Asking for bribes

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   You realize that the officers who are unwilling to stamp your papers, indirectly are asking for a small bribe that will help them to

take better care of their families. In one way you do not blame them. The living conditions are harsh, food expenses are growing, and salaries are kept far below minimum of what families need.

   Lots of questions are racing through your mind: Can you pay a small “fee” to have your accounting approved, or would that be

bribing? Could you maybe offer help to these families from the funds you set aside for providing for the needy? Or could you just give

them the services your company offers for free? What is lost if you decide that you will follow your principle of never paying bribes stri

ctly and your business has to close? What will happen to all your employees and their families? And what will happen to your customer

s who enjoy your services? What is the correct Biblical approach this situation?

Good tool

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   We can all imagine how intense a situation like this can be, and it can be hard to maneuver in a God-honoring, Biblical way. It is thus

important to think through everything and establish good principles ahead of time.

   A good tool that can help you do this is the book “Missionaries and Bribes” published in 2012. The book is now made available for free

at http://www.missionarycare.com/ebooks/missionaries_bribes.pdf . This book tries to bring definition to what a bribe is. It also gives

you an overview of what the Bible says about bribes and practical advice on what to do and what you should avoid doing.

   The book is authored by Ronald L. Koteskey. He admits that it is not always easy to find the right way when it comes to paying bribes.

In the chapter where he writes his conclusions, he states,

– During the months of uncovering new information, my position changed several times on the basis of what I discovered. I realize that

my position may change again.