A Question of Ethics

Ben told me yesterday that his friend found a working cell phone on the street. When I asked him if he had found the owner, he told me that his friend had just smashed the phone on the road. I told him I thought that was not the right thing to do.

Well, Theo piped in with the opinion that Ben's friend should have kept the phone. I told him that the friend should have tried to find the owner and returned the phone. Theo thought I was crazy. "No mom, if you find a phone, you should keep it."

What followed was a conversation on honesty, integrity, and doing what is right no matter how small it may seem to you.

His point on the matter, was that it is different in Liberia because not everyone has a phone. So, if you find one, you should keep it because you need it. I as an American could afford my ethics, because I had everything.

In the end I had to ask him if someone left their car somewhere with the keys in it, did someone else have the right to take it. He said no. I added the fact that the person taking the car didn't have one and really needed it. Then would it be right to take the car? He still said no.

The difference in his mind was now the size of the object being taken or kept. So, we talked about the commandment about stealing and I asked him if he thought Heavenly Father had a different commandment based on the size of the object. He finally conceded the point and said that to God taking or keeping something small or large is the same.

We ended with one last example. If he lost his soccer ball, would he want it returned or kept by the person who found it??? I think I got through . . . at least I hope so.