BellaOnline Forums Religion and Spirituality Catholicism Coveting Other Peoples Things

Depending what version of the 10 commandments you follow, #9 or #9 and #10 is:

"You shall not covet your neighbor�s house; you shall not covet your neighbor�s wife, or male or female slave, or ox, or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor."

Now while most of us don't own slaves, oxen or donkeys, there is an "anything" in there.

dictionary.com says that covet is "to wish for, esp. eagerly"

Do you covet things that others own? Do you wish that you had those things? Note that this isn't even talking about "stealing" - that is a completely separate commandment. This is simply talking about DESIRING.

I'll take a try at this one. For me it's a hard one. For example, say my friend Ellen is a Tupperware rep and has some really cool tupperware containers that keep lettuce from going bad. I really like them. I suppose you could say I "covet them". But the solution is that I order one for myself and am SO happy that she showed them to me. It has made my life better. She was able to show me this improvement by having them in her home and demonstrating first hand how they work.

So is that bad? Or is that a different kind of covet?

For me the difference would be between seeing a friend's beautiful...say, necklace, and thinking "That's lovely, I'd really like to have one like it." and then forgetting about it, or obsessing over it, thinking about it all the time and beginning to hate the friend for owning it.
It's a matter of degree, and how it influences you, I guess. A passing thought that leaves without a trace is no sin. Wilfully entertaining the thought and getting all bent out of shape over it is more of a problem.

Absolutely Claybird. That was really well put. I definately agree with you.

It is not so much always what you do but WHY you do it.

I agree. And I think it also has to do with putting such an emphasis on material things -- in a sense, almost "worshiping" certain items because you want them so badly (always thinking about them, talking about them, etc.)

To covet something is to want the actual item the friend or neighbor has. If I say "I wish I had her car." would be to covet. To say, "I wish I had a car like hers." is a compliment. I guess everytime I have said "I wish I had her..." I have coveted a lot and should ask forgiveness, because I am always saying things like that without thinking about making the distinction of coveting or desiring one like it. Does that make sense?

In my mind covetous thinking is similar to obsession. In my mind, to covet would take the act of "wanting" to the point of ill feelings toward the person who has possession of the object of our desires.

I think that you could have the fleeting thought, "Gee, I'd like to have a container that would keep my lettuce from going bad so quickly." without it getting out of hand and becoming envy.

OK so a passing thought is OK, while an obsessive thought is a sin?

Or a positive thought like "She is so cool to have that necklace" is OK but a negative thought like "Jeez she doesn't deserve that necklace - I do!!" is not OK?

I find it interesting that this sin is rated in the same breath as killing and adultery. To me, I'd put envy-a-necklace into a category with "missing going to church" - but not with killing.

What do you think? Is this a commandment which is "internal, hurting yourself" which is different from the others?

Yes, but Biblically Jesus said 'if you just look at a woman in lust, then you have committed adultery with her.'

Laws are spiritual first. That is what Jesus meant. None of us can measure up. We all have thoughts that are not right. He knows that. But when you choose to dwell on them and think on them you are 'owning' them. So also if you think 'I hate her and want to kill her' then spiritually you have!

Because you chose to keep that thought. In an instant we think many things, but thoughts of harm/lust generally mean, i would say, that we have allowed ourselves to get mad/covetious inside, and think on it more than is good.

Obvously having an instant thought that you have no control over, or very little is just one of those things. But Jesus warned against what to fill our mind with because he said 'as a man/woman thinketh so they are' our thoughts make us the people we are.

What he meant in essense was that humans have fallen, they need his help, and nothing and nobody is exempt from that.

We make judgements without thought. Like; 'murderers should go to hell' for example, but who is judge? We have not always understanding of why things happen. That is why he said 'As you judge so shall you be judged likewise the same measure' it was so we would be humble. We have no right to excact judgement, because according to him we are all sinful and we will all be judged individually so there is no impartiallity.

So if we try to live 'love your naigbour as yourself' then you will try to think well of people and treat them well because it is what you would want them to do unto you. Also it is for your protection because God said 'what you sow so shall you reap'

When we catagorize sin we are in danger of saying that one behavior is not as serious as another. That means we are setting rules of permissive behavior but without thought that other cultures may not share our view point! For example some cultures stone women for adultery, while the west sees that as barbaric. But the West allows the third world to starve, slave and die and takes the lives of millions of babies every day in abortion, which the East finds appalling. There are those on both sides of the Irak war who would say murder is being commited, and not war. Which is right? Can we dare to judge them for what they do? Do they dare to judge us? That is what leads to racial, religious and political wars because one side or the other THINK they are right.

That is extreme of course but it does show why God hates ALL sin, because it ultimatly in one way or another kills.

Think; Every act that ever happens on earth has first been a thought. That is scary!

By the way, I point out this is NOT to convert. Just my belief! It is not meant to offend.

Sorry my 'puter is going funny today, and keeps resending messages. Bad conncetion!