To think stealing food isn’t wrong if you’re starving?

[ThatPinkHedgehog]

If someone is hungry and has no means to buy food, is it really immoral for them to take what they need to survive? AIBU to think there’s a moral grey area when it comes to stealing for survival?

Working in education/fostering ive seen some families really struggle, no extras such as phones, car, washing machines. uniforms etc choice of heating or food and I'd happily help where I can. I can understand and accept they may feel they have no other choice.
However an acquaintance often claims hardships, HAS to use food banks etc but also has immaculate nails, hair, eyelashes, has a really up to date iphone with monthly contract at god knows what and regularly shows off a new tattoo - nope sorry, if you can regularly afford these 'updates' you are NOT struggling to feed your family

MANY items stolen from shops ie lurpack mentioned by PP are sold on cheaply and used to buy drugs. Stolen for cash not consumption!

If someone was genuinely starving yes of course stealing is better than dying of starvation but if you are talking about in 21st century Britain there is support so nobody should be starving. Benefits may not be high but they are adequate to buy basic nutrition, what they won't cover is takeaways, tech, presents etc etc. plus there are food banks.

I do work in this area and whilst I do know of clients who have got down to empty cupboards I also know this is down to poor budgeting and choices rather than so poor they need to steal. I have the task of going through bank statements to help people identify spending, a thankless task unfortunately in many cases as they are repeat clients within the year. I try to help people make better decisions to get back on track but people have free will

There are countries outside the UK

Who are 'they'?

Also, as far as I'm aware, you can't just turn up at a food bank. Open to correction if I'm wrong, obviously.

Are people who are too ill to work supposed to starve, then?

When I worked I retail the genuine hungry would Graze - that is pick something off the shelf and eat it while wandering about the store . Some mums let their kids do it too . I used to turn a blind eye .

There was a pp from a MN who said they volunteer at one and it is open to who ever turns up.

It also says "nor shall you wear a garment of cloth made of two kinds of material", so you know, take it with a pinch of salt

Does that mean women and children are free to steal?

Or would it be utterly ridiculous for me to interpret the bible verbatim…

you are missing the point

even if people were literally starving for lack of butter, there is no reason for them to be stealing lurpak, an expensive branded product, than any other, cheaper version. If following your own rationale then lurpak wouldn't be one of the easiest items to steal, because it's in a harder, larger, less compact plastic tub rather than just in foil, which could be easily shoved in a pocket.

People are stealing lurpak specifically, out of choice, either because that's the butter they want or because it's one they can sell on and make some cash. Not out of desperation.

Fair enough. I'd always thought they were referral only.

How on EARTH can you make that claim? You just can't. You sound like you live in a very blinkered little world.

There is a lot of help out there if you are in need of food. Food banks, community fridges etc.
I don't believe anyone is literally starving in the UK. Yes, there have been cases where people had benefits cut, but they also had other issues alongside that such as MH issues.

I've been in two Tesco's recently that were robbed while I was in there. First time was more aggressive but he basically went to the deli meat fridge and pulled everything out and stuffed it in a bag. Second time was a woman who took all the EV olive oil then moved onto cheese. Told the staff and they said it wasn't their issue and they wouldn't confront them. No security in either store. I don't think they were starving and I don't think there is justification for stealing with benefits and food banks

As far as I'm aware, food banks aren't able to provide enough food to one person for them to be adequately nourished, though...

It isn't true. The Bible is lying.

Yes that’s true. A tin of soup or an instant noodles or packet of chocolate bars aren’t a substantial meal.

see headliner below.
Stealing food raises food prices for everyone and exacerbates the cost of living for us all.

You say that, but did you read about the case of Errol Graham who starved to death because of a benefits mistake?
Most people who haven't experienced the Kaftaeske nature of our benefit system would assume that there is always a safety net. But that isn't always the case.
For example, when a government department makes a mistake that financially impacts an individual, there is a process to challenge the decision and have the mistake rectified. In some circumstances, individuals can suddenly be faced with a huge debt to government departments, which can then be reclaimed by debt collection from any benefits they are receiving without any notice. So you'd think it's a really good thing that an individual would be able to challenge an obvious mistake and have the repayments halted whilst the matter is investigated wouldn't you?
The real shocker is that THIS DOESN'T APPLY TO UNIVERSAL CREDIT! Even if an individual can show evidence of a "material error" by the department, the pausing of repayments of the bogus debt is not allowed. And given that it takes upwards of 6 months to plod through the appeals process to show proof of an error, that individual could indeed be in such dire poverty that starvation is possible.(and food banks will only help so many times.....).

Sorry for the long response, but I just wanted to shine a spotlight on what life is like for some in the UK. I do think it is morally right to steal to prevent starvation in some circumstances.

Well said. Too many people simply don't want to face the fact that there are people in this country living in desperate poverty, so instead of asking what has gone so wrong with the system, they find it easier to fling blame around. It's a pretty grim indictment of our society.

I know someone who's a magistrate and sometimes sees kids in the juvenile court who've been stealing to eat because their parents who are junkies or whatever aren't feeding them. I wouldn't blame kids for a second, or anyone else who isn't in a position to self-refer because of their mental health issues or similar.

I know two women (one personally, one through my job) who were forced to steal food due to significant financial abuse they were suffering (alongside every other type of abuse you can imagine).

Anyone who thinks there are no circumstances when stealing is okay has lived a very privileged life and should be very grateful for it.

I don't see a problem with it.

That awful taking starving kids to court who stole out of desperation.

Well sometimes they've done other stuff too - violence etc. And the social workers get brought in to talk about the mitigating circumstances in their chaotic and abusive home lives. Which often does lead to more lenient sentencing.