is this wrong?

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Monica4316

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I have a moral dilemma of a sort. Let’s say someone offers some sort of service as their job. (such as tutoring). Let’s say the person who pays you to receive this service (like a student) gets their money (which eventually goes to you) from a job doing something that the Church is against. It could be anything that’s against Church teachings but let’s say something that is anti-life. Is it morally wrong to be paid money that first came from something immoral?
 
Someone who is better will answer.

I would feel bad too. I know the point is that you know where the money is coming from. I bet all money has been in places that we don’t want to know about.

I PERSONALLY WOULD NOT TAKE HIS MONEY. I would do it for free and tell him why. Show him a charitable catholic. You may not change this person now, but he will not for get you. Be the instrument that God maybe calling you to be. He might not be looking for God, God will come looking for him. You could be that difference for him to answer yes to God someday!!

In Christ,

Jillian
 
Hmmm… I would be curious as to why this person felt the need to divulge where he/she obtained the money from in the first place. :confused:

I guess the bottom line is, if it’s from something you feel negatively about (or goes against Church teaching), you have to decide if you would rather do it for free.
 
I think it isn’t “wrong” but you have a good reason for not wanting to accept the money, knowing where it came from.
 
Monica4316 said:
I have a moral dilemma of a sort. Let’s say someone offers some sort of service as their job. (such as tutoring). Let’s say the person who pays you to receive this service (like a student) gets their money (which eventually goes to you) from a job doing something that the Church is against. It could be anything that’s against Church teachings but let’s say something that is anti-life. Is it morally wrong to be paid money that first came from something immoral?
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Money is a useful thing. It basically just represents goods and services in an indirect way. Money is not evil although it certainly can be corrupting. Money is really an abstract sort of “right” to purchase something. Its a tool. It is also invisible. My money and your money are essentially they same things.

Now with that in mind, receiving money that came from an evil source is not a bad thing per se. It does not cause evil nor does it represent accepting something evil. The money is not somehow “tainted.”

You are not cooperating in an evil thing either. You receiving the money does not encourage or approve or perpetuate the evil work against the Church. So in that way their is no sin.

The only time I can think of where receiving money is wrong in itself (in the reception of the money as opposed to the implications thereof) is when the money or good received has been stolen. The reason is that you have no right to this money. It is not yours to begin with because the person who gave it to you had no right to do that…it wasn’t theirs to give. Thats pretty obvious stuff.

I think we have to be careful. When examining a moral action we shouldn’t be overly harsh.
If you have not heard a faithful and wise moralist speak on these things or a truly reliable source then I think its fairly safe to assume there is no problem. Further, when in doubt you can always consult the basic principles of charity and probabilism or consult a good priest.

Tom
 
There was a story I heard once (I no longer have any idea whether it was supposed to be an actual event) where an unsavory character approached a priest offering to make a large donation. The priest rejected the gift because he knew all the misdeeds this person had done.

The same miscreant soon afterward made his intended donation to the bishop. When the priest heard this, he was really upset. He told the bishop “That’s the Devil’s money.”

The bishop replied, “Not anymore. God’s got it, now.”
 
SonCatcher said:
There was a story I heard once (I no longer have any idea whether it was supposed to be an actual event) where an unsavory character approached a priest offering to make a large donation. The priest rejected the gift because he knew all the misdeeds this person had done.

The same miscreant soon afterward made his intended donation to the bishop. When the priest heard this, he was really upset. He told the bishop “That’s the Devil’s money.”

The bishop replied, “Not anymore. God’s got it, now.”
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Love it!!
 
Thanks for the replies! 🙂

I have good news though… it turns out that this is not the case after all. (GOOD…). When I thought that it was, last night, I actually decided to not use the money that I received and I wasn’t sure what I could even do with it or how to approach this in the future, I just felt uncomfortable with it. However, now the situation is resolved and it seems that it’s not the case after all.

For those who are wondering how this topic could even come up, I didn’t ask initially, the person just said it themselves. But it seems that they don’t work in this line of work right now, only in the past. So the money that I receive right now isn’t related at all to things the Church forbids.

thanks though 🙂
 
Monica4316 said:
Thanks for the replies! 🙂

I have good news though… it turns out that this is not the case after all. (GOOD…). When I thought that it was, last night, I actually decided to not use the money that I received and I wasn’t sure what I could even do with it or how to approach this in the future, I just felt uncomfortable with it. However, now the situation is resolved and it seems that it’s not the case after all.

For those who are wondering how this topic could even come up, I didn’t ask initially, the person just said it themselves. But it seems that they don’t work in this line of work right now, only in the past. So the money that I receive right now isn’t related at all to things the Church forbids.

thanks though 🙂
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I truly am happy for you. That was a tough one. Happy easter
 
SonCatcher said:
There was a story I heard once (I no longer have any idea whether it was supposed to be an actual event) where an unsavory character approached a priest offering to make a large donation. The priest rejected the gift because he knew all the misdeeds this person had done.

The same miscreant soon afterward made his intended donation to the bishop. When the priest heard this, he was really upset. He told the bishop “That’s the Devil’s money.”

The bishop replied, “Not anymore. God’s got it, now.”
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:clapping: Amen to that!!
 
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