Biblical Wisdom on offers

[Madeline]

Ok, some thoughts in favor of signing up for offers for credit card insurance, various programs, etc.

1.) They sent them to me, so they want me to sign up for them. 2.) If I signed up before, and sign up a second time, they sent the offer to me the second time, and they have power to keep me from signing up again if they don't want me to. 3.) The companies make money from exploiting people, so I don't mind making them lose money. 4.) Perhaps when they sign me up again, I will really discover how great the product is and keep it. 5.) If it is not sinful, it is good stewardship to get the extra money.

Thoughts against offers:

I would like to know if you think my analysis of this is correct or not. While I was on the phone trying to get a bonus from Citibank, a service I have signed up for before and cancelled (probably around three times), I was troubled about whether it was right to get the bonus or not. I thought about Romans 12:17: "Recompense to no man evil for evil. Provide things honest in the sight of all men." The word honest is "beautiful, handsome,excellent, eminent, choice, surpassing, precious,useful, suitable, commendable, admirable." I clicked on the verse for cross-references, and came across "See that none render evil for evil unto any man; but ever follow that which is good, both among yourselves, and to all men" (1 Thess. 5:15). This verse seems to me to relate to the statement, "but they keep marketing these products to you, so you can sign up again and again, even though you know you will cancel them." That may be evil on their part, but whatever it is on their part, and whether or not the service they provide is junk or a ripoff ("evil,") that does not mean that I can render them evil, so if it is not right to keep signing up like this, then I cannot use their actions to justify it. 1 Corinthians 13:5 reads, "[Charity] doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil." It is hard to see how this is not "unseemly" action. 2 Corinthians 8:21 reads, "Providing for honest things, not only in the sight of the Lord, but also in the sight of men." The word honest is the same as in Romans 12:17. Philippians 4:8 reads, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." It is hard to see signing up with the intention to cancel, something I had already done before a number of times, as true, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, virtuous, and praiseworthy. The next verse is, "Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you" (Philippians 4:9). I can't see Paul doing this. For that matter, I can't see the Lord Jesus doing it - no way. 1 Thessalonians 4:12 reads, "That ye may walk honestly toward them that are without, and that ye may have lack of nothing." Here honestly is decently, in a seemly manner." This is not decent and seemly. 1 Thessalonians 5:22 reads, "Abstain from all appearance of evil." The first listed meaning for this word for appearance is "the external or outward appearance, form figure, shape." Signing up over and over again is at least an outward appearance of evil, from which we are commanded to abstain. Therefore acting in this manner is sinful, and it should immediately cease. Another (related) issue is the matter of time; it takes time to get these bonuses and cancel, and that time would be better spent on something that is actually honorable, instead of talking to supervisor X about situation Y. "Redeeming the time, because the days are evil" (Ephesians 5:16).

If the above analysis is correct, and repentance leads one to want to make things right, I would need to do something to rectify the financial gain obtained by sinfully signing up for these bonuses over and over again. (Compare the situations in the Old Testament where restitution was to be made). I don't hink the companies would take their money back - they would not even begin to understand why I was going to do it. What I could do is return an equivalent to the Lord's church, on the analogy, as I recall, of the trespass offering. I don't think that signing up the first time was sinful; they wanted me to, after all, although, of course, they didn?t want me to cancel. But doing it again, knowing that I intended to cancel, would be sinful. (I don?t think that there is an equivalent analogy for maxing out credit cards, for that is simply borrowing money and putting it in the bank, a completely different sort of action. Bank bonuses should be thought through.). I am not sure exactly how much has come in from doing these things/ Furthermore, "The blessing of the LORD, it maketh rich, and he addeth no sorrow with it" (Proverbs 10:22), so above all we need the Lord?s blessing for financial well being - and even if we were not to get anything out of it materially, we still need His blessing above all things.

I look forward to any opinions on this. :smile

Love,
Madeline

[5dumplings@home]

I think you are right. Really, it boils down to you abusing although they open themselves to abuse. Just because someone pins a "kick me" note on the back of the principal doesn't mean you do it.

You can offer to make things right, though I doubt they will take you up on it. At least your conscience will be clear. Then, you simply shred those suckers without opening them.

[Guest Guest]

I think you are correct. I don't think I would definitively state that it was sin to do that since they willing open themselves up to that kind of thing expecting to make money in the long run. However I would certainly view it as a very questionable practice that I would not be comfortable with. Better to be safe than sorry :Green . No point in pushing the envelope.