Is breaking morally neutral laws sinful?

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For example, is crossing my street to my friend’s, technically jaywalking, a sin?

I always figured that it’s sinful to go against authority when the laws are not immoral. But some things seem ridiculous?

What’s the objective answer as to when it’s ok to break neutral (ie not-immoral) laws?

What do you guys think?
 
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Genesis315:
For example, is crossing my street to my friend’s, technically jaywalking, a sin?

I always figured that it’s sinful to go against authority when the laws are not immoral. But some things seem ridiculous?

What’s the objective answer as to when it’s ok to break neutral (ie not-immoral) laws?

What do you guys think?
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What if while you were jaywalking a car had to swerve to avoid hitting you and hit a tree instead. The driver was killed. Would you be culpable?
 
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MaryAgnes:
What if while you were jaywalking a car had to swerve to avoid hitting you and hit a tree instead. The driver was killed. Would you be culpable?
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Oh, definitely. But let’s say I look around and I can see down the street for a mile and there’s not a car in sight. Is breaking a morally neutral law intrinsically evil?
 
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Genesis315:
For example, is crossing my street to my friend’s, technically jaywalking, a sin?

I always figured that it’s sinful to go against authority when the laws are not immoral. But some things seem ridiculous?

What’s the objective answer as to when it’s ok to break neutral (ie not-immoral) laws?

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
Maybe not a sin, but it is an extremly bad idea. You do not want to get in the habit of deciding which laws to obey. Everyone has laws they don’t want to obey and everyone can come up with plenty of rationalisations for why what they shouldn’t have to.

Actually, I changed my mind. It is a sin. Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” – that would include obedience to laws, even stupid ones.
 
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didymus:
Maybe not a sin, but it is an extremly bad idea. You do not want to get in the habit of deciding which laws to obey. Everyone has laws they don’t want to obey and everyone can come up with plenty of rationalisations for why what they shouldn’t have to.

Actually, I changed my mind. It is a sin. Jesus said, “Render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s” – that would include obedience to laws, even stupid ones.
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I’ve often thought about that. Would it be a sin then to cross the road (at the traffic lights) if there is a ‘red man’? even if the road is clear?
 
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Genesis315:
For example, is crossing my street to my friend’s, technically jaywalking, a sin?

I always figured that it’s sinful to go against authority when the laws are not immoral. But some things seem ridiculous?

What’s the objective answer as to when it’s ok to break neutral (ie not-immoral) laws?

What do you guys think?
Click to expand...
It may only be venial, but I cannot see how it would not be a sin, unless it was done without intention. The Church teaches that just civil laws should be obeyed.
 
As one who has done his fair share of jay walking, I mostly agree with those who have contributed answers this your Thread. At most it could be a venial sin, however, I think thiere is something there is something more basic you should consider.

Our Lord, use to challenge others not for what they did but WHY they did it - even acts that are good in themselves such as praying or giving alms (usually it was a religious leader who was getting this question from Jesus).

So my advise is to ask yourself, at times - don’t become obsesse with it, why did I do it? and more important is this attitude carring over to other things in my life which as the possibility of more serious consequences?

How’s that for a thought for your next examine of conscienous before you celebrate the Sacrament of Reconcillation
 
There is no authority apart from God. The state receives its authority from God, so to disobey the state is to disobey God (except, of course, in those cases where the state abuses its God-given authority and imposes laws contrary to the Divine law).

Disobeying God is always sinful.
 
So would this also mean that I can’t cross the street to go to my friends house (who is right across the street), and instead go out of my way to find a cross walk which is no where near?

And would that also mean that going 51-52 miles an hour in a 50 mile an hour zone be sinful???
 
If the police don’t enforce it, it must not be too big a problem.

Of course, we don’t know the specific jaywalking laws on your street, so this is purely hypothetical. To answer your question for this specific case, we need more information. Maybe you aren’t even breaking a law, and all this time you thought you were getting away with something! :banghead:

If it is illegal, and they do enforce it, tell them AlanFromWichita said it would be OK. That should convince them. :yup:

Alan
 
I remember reading somewhere (I think I remember but I’m not absolutely sure, so I won’t assume) that not obeying a morally neutral law was a defensible possition in the Church, i.e. jaywalking, going a couple miles over the speed limit etc. That was always one nice thing about living in the country, a guy is a thousand times more free out there.

I think that one should usually assent to laws, but I don’t go out of my way to follow every little traffic law to the letter.
 
I don’t think jaywalking laws are intended to keep people from crossing deserted streets. Really, debating over whether it’s a sin to cross a deserted street is silly and too legalistic.

Edit: I suspect that most jaywalking laws explicitly state that they only apply when there is traffic on the street.
 
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Steven87:
And would that also mean that going 51-52 miles an hour in a 50 mile an hour zone be sinful?
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And mortally so if you’re speeding so much that you endanger someone (including yourself). That’s how it looks to me.
 
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Steven87:
So would this also mean that I can’t cross the street to go to my friends house (who is right across the street), and instead go out of my way to find a cross walk which is no where near?
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Is there actually a jaywalking law where you live? It’s usually passed at the local level, and not the state level. Most rural and suburban authorities don’t bother.

Cities usually insist that you cross at a crosswalk or a corner, both of which are in abundance in urban areas.
 
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Benedictus:
I don’t think jaywalking laws are intended to keep people from crossing deserted streets. Really, debating over whether it’s a sin to cross a deserted street is silly and too legalistic.

Edit: I suspect that most jaywalking laws explicitly state that they only apply when there is traffic on the street.
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Emotionally I agree with you.

Intellectually, though, I cannot accept that debating over whether any particular act that may possibly be illegal is a sin is “silly and legalistic.” Obviously I wouldn’t lose much sleep over it, but what is the real difference between being scrupulous and making an honest attempt to adhere to “absolute” values of right and wrong.

IOW, maybe it isn’t a sin, probably not. If there’s even a slight chance it might be, then writing it off because it seems silly and trivial actually is a relativistic position, which I don’t think you’re intending to take. Many think it is silly and trivial to argue about using contraception, which doesn’t even involve breaking a civil law, and the Bible does command us to obey the civil authorities, so technically I see one discussion just as theologically interesting as the other.

Alan
 
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Timidity:
And mortally so if you’re speeding so much that you endanger someone (including yourself). That’s how it looks to me.
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TOPIC DRIFT

As a pedestrian I regard speeding and other moving violations as attempted murder for which the penalty should be confiscation of the automobile for the first offense and prison for the second.

I don’t drive because the State of NY doesn’t trust epileptics but I swear I could drive better during a seizre (mine are petit mal) than a lot of the, ah, anal personalities loose on the road nowadays.

I never jaywalk because I’m taking my life in my hands crossing when I have the light and I’m in the crosswalk. First, you have people running the red light, and I’ve noticed a new phenomenon lately – several cars will bunch up and run the light together.
Next, here in NY State we have “right on red”. The law says you are supposed to come to a full stop at the red light, check for traffic, then make your right. In fact, drivers making a right treat a red light the same as a green so numerous times I’ve stepped off the curb and nearly been hit from behind by someone making a right on red – or made it most of the way across and had my blocked by a row of cars turning right, none of whom wanted to yield to me.

The really galling thing is that drivers, if they are ever ticketed for a moving violation like speeding indignantly feel that they are being victimised, moan about insurance rates going up and rant, “Why don’t the police go after real criminals?!”

As far as I’m concerned speeding, &c. are mortal sins and should be felonies here on Earth.

[/RANT]
 
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