Bought in a sinful way?

[Volodymyr25]

Help me, please. I have a moral dilemma to deal with.

One person bought me a smartphone. It was a gift from a family member. But I know this person cheated annual medical examination before going to a job. So I think this smartphone was bought in a sinful way: if not cheated medical examination, there wouldn’t be any money for buying the phone.

Should I refuse to use the smartphone?
Should I be more patient with this situation?

Help me. I know I should refrain from asking my scrupulous questions here, but I need help.

 

[RolandThompsonGunner]

Help me. I know I should refrain from asking my scrupulous questions here, but I need help.

If you’re scrupulous, you need to find a trusted priest to help you manage this condition. Asking strangers on the internet will only make it worse.

 

[Volodymyr25]

Thank you. I will do so.

 

[Tis_Bearself]

We are not supposed to respond to scrupulous questions on here because responses could make your condition worse. Please talk to your priest.

 

[Volodymyr25]

Thank you for your advice

 

[Minks]

Your answer is going to depend a lot on your relationship with this person. Their wage is only indirectly dishonest… They are doing work which they should not be allowed to be doing, but they are actually doing the work as agreed upon by a contract. It is much more the responsibility of the medical board and employers to ensure that no cheating is occurring than it is your responsibility to refrain from using those funds which are based on dishonesty. It seems that the wage is fair - even though it is the result of a lie. Your position is one with minimal “policing” responsibility, whereas the board’s and employer’s position is not. And again, the work is actually being done, so your family member is actually earning a wage in justice in the strict sense. His lie “dies” at the point of entering the contract - the problem is THERE, not with taking the wage. However, if he is encouraged in this behavior, it is bad… maybe he needs to be discouraged by shaming.

You could try refusing to use the phone - and making as big of a deal of it as you see prudent - with counsel from other family members. If there is a fake doctor walking around, that seems to be significant… what if someone gets hurt because of it?

(NB: I retracted my answer from above - as I paused to think more - but the advice stands that if you are a “scrupulous” person you should tend to assume you are not sinning when you get that “feeling” - or use the external examples of trustworthy role models for assurance that you are doing something acceptable, something that they would do, namely…)

You honestly told a scrupulous person
—or any person—to shame someone else?

 

[kapp19]

No. I did not. I said “maybe” it is a good idea. Maybe it is a terrible idea. Then I suggested acting prudently, involving taking counsel with others who know the situation. I then offered specific advice for dealing with scrupulous moral thinking.

So relax…

 

[porthos11]

Help me. I know I should refrain from asking my scrupulous questions here, but I need help.

You need help, as you say, but you also know that with your scrupulosity, you will not get the help you need here.

No one here can help you, except to tell you to take this to your confessor.

All would to well to refrain from responding further.

I have flagged the opening post for moderator handling under the scrupulous protocol (not as a bad/inappropriate post).