Is it a sin to buy from a lemonade stand?

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exnihilo said:
I think have a permit is unjust. I think it prevents our natural right to engage in commerce. Anytime you have to have a permit to do something you are not free to engage in that act. Being able to trade basic food stuffs is in my mind a very fundamental right.

What bothers me is that people get outraged over proper enforcement of the law. These laws tend to have no exceptions, nor should they, if they are good laws. The laws are based on the premise that the state has a right to register any business and/or to inspect food preparation businesses for the health of the community. If the law makes sense for the local restaurant a lemonade stand, run by kids who are generally considered irresponsible under the law, should surely be under the law.

Personally I think the greatest sin is the people who support these laws and then get outraged when they are properly enforced. That is hypocrisy and supporting inequality before the law.
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I think I understand your argument about a permit, that it restricts access in some way to trade, or any activity that calls for one. I know it restricted access to fishing when I was younger (and had a lake nearby). The government routinely restricts our doing or having things on the theory that some level of restriction to individuals is acceptable for the overall common good.

I’m not sure I understand your idea that laws ought not have exceptions or exclusions. Doesn’t a large restaurant have a larger impact on the common good than a business that sells one dollar worth of food in a lifetime?
 
Pug said:
I’m not sure I understand your idea that laws ought not have exceptions or exclusions. Doesn’t a large restaurant have a larger impact on the common good than a business that sells one dollar worth of food in a lifetime?
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Yes, a large restaurant would have more of an impact. The argument is that you must have licensing and inspection for the health of people. The size of the business makes no difference. The argument for exception would be that the small business sells to a few people so it is OK if a small number of people get sick and die from an unlicensed or uninspected business. But it is an arbitrary number.

The reason for the exception is that people understand that these rules place a huge burden on business. But if the principle is sound it should apply to all.
 
exnihilo said:
Yes, a large restaurant would have more of an impact. The argument is that you must have licensing and inspection for the health of people. The size of the business makes no difference. The argument for exception would be that the small business sells to a few people so it is OK if a small number of people get sick and die from an unlicensed or uninspected business. But it is an arbitrary number.

The reason for the exception is that people understand that these rules place a huge burden on business. But if the principle is sound it should apply to all.
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Yes, I suppose in many cases the break points in laws function in an arbitrary way. Say a small business has 11 verses 10 employees, so some different law applies. That sort of law probably strongly encourages a business to stay at 10 or less employees for as long as possible, something it would not have done in the absence of the law.

I don’t think they mean to say that it is truly *okay *if a small number of people die from some uninspected business. Rather, I figure they have found a more pressing use for public funds, or they have performed a somewhat random mental calculus indicating that the risk to human life is small enough that it is within expected bounds for ordinary living, so that burdensome intervention is not merited, or whatever it is won’t serve to get someone re-elected. That last is especially unjust.
 
justtryin said:
I should have mentioned in my last post that Fr William Doyle’s booklet was published under the name SCRUPLES AND THEIR TREATMENT.

I also wanted to mention another booklet (pdf) available here:

catholicpamphlets.net/pamphlets/Are%20You%20Scrupulous.pdf

ARE YOU SCRUPULOUS?
By Daniel A. Lord, S.J.
An interview with Francis J. O’Boyle, S.J.
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Fr Doyle’s booklet is excellent - thanks for the link.

I thought this was particularly good…
. This is so far true, that even God’s
laws do not bind unless when clear and beyond doubt. The way to heaven is difficult
enough for man, on account of the many real obligations which meet him almost at
every step. What would it be if he were obliged, under pain of sin, to overcome the
obstacle of a thousand doubtful obligations? Such an intolerable state of things
would be quite unworthy of the divine wisdom and goodness.
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This thread has yielded some helpful posts.
 
I think this should ahve been posted in the SCRUPULOSITY group. Especially when you know the only reason a business needs a permit is because the local governement wants a piece of the action.
 
This is a joke correct? Do you really think that God would condem you for buying lemonaid from children on the side of the street!!! There is a chance that some of you have forgotten who Jesus is ! To live a good life you have to REALLY think what Jesus wants and what he expects from us. If you bring joy to a small child (or anyone else for that matter) you have brought joy to God !
 
Buy the lemonade and then go to confession and spill it to the priest.

He deserves a good laugh.
 
I think the IRS only requires income from an activity to be reported if the net (revenue less expenses) exceeds $400 annually. Hopefully licensing regulations follow suit, but maybe that depends on the location.
 
Maybe the real sin, is that they’re selling *real *lemonade …

… found the following quote at this web page :

“We are living in a world today where lemonade is made from artificial flavors and furniture polish is made from real lemons”
  • Alfred E. Newman
 
quiet52 said:
I think the IRS only requires income from an activity to be reported if the net (revenue less expenses) exceeds $400 annually. Hopefully licensing regulations follow suit, but maybe that depends on the location.
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Of course, they need to file a Schedule C and keep both management books and tax books and a set of financial statements including Income Statements, Assets & Liabilities, and cash flow.

And they would need to record the acquisition of materials for their stand and their sign and chairs. And bowls and cups. If they were on loan from the putative parents, would those be considered off-balance sheet financing subject to separate reporting under those new laws passed by Congress regarding expanded oversight.

Well, anyway, I’m sure those kids were taught a valuable lesson.

Could have been worse … the kid selling bunny rabbits ended up with fines of $3 million.
 
Monte_RCMS said:
Of course, they need to file a Schedule C and keep both management books and tax books and a set of financial statements including Income Statements, Assets & Liabilities, and cash flow.

And they would need to record the acquisition of materials for their stand and their sign and chairs. And bowls and cups. If they were on loan from the putative parents, would those be considered off-balance sheet financing subject to separate reporting under those new laws passed by Congress regarding expanded oversight.

Well, anyway, I’m sure those kids were taught a valuable lesson.

Could have been worse … the kid selling bunny rabbits ended up with fines of $3 million.
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There are also the additional requirements of making sure the lemonade stand is handicap accessible, that the calorie count and ingredient listings are openly posted, and possibly that the racial and demographic tally of customers is recorded so that the owners of the stand can prove that they do not discriminate.
 
I compare a lemonade stand to a small neighborhood yard sale. It generally isn’t lucrative and more of an educational game for children.

Now if somehow you are teaching kids to lie or cheat customers through a lemonade stand things change.
 
Rascalking said:
No CountrySteve. I am now on a spiritual mission to let the world know that the gravest mortal sin of all of them is buying lemonade from someone without a permit.

It’s my new mission in life.
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:D:popcorn: hahahaha! Dear Friend, my mission in life is to watch you! Actually, I’ll help you. You take the East and South, I’ll take the North and West. So on with the mission brigade! Oh my ROFL! Now, I have to get off the floor. I think I laughed so hard, I fell out of my chair. Whooo boy, that was a hum dinger!

The Question. I think not. There are lots of kids that go door to door selling candy for their schools. Do they need one? How about bake sales that kids do? Oh NO! How about our trick or treaters?? :eek:

Now garage and yard sales you do. Ahh, hmm, I’ve always wondered why anyone would want to buy a garage and another yard. 🤷

Please do not be offended. My intention is not to hurt feelings. I’d rather cut off a finger first. er…yeah?

Love ya’ll,
Sheila
 
randirhoades said:
:D:popcorn: hahahaha! Dear Friend, my mission in life is to watch you! Actually, I’ll help you. You take the East and South, I’ll take the North and West. So on with the mission brigade! Oh my ROFL! Now, I have to get off the floor. I think I laughed so hard, I fell out of my chair. Whooo boy, that was a hum dinger!
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Thanks mom! Stop posting on CAF though!

(just kidding everyone!)
 
Remember that tradition is very important for us and lemonade stand is in ours roots
 
I don’t know if it’s sinful or not (I am more inclined to think that it is not. Jesus even violated the commandment against stealing by allowing his followers to take some ears of corn for them to eat.) But I am sure that judging someone who buys from a lemonade stand is a sin. More so if we condemn him/her to the eternal FIRE.
That is an insult to God’s mercy.
 
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