweets) with outright theft (stealing meat), noting that the Bible condemns stealing.
- In plain terms
- Eating sweets is okay, but stealing meat is condemned.
- What can you take from it?
- Distinguish between minor pleasures and serious wrongdoing.
Where it applies
Putting it to work
Questions to consider
- What small actions do we rationalize as harmless?
- How do religious teachings shape our view of theft?
Another view
The distinction may be arbitrary, as both involve taking something that belongs to others.
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