I wouldn’t see that as being gravely sinful. You are lying, so it is sinful. But if the minor is say 16 or 17, and just as worthy of entering the contest as an 18 year old, then you are just lying to enter the contest. And the parents would just be lying so that their child could claim the prize he won fairly (fairly in a sense that he had no unfair advantage).
You’re doing more than lying in casual circumstances, you’re very likely affirming your lies under oath. That’s what those declarations usually mean, there can be legal penalties attached to false declarations, it’s just like perjury - and swearing a false oath is definitely a grave sin.
Firstly winning by breaking the rules is in itself an unfair advantage. No-one has an automatic right to enter a competition just because they think they can. You have the privilege of entering a competition only if you meet the requirements and abide by the rules which are set for it.
More than that, it’s unfair to the kids who chose to obey the rules and not enter because they were underage.
Like if you hand in a school assignment late and lie about having been sick or something so you’re not penalised, it’s an unfair advantage to you.
It’s unfair to those who did it on time, because rightfully they should be marked higher than you for work of the same quality. And it’s also unfair to those who maybe handed it in late but chose to be honest and take the rightful penalty, since all the late ones should suffer the penalty.
I meant that the parents would just be claiming the prize to give it to the child. I would compare that more to picking up the lottery ticket on the ground, claiming the money, then use the time you have afterwards to find the rightful winner, since a new winner would have been picked if you had searched for the ticket owner before turning the ticket in.
Yeah, but they have no right to claim the prize in the first place, it is not their prize, not their property, therefore they have no rights over it. Not even if their intention is simply to give it to the child.
You have no right to claim money on someone else’s lottery ticket even if you want to give it to them. It’s THEIR ticket and THEIR money, their property. Your only right is in fact a duty - to look for them first, give THEM the ticket which is their property, and let THEM claim the money which is also rightfully their property.
