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Would disobedience to parents be okay in this situation?


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I know the Bible tells us to obey our parents, but are there some scenarios where it would be better/acceptable to disobey your parents?

For example, you and your parents are walking down the sidewalk in a busy city. There's someone sitting off to the side, begging for money/food. You ask your parents if you could walk over and give him/her $20 (out of your own money, you wouldn't be taking any from your parents). Your parents say no, because they think he's/she's homeless because he/she chooses to be, and that he/she doesn't deserve help because of this.

Would it be acceptable to defy your parents and walk over to give the person $20, or should you still obey them?

Thanks!

Edited by Paper mache
Fixed grammatical errors
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I would say it depends...are you a minor or an adult. In that situation if you are a minor, obey your parents. They know best and maybe concered with your safety. If your an adult living under your own roof? I would say choose your battles carefully.

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10 hours ago, Paper mache said:

I know the Bible tells us to obey our parents, but are there some scenarios where it would be better/acceptable to disobey your parents?

For example, you and your parents are walking down the sidewalk in a busy city. There's someone sitting off to the side, begging for money/food. You ask your parents if you could walk over and give him/her $20 (out of your own money, you wouldn't be taking any from your parents). Your parents say no, because they think he's/she's homeless because he/she chooses to be, and that he/she doesn't deserve help because of this.

Would it be acceptable to defy your parents and walk over to give the person $20, or should you still obey them?

Thanks!

I'm assuming because of the sentence that I bolded in red that if a son or daughter has to ask permission to walk over and give a homeless person money that they are indeed a minor.

Yes, the child - whether 7 or 17 - should have expressly obeyed his parents in this scenario.

Why?

  • They are not asking you to do anything immoral or evil or sinful.
  • They simply have a different opinion about homeless people than the child and that does not constitute grounds for disobedience.
  • If the child is old enough to be driving and walking down the street by himself and he, while alone, encounters the homeless man and wants to give him $20 then - that's fine.

Instead of immediate defiance at that point - this would be a GREAT opportunity to go home and have a family discussion about things like this.  The child could tell his parents that he really wants to have a serious talk about charity and homeless people and when to give, what to give, and how to give.  This is a perfect time to express an opinion and get things out in the open.

This kind of discussion - most of the time - brings family unity even if an agreement doesn't take place.  At least things were talked out and family member communicated.

If the child were to have defied his parents on the spot and dropped $20 into the hands of the homeless man - it would have created chaos.  The parents would be constantly worried that "if he defied me on the spot like that, what is he doing behind my back?"  Parents really do worry about their children.

And the child, emboldened with a sense of false confidence, would be apt to defy them again - openly or not.

As Patriot said, pick your battles carefully - these things, while seemingly small, - lead to terrible things.

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General wisdom concerning homeless people is to give them food, give them blankets, but don't give them money.  Many of them are drug addicts or alcoholics and would spend it on those things.  Many have mental problems.  Many are fugitives from the law.  But not all.  There are some that dress like they are homeless or stranded and beg for money, bringing in a good above average income--they are deceivers.  So we must use a lot of wisdom in the kind of help we give and to whom.  I know some people who really love the Lord who have had to eat from dumpsters behind restaurants, and others who simply could not find work.  In these cases the best thing we can do as adults is provide work or community service chores for them that they are paid for, and this also gives them dignity.  

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On 4/14/2017 at 9:39 PM, Paper mache said:

I know the Bible tells us to obey our parents, but are there some scenarios where it would be better/acceptable to disobey your parents?

For example, you and your parents are walking down the sidewalk in a busy city. There's someone sitting off to the side, begging for money/food. You ask your parents if you could walk over and give him/her $20 (out of your own money, you wouldn't be taking any from your parents). Your parents say no, because they think he's/she's homeless because he/she chooses to be, and that he/she doesn't deserve help because of this.

Would it be acceptable to defy your parents and walk over to give the person $20, or should you still obey them?

Thanks!

Are you over 18?  I think if you feel sure in your spirit this is what your supposed to do I would do it.  My first question are you over 18, if you are you don't need to ask your parents permission for anything.

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