If you knew...

[Veronica97]

If you knew someone was driving on a suspended license (for dui conviction), but you knew they needed to drive back and forth to work (and needed to hold the license FOR work as well but their employer doesn’t know they lost it) in order to support a family (sole breadwinner), would you report them? What if it were a close family member? Would you be mortally sinning by not reporting them? (Let’s say you knew they were not an alcoholic and they had learned their lesson about drinking and driving). If we try to encourage people to do the right thing but they refuse to listen, how responsible are we for their sins? What if we know someone has lied about prescription medication and/or medical conditions in order to get a commercial driver’s license? What if we encouraged them to tell the truth, but they wouldn’t listen? What if you truly don’t feel they are a threat to anyone, but you still feel they should have told the truth even though they probably could have still gotten the license but would have gone through a bit of a hassle first? When do the sins of others become our sins?

 

[Veronica97]

I’m not sure if the second person would have gotten their license or not if they had told the truth about their medication. It might have been a BIG hassle–with doctor’s letters and possibly tests. But this person didn’t NEED the commercial driver’s license to keep their job (although it is highly useful and required for most positions with the firm). What if this person were your spouse or child or parent or sibling and to report them might ruin your marriage or relationship? Where do you draw the line and say, “I tried to encourage this person to tell the truth. I don’t think they’re putting themselves or anyone else in real danger, but no one can ever completely know these things. It’s THEIR sin now–not mine.”?

 

[gabanzo]

I don’t know if it is a sin or not but I wouldn’t feel guilty not reporting them. I would feel guilty if I did report them.

 

[George_Stegmeir]

I strongly suggest that you stay out of this situation. There is nothing that says you have to ride in the car with this person.
All you will do by reporting this individual is cause hate and discontent amongst all involved. Personal morality and ethics on your part has nothing to do with this situation. It is a legal matter, and there is nothing in the law that requires you to turn someone in for violating a court order. You are not a police person.
Never forget you can’t pick your relatives. You are stuck with them.
However, you can pick your friends, and you can pick your nose, but you can’t pick your friend’s n__e.

 

[Veronica97]

I don’t know if it is a sin or not but I wouldn’t feel guilty not reporting them. I would feel guilty if I did report them.

My biggest reason for not reporting these situations is a very real fear of ruining a close relationship and/or preventing someone from supporting a family. However, IF the person in the second situation had a TERRIBLE condition (such as falling asleep at the wheel or having seizures) I definitely would take action b/c lives would be in danger. I’m also not sure if these are things I should confess, when they are not MY sins–I didn’t lie or drive with a suspended license (and wouldn’t!!), and I did encourage them to tell the truth, but they chose not to listen. My only fear is if I’m sinning by not turning them in, and if so, is it venial or mortal?

 

[Edmundus1581]

I don’t know if it is a sin or not but I wouldn’t feel guilty not reporting them. I would feel guilty if I did report them.

I agree. There is some deep sense in us which resists reporting others, especially those near and dear to us, to the authorities, except when we see them endangering life. I can’t explain it.

We all face these problems from time to time. My reaction has always been to stay quiet.

 

[peaceplease]

My daughter was driving with a suspended license. She was driving for almost two years with suspened license. She only had one month to go before she had a valid license again. She had plenty of warnings. She was alarmed in October when she was pulled over. The cop told her that her sticker was expired by two days. He told her to get it updated. If he ran her plates, he would have discovere the license suspension.

Fast forward a month, she was pulled over by another cop for stop sign violation. It was my nephew, and he didn’t realize it was my daughter. It was nighttime, and he was not aware that it was her. He told her that if he would have called in before he pulled her over, that he would be obligate to ticket her. He told her of all the possible conaequnces if caught.

FF two weeks later, she was stopped for cracked windshield. This time was the charm. She was cited. End result was one month in jail. One month house arrest.

The best thing that could have happened to her was thirty days in jail. She was involuntarily detoxed off her methadone. She decided not to return to clinc aft she was released. Unfortuantely, she lost her job. However, in return she is off methadone.

I would not report her, as I did not want my grandson to be separated from his mother. However, I was happy that she did not get away with it and learned something. And, wants to return to church.

Turn it over to God.