Vandalism

[BrooklynBoy200]

Is vandalism a sin? Because i sometimes play pranks with my friends like putting ketchup packets on the floor and seeing if people stepped on them at school. I know it’s juvenile. If it’s a sin, would i just confess it as “vandalism”?

 

[AquinaSavio]

Is vandalism a sin? Because i sometimes play pranks with my friends like putting ketchup packets on the floor and seeing if people stepped on them at school. I know it’s juvenile. If it’s a sin, would i just confess it as “vandalism”?

Vandalism is certainly a sin. It falls under the seventh commandment: “Thou shalt not steal.” This means that we must respect the property of others. If we harm it in any way, we must repair the damage as far as we are able.

 

[rpp]

Vandalism is certainly a sin. It falls under the seventh commandment: “Thou shalt not steal.” This means that we must respect the property of others. If we harm it in any way, we must repair the damage as far as we are able.

Yep! Abolutely it is a sin. It may be venial or grave (potentially mortal) depending on the damage done. For example, if someone stepped on a ketchup packet and it squirted onto the pants or skirt of someone, that would likely be a permanent staing. A 5 cent prank might do $30, $50 or more in damage. If someone were to slip and fall, they may break a wrist or an arm trying to break their fall. Now there is serious injury along with expensive medical bills.

If no one stepped on them, they packets could not be put to their intended use, as condiments for food. So now it is theft.

Could you see the Apostle Paul or the Blessed Virgin Mary doing this type of thing?

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

Yep! Abolutely it is a sin. It may be venial or grave (potentially mortal) depending on the damage done. For example, if someone stepped on a ketchup packet and it squirted onto the pants or skirt of someone, that would likely be a permanent staing. A 5 cent prank might do $30, $50 or more in damage. If someone were to slip and fall, they may break a wrist or an arm trying to break their fall. Now there is serious injury along with expensive medical bills.

If no one stepped on them, they packets could not be put to their intended use, as condiments for food. So now it is theft.

Could you see the Apostle Paul or the Blessed Virgin Mary doing this type of thing?

Well i won’t be doing that anymore. The other night i purposly caused a permanent stain on a school chair. But it wasn’t my full intention to. I put a packet on my friends seat so when she sat on it it would open on her. That part was a joke and she took it like one, and got me back later. So would that not count against the 3 requirements for mortal sin because i wasn’t really doing it to vandalize the seat and was just joking with a friend? And since i’ll probably confess it anyway, would i say i’ve committed vandalism? Thanks.
P.S. I never thought about it as theft so i wouldn’t meet the requirements for that would i?

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

And to top it off i told my friend not to tell anyone who works at the school i did it if they saw the stain. sin? grave matter?

 

[rpp]

And to top it off i told my friend not to tell anyone who works at the school i did it if they saw the stain. sin? grave matter?

I do not think it is a grave matter. It might be if the chair can no longer be used for it’s original intent, thus increasing the ultimate expense of the “prank”. It is, at the very least, a serious venial sin.

Now the bit about asking your firend to keep quiet, that is another problem. If he lies, he commits a sin at your request making **you **culpable for **his **sin. (of course he is cilpable for his own sin as well.)
Essentially, you hasve asked someone else to sin on your behalf for your benefit. That may be a grave matter.

As you yourself said, it is time to find a priest.

 

[juno24]

And to top it off i told my friend not to tell anyone who works at the school i did it if they saw the stain. sin? grave matter?

Vandalism is the deliberate destruction or defacing of someone else’s property, so no, you did not commit vandalism to the school chair. You did, however, through your careless prank, cause damage to school property. You need to 'fess up to it with a school official and offer to make restitution.

The fact that you caused the damage, and now want to hide that fact (AND have asked your friend to hide that fact), may indeed be sinful. Your best bet-- go to your priest and confess the whole thing.

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

I do not think it is a grave matter. It might be if the chair can no longer be used for it’s original intent, thus increasing the ultimate expense of the “prank”. It is, at the very least, a serious venial sin.

Now the bit about asking your firend to keep quiet, that is another problem. If he lies, he commits a sin at your request making **you **culpable for **his **sin. (of course he is cilpable for his own sin as well.)
Essentially, you hasve asked someone else to sin on your behalf for your benefit. That may be a grave matter.

As you yourself said, it is time to find a priest.

What if my friends jewish? Can they still commit what we consider sins? They don’t believe in mortal sins do they?

 

[rpp]

What if my friends jewish? Can they still commit what we consider sins? They don’t believe in mortal sins do they?

It does not matter what your friends religious belief is. If your friend is a Nazi and likes to kill Jews would that make it right for you to ask him to kill a Jew for you?

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

Vandalism is the deliberate destruction or defacing of someone else’s property, so no, you did not commit vandalism to the school chair. You did, however, through your careless prank, cause damage to school property. You need to 'fess up to it with a school official and offer to make restitution.

The fact that you caused the damage, and now want to hide that fact (AND have asked your friend to hide that fact), may indeed be sinful. Your best bet-- go to your priest and confess the whole thing.

As fun as getting expelled sounds…

 

[BrooklynBoy200]

Vandalism is the deliberate destruction or defacing of someone else’s property, so no, you did not commit vandalism to the school chair. You did, however, through your careless prank, cause damage to school property. You need to 'fess up to it with a school official and offer to make restitution.

The fact that you caused the damage, and now want to hide that fact (AND have asked your friend to hide that fact), may indeed be sinful. Your best bet-- go to your priest and confess the whole thing.

Would i have to do that for forgiveness? Confess to a school official that is. Because i would get into a lot of trouble. Isn’t there a more discreet way to make restitution? can’t i give some money to the school’s next fundraiser or something?

 

[Damascus]

Be responsible and clean it up. You live at home now, where likely mommy or daddy is cleaning up and you dont even realize it.

Move out and guess what? How did this get there? WHY arent the dirty dishes clean??

The carpet looks like a hamster cage liner!!!

Garbage? Really? When do they come to clean it up?

You must be kidding me here?

 

[Mintaka]

Jews certainly do believe in sins. They celebrate a whole month of repentance and considering their sins (sorta like Lent), then a period of ten days of repentance from Rosh Hashanah (the Jewish New Year) to Yom Kippur (which is also called the Day of Atonement). On Yom Kippur, practicing Jews fast for 25 hours in atonement for their sins, and at the end they believe their sins are pardoned. So don’t get your Jewish friends into sin!

(Actually, don’t get any of your friends into sin… They may not believe in it, but God does.)

I’m sure you can have fun without ketchup packets, though. (Unless you’re in Band. For some reason, bandmembers require both ketchup and mustard packets to play with.)

 

[baltobetsy]

And since i’ll probably confess it anyway, would i say i’ve committed vandalism? Thanks.
P.S. I never thought about it as theft so i wouldn’t meet the requirements for that would i?

BrooklynBoy, you should simply tell the priest in plain language what you did. You do not have to make your sins fit some tidy package of words like “vandalism.” If you speak plainly about what you did, the priest will be able to help you much better to determine the extent of your guilt. You may find that some of the advice you have received online is not exactly appropriate to your circumstances. For example, the priest may tell you that childish pranks like putting ketchup packets where they don’t belong are not serious sins at all because you did not forsee or intend any of the consequences. He will tell you what, if any, restitution is required. Perhaps pink stains on chairs are considered “normal wear and tear.” But you won’t be able to discuss any of this if you carefully couch your sins in “special words.” Please, just speak plainly. And don’t be offended if the priest chuckles a little. You also thought it was funny, didn’t you?

Betsy

 

[juno24]

Would i have to do that for forgiveness? Confess to a school official that is. Because i would get into a lot of trouble. Isn’t there a more discreet way to make restitution? can’t i give some money to the school’s next fundraiser or something?

As fun as getting expelled sounds…

You’re joking, right? You only have to apologize to someone and make restitution for your own wrong-doings if it is going to be easy for you??!!

You did something childish and foolish, and you ended up damaging someone else’s property. You need to be a man about it and take responsibility. I hardly think you will be expelled from school for it, but part of asking forgiveness is going to the person you’ve wronged and making restitution.

 

[rpp]

BrooklynBoy, you should simply tell the priest in plain language what you did. You do not have to make your sins fit some tidy package of words like “vandalism.” If you speak plainly about what you did, the priest will be able to help you much better to determine the extent of your guilt. You may find that some of the advice you have received online is not exactly appropriate to your circumstances. For example, the priest may tell you that childish pranks like putting ketchup packets where they don’t belong are not serious sins at all because you did not forsee or intend any of the consequences. He will tell you what, if any, restitution is required. Perhaps pink stains on chairs are considered “normal wear and tear.” But you won’t be able to discuss any of this if you carefully couch your sins in “special words.” Please, just speak plainly. And don’t be offended if the priest chuckles a little. You also thought it was funny, didn’t you?

Betsy

Excellent advice. True for all of us as we prepare for the Sacrament of Confession.