Thou Shalt Not Steal

A Word in Season: Messages by R.J. Rushdoony on the Faith for All of Life · Jan 9, 2026 · 3m

This episode argues that while Christians profess belief in the commandment “Thou shalt not steal,” they frequently violate it through coercion, deception, or unfair expectations rather than overt robbery. Examples include a church pressuring a pastor’s wife to serve as a free organist to cut costs, and Christian schools underpaying teachers while claiming it is “sacrifice for the Lord’s work”—practices the author labels as theft, since they force others to bear burdens for someone else’s benefit. No “good cause,” he insists, can justify taking what rightfully belongs to another. Citing…