Confused about jaywalking

[hopeforfaith]

Is jaywalking a sin? Or if in my country there is no such law but the police department head said it is an offense? About that part where we should obey civil law when it does not contradict God’s law, did the pope say anything? Besides, if I need to walk with a large amount of people who always jaywalk at the same place, should I stop walking with them? I need to know clearly about the last question. Thanks.

 

[sedonaman]

Is jaywalking a sin? Or if in my country there is no such law but the police department head said it is an offense? About that part where we should obey civil law when it does not contradict God’s law, did the pope say anything? Besides, if I need to walk with a large amount of people who always jaywalk at the same place, should I stop walking with them? I need to know clearly about the last question. Thanks.

Did you ever kill a fly? If so, did you confess it? If j-walking is the worst thing you have to worry about, you are blessed indeed! I think the pope has more serious problems to address than j-walking.

 

[losh14]

A venial sin unless you mean to cause harm or do it for the express purpose of flouting the law. Sometimes you just get tired of waiting for the light to change while there’s no traffic on the street.

 

[Jeremiah1278]

Is jaywalking a sin? Or if in my country there is no such law but the police department head said it is an offense? About that part where we should obey civil law when it does not contradict God’s law, did the pope say anything? Besides, if I need to walk with a large amount of people who always jaywalk at the same place, should I stop walking with them? I need to know clearly about the last question. Thanks.

Yes, it’s a sin because one’s putting his selfish need to get across the street above the community’s desire to make the roadways safe for everyone. So let’s throw it in the bucket for the deadly sin of pride. In this case, it can be quite deadly, because I’m just trying to get to work, I haven’t had my first cup of coffee, and my reaction time can be poor when goofballs are crossing when they shouldn’t be.

 

[hopeforfaith]

Did you ever kill a fly? If so, did you confess it? If j-walking is the worst thing you have to worry about, you are blessed indeed! I think the pope has more serious problems to address than j-walking.

Haha no I am just scrupulous. So does that mean it is okay to j walk with those friends I am meeting this week? But it is bad that I am allowing myself to have a venal sin and be separated from God, right? Or will this not seperate me from Him at all because I just disobeyed civil law?

 

[sedonaman]

Haha no I am just scrupulous. So does that mean it is okay to j walk with those friends I am meeting this week? But it is bad that I am allowing myself to have a venal sin and be separated from God, right? Or will this not seperate me from Him at all because I just disobeyed civil law?

I guess the only way to find out for sure is to confess it to your priest.

 

[AHapka]

Did you ever kill a fly? If so, did you confess it?

That wouldn’t always be sinful, though.

Mankind is granted dominion over the animals, and your right to a healthy body does exceed their right to live if you have to swat them so you don’t get bitten.

Now if you are killing them because you enjoy killing animals, different issue.

 

[sedonaman]

That wouldn’t always be sinful, though.

Mankind is granted dominion over the animals, and your right to a healthy body does exceed their right to live if you have to swat them so you don’t get bitten.

Now if you are killing them because you enjoy killing animals, different issue.

It wasn’t intended to be a question designed to stimulate a Summa Theologica level discussion. Thx anyway.

 

[hopeforfaith]

I have emailed a priest but he haven’t answered yet… Does that mean I should not have lunch with those friends tomorrow because they jay walk?

 

[sedonaman]

I have emailed a priest but he haven’t answered yet… Does that mean I should not have lunch with those friends tomorrow because they jay walk?

I think the priest probably has more important things on his plate. As an example, my bishop was giving a talk about his meeting with others in the Vatican, and one woman asked about girl altar servers. The bishop said that it was mentioned but overshadowed by an African bishop who said his whole staff had been arrested that morning. Obviously, persecution of the Church is a more pressing issue than assuaging American jet-set philosophy.

I think what you should do is go to the nearest intersection and cross there. I have done it in the situation you posed, and my friends waited for me to catch up. Since they are your friends, I assume they aren’t rude and will probably do the same.

Then the next time you go to confession, ask the priest.

 

[Pug]

Is jaywalking a sin? Or if in my country there is no such law but the police department head said it is an offense? About that part where we should obey civil law when it does not contradict God’s law, did the pope say anything? Besides, if I need to walk with a large amount of people who always jaywalk at the same place, should I stop walking with them? I need to know clearly about the last question. Thanks.

Are you sure they are officially jaywalking?

I think you might want to check out what is legal and what isn’t in your area. I used to think that “jaywalking” meant crossing the street anywhere but at the corner/crosswalk. It may be that somewhere, but it isn’t that everywhere. Lots of places let you cross the street in the middle of the street, but you must yield as you do so. For example, Illinois vehicle code:
(625 ILCS 5/11-1003)(from Ch. 95 1/2, par. 11-1003)
Sec. 11-1003. Crossing at other than crosswalks.
(a) Every pedestrian crossing a roadway at any point other than within a marked crosswalk or within an unmarked crosswalk at an intersection shall yield the right-of-way to all vehicles upon the roadway.

It it probably illegal to cross an intersection along the diagonal, though. Still, these laws vary.

 

[hopeforfaith]

I have checked the law in my region and there is nothing about jaywalking even though the authorities say they will act against it. I got the reply from the priest but I think he misunderstood with I meant by sticking to my friends, I mean sticking around them. I am not doing it to anger them. But they are a catholic group too, one of them studied apologetics, I think.

But I don’t want to just walk the other way every time…

 

[Pug]

I have checked the law in my region and there is nothing about jaywalking even though the authorities say they will act against it. I got the reply from the priest but I think he misunderstood with I meant by sticking to my friends, I mean sticking around them. I am not doing it to anger them. But they are a catholic group too, one of them studied apologetics, I think.

But I don’t want to just walk the other way every time…

I don’t know what to make of the authorities saying they will arrest you for it (act against it) even though it is not illegal. That is a puzzle. If it is not illegal, then do as you please, but you run the risk of a run in with police. Maybe they just like to use it as a way to harass groups of youth that catch their eye and seem suspicious?

Perhaps it is like here. If you park your vehicle in a public park and just sit, you run the risk of the police knocking on your window to see what you are doing, but so long as you are not doing anything illegal, they go away. So, if you don’t mind drawing their attention, park to your heart’s content. Maybe it is like that.