Breaking Rules

[seeker_of_God]

I’ve read that one must respect legitimate authority, such as the state, and the laws it establishes.

What about other forms of rules though? I odn’t want to call them laws because only the state establishes laws.

For instance, let’s say a student is in college and the dorm has certain rules. is the student sinning by breaking one of those rules? How seriously is he/she sinning? Has the student sinned if he/she is written up by an RA? Trivial matters, but I’m curious how the matter of obeying civil authority would apply here if at all.

 

[Eucharisted]

Obedience is the following of and submission to a good law, rule, norm, command, decree, or order which has as its end the good of the individual. If a law is not good, or if its end is not good, than it should not be obeyed and the Law of Love obeyed instead.

 

[JRKH]

I agree with Eucharisted.
Too often we become caught up in the idea of “Rules” (10 commandments, Civil Law, etc) and the technicalities of whether we “broke” the rule, instead of gearing our life around what Christ actually expects of us.

Christ expects us to, “Do all that I have commanded…”; “…Love each other as I have Loved you…”. This requires that we act only in ways that are Loving. That we obey this Law of Love, to Love God above all else and our neighbor as ourselves.

Without knowing the specifics of the issue in the OP, I can only say that it is my assumption that rules made for dorm life are intended to make the dorm safe, and the inhabitants respectful of each other. Breaking such rules would be to act contrary to the Law of Love and therefore would be sinful.

Peace
James

 

[camerong]

I’ve thought about this, and I have a little difficulty with people not following rules they determine are unjust. There is a reason we have laws and rules, and simply don’t have one law saying “don’t do anything you think is bad.” There are some laws and rules which a legislative body (or maybe in your case, an administrative body) has determined are necessary and just based on information that the individual person is unlikely to have. Or, there may be times when a pretty dumb law or rule is necessary for reasons an individual is entirely unlikely to know–a donor to a university insists a certain code be followed in the dorm as a condition for a giant gift, for example. And in either of these cases, without all of the information, it is possible the person breaking the rule is causing much more harm than he or she realizes. In such a case, to take an action while knowing one does not have sufficient information to understand the consequences can be a violation of our duty to love and follow authority.

When a rule is a clearly minor thing–at my university some places said please walk on sidewalks, for example–I think a modification of the golden rule should provide clarity. Think, “if everyone did what I am proposing to do, would I think that a good thing?” I started obeying the posted signs when it occurred to me that if everyone in that high-traffic area walked wherever they pleased, the grass and landscaping would be in utter ruins, and the pristine look of the area would be ruined. Or a rule that says no hot plates in the dorms. If everyone disobeyed such a rule, there is an increased likelihood of fire, property damage and even death. In those cases, I think disobeying minor rules can violate the “treat others as you wish to be treated” command.

 

[RSD]

If you voluntarily enter into a relationship with an organization, you in essence have placed yourself under the authority of that organization within the context of that relationship. For instance, using hot plates in a dorm in violation of their rules would be a sinful disobedience (as well as a safety hazard). If you want to insist on your right to use hot plates, don’t live in that dorm. If you are staying in my house, you are not allowed to smoke. If you insist on your right to smoke, you also have a right not to visit in my house. It would be different if either the dorm or I kidnapped you. If you have committed an infraction serious enough for the RA to write you up, it is very likely that you have reason to repent and go to confession. Most dorm rules are really pretty reasonable. If you don’t like them, get a job, and go rent your own apartment. Then see how much more freedom that gives you. I think that you will find that any time a bunch of people have to live close together, there needs to be some governing authority making some rules. The good Catholic will obey these rules, whether other people do or not.

 

[seeker_of_God]

Thanks everyone for your replies.

I attend a university that is very strict, and I tend to be very by-the-book; if they are asking for something not to be done, then I try my best not to do it. But sometimes my insistence on following all the rules annoys other people, because it makes some things much mor inconvenient.

Let me give an example. My room is on technically the second floor, though they call it the first floor since the one below it is the ground floor. Anyway, there’s a rule that if we bring in a guest, we have to come through the main lobby instead of any of the side doors. So coming in the main lobby, you have to go up stairs to the first floor, through the first floor lobby, and all the way down one of the halls to the end. It’s not that far, but coming in the side door, you just go directly up the stairs and my room is right there, so it’s much shorter. Now a lot of times when my mom comes down to visit, she gets really annoyed that I’m making us go through the main lobby instead of taking the shortcut of the side door, especially if we’re carrying in some things. I always feel bad on my insistence, but I know that’s what they told us to do.

Also, I’m intenting what’s called a household (kind of a Christianized fraternity) that’s somewhat known for getting in trouble and breaking the rules. They’re not bad in any sense of the term, but they just get in trouble a lot. So I just wanted to see how much I should resist that influence.

RSD, ouch, I think you were kind of harsh. Nowhere did I say rules were stupid or should be broken. It was just a question. Also no if an RA writes you up it doesn’t mean you’ve done something really serious. People get written up here for just talking a little too loudly during quiet hours. Do you think that is really serious and needs to be repented of?

 

[RSD]

RSD, ouch, I think you were kind of harsh. Nowhere did I say rules were stupid or should be broken. It was just a question. Also no if an RA writes you up it doesn’t mean you’ve done something really serious. People get written up here for just talking a little too loudly during quiet hours. Do you think that is really serious and needs to be repented of?

I am sorry. I did not mean to sound harsh. A common problem of having a computer message isolated from the sort of tone conveyed by more personal communications. I guess I just automatically assumed you were in a very different kind of dorm, where you might get written up by the RA for public drunkenness, or starting a fire in your room, or physical assault of a classmate.

I have known far too many college students who think that the rules against hot plates in the rooms, or using illegal drugs should not apply to them. Again, I am sorry if what I said seemed to harsh for your situation.

 

[seeker_of_God]

I am sorry. I did not mean to sound harsh. A common problem of having a computer message isolated from the sort of tone conveyed by more personal communications. I guess I just automatically assumed you were in a very different kind of dorm, where you might get written up by the RA for public drunkenness, or starting a fire in your room, or physical assault of a classmate.

I have known far too many college students who think that the rules against hot plates in the rooms, or using illegal drugs should not apply to them. Again, I am sorry if what I said seemed to harsh for your situation.

I understand. The previous university I attended was like that, also being very lax on enforcement of the rules. You weren’t technically supposed to drink under 21, but everyone did, and comparatively few were caught.

But now, to give some context, I’m at Franciscan University of Steubenville, which is very, very Catholic and very strict.

Anyway, I ask because I tend toward scrupulosity at times, and want to explicitly ask the question to receive a more objective answer.

 

[kage_ar]

A bit of practical advice, before your mom makes the next visit, go to the RA or others in charge and say “My mother will visit on such and thus date. To go up one flight of stairs makes it easier on my mom. Could we have a pass for that one day to use the side stairs?”

 

[Ashe_Faelsdon]

For example if a college had a rule about no alcohol in a dorm… however, there was no rule in your religion or state (ie the person child was of legal age) than although you are breaking a rule… and may really not like the consequences of your actions… there isn’t actually a sin occurring…

 

[JRKH]

For example if a college had a rule about no alcohol in a dorm… however, there was no rule in your religion or state (ie the person child was of legal age) than although you are breaking a rule… and may really not like the consequences of your actions… there isn’t actually a sin occurring…

Huhhh???

There IS a sin occurring.
It could be the sin of selfishness, pride, arrogance, poor example to others (tempting others) or any combination of these.

Breaking a rule such as you suggest is breaking the golden rule of treating others as you wish to be treated, of Loving you rneighbor as yourself.
If you were in charge of a dorm (as universities are), and had set rules for the safety and protection of the residents, would you want those you are trying to protect to violate those rules?? Of course not. You wish to be treated with respect and you wish your rules to be treated with respect. Just as a parent expects rules to be obeyed by their children. To violate these rules, in full knowledge, is to violate the Law of Love.

Peace
James

 

[chevalier]

When you have a strange rule that you don’t know the reason of, you can always try and ask why it is so, or perhaps it could be changed? Some time ago, a British student found a law on the books that he deserved to get a barrel of beer from his university in some relation to an exam coming, as far as I remember correctly. Not long afterwards, he got fined for not carrying a sword to the exam - which was a law they found. A British WW2 major found a way to get a *10 or so multiplier on some money the Crown or some agency owed him. Some time later, he was called to pay a William the Conqueror old tax (I think it was a real estate thing) that calculated to the exact same amount. So there’s got to be some reasonable standard. I don’t follow very dumb rules in very dumb cases, such as no jaywalking when no cars are coming and there are no children who would suffer in their general resolve to follow the law. In this case, I feel bad no matter what I do - either like an idiot or like a traffic offender.

 

[St_Francis]

… I don’t follow very dumb rules in very dumb cases, such as no jaywalking when no cars are coming and there are no children who would suffer in their general resolve to follow the law. In this case, I feel bad no matter what I do - either like an idiot or like a traffic offender.

It’s ridiculous to feel like an idiot for following the rules. That would seem to be some residue left over from the mocking of rebellious people.