In many lands today, bribery is assumed to be the law of the day. Last week I heard about a gentleman traveling across a foreign land in a camper. He had to pay a very healthy sum to someone just so they would ride across a particular bad-land even though he could never quite be sure that it was required by law or custom. For all he knew, it was just a kind of scam, perpetrated on him by locals that “saw him coming.” I once took a bike into a Latin American country where I was going to live for a year. The guy at the customs desk let me know that I could either bribe him $20, or face the customs house the following Monday. I played it “straight” — and ended up spending 2 weeks going door to door to government offices I never even knew existed. The customs fee ended up being $170. To bring in a bike. Ouch.
On the Bible side of things, Proverbs 17:8, 17:23 and 21:14 all speak to the topic. “A bribe is a charm in the sight of its owner; wherever he turns, he prospers.” “A wicked man receives a bribe from the bosom to pervert the ways of justice.” “A gift in secret subdues anger and a bribe in the bosom, strong wrath.” Put those verses together and some would make a strong argument that bribery isn’t always wrong. What’s your opinion? How do you feel about bribery? Would you do it? Under what circumstances does it seem right? … and under what circumstances does it seem wrong? What’s your position? Please enter your comment in the box following this item on the web. Next edition, we’ll analyze and report back the findings. Thanks for taking time to share!
I’m certain there will be strong opinions on both sides of this issue. In my many years of field experience, my guiding rule has been to follow the lead of the local people as much as is possible. So where progress is customarily eased by the use of the “gift,” the answer is yes. You could ask, “What did I accomplish by spending 2 weeks and $170 to get the bike in the “right” way?” And, were any of the other officials you met along the way, on the take, too?
I feel the cited Proverbs (and other Scriptures) would indicate that bribery is wrong. I do not see it being acceptable on any occasion I have ever seen in some 30 plus years on the mission field in a number of nations.
I think that the bribe in the bosom is an expression of what happens (=subdues strong wrath), but in light of the other passages does not condone it at all.
We were held up on the Algeria/Niger border some years ago in the Sahara. We spent the whole day there because we would not bribe to “hurry” some (invented) process to stall us. Meantime we spoke of Jesus, gave out some books to travellers coming through the border post.
Some might say we communicated a spirit of stupidity (dumb Western tourists!) to the border guards, but I know we were making a stance for righteousness and in our hearts we did it for Jesus (fools or not).
I think what is done in the heavenlies when we make our stance for Jesus is more powerful and not always seen – even if we look the fool or are mocked. I would rather be pure in my heart before the Lord than be “cool” on issues of conscience or on even clearer issues where Scriptures says “No!”.
Oh! And the border guards told us we wouldn’t get through without the bribe. We got through at the end of the day when they saw we were not going to budge.
I have repeated this stance, of not ‘going there’ with bribing, in Latin America and in 10 years in the Sahara desert, and have ALWAYS seen the Lord come through and bring us success (albeit sometimes with a wait time!). And you know I have had FREQUENT opportunities to speak of the fear of the Lord (why I would not bribe) and seen Jesus touch lives through it.
I also do NOT later have to explain to new believers about walking in integrity with “muddy waters” (bribery) in my past needing to be explained. It isn’t there. Easy!
A bribe is expedient for the requester and the deliverer. However, bribery destroys the nation. This kind of alternate economy has a chilling effect on real economic development and therefore further dooms the hopes and prospects of the poor. Real development for the downtrodden is honest and transparent social and economic structures.
The first question is what type of bribe is it. Some might perceive paying the traffic police a bribe, but it might be the accepted way for their income. We should not carry our personal opinions and presuppositions into the question but ask what the locals really perceive as a bribe.
I am all for not paying a bribe that ultimately harms the nation but I am also for asking what is the real goal. I have seen some people very proud of not paying a bribe, but they were also very “proud” people and I would gather not bringing glory to the king.
The very real fact is that in nations where they don’t pay officials enough it might just be a way to pay the bills and fully accepted within the government, that is very different than paying to win a huge multimillion dollar contract or stealing from the government, in both intent and function
Here are some issues to consider:
Is the bribe paid just to make life more convenient – like buying that pathway into the country for a bike? Did the person bringing in the bike understand that the customs duty is in place to discourage bringing in bikes. The government wishes the expats to buy them locally and support local businesses.
Is the purpose of the bribe to pervert justice?
Is the purpose of the bribe to pervert fairness/equality for all? Fairness includes getting around the system, or jumping the queue — something which poor people can’t do because they have no money for bribes. Why should you be entitled to whatever it is you are after just because you are “rich” enough to pay the bribe?
Is the purpose of the bribe to “buy” a service that you are not entitled to?
Before paying the bribe, has the person stopped to consider that every bribe that is paid helps reinforce the corruption mindset?
Part of working in cross cultural settings is to understand their customs (usually different from ours) and to live within their value system to the extent possible (not violating the value system of the Kingdom of God). In our country we pay “tips” for food service, knowing that the waitresses work for bare minimum and depend on those tips for their salary. It is our custom, and is understood and expected. Could we leave the restaurant without paying any tips? Of course. It would save some of those precious pennies God entrusted to us. Would most of us do it? Probably not. I agree with Bob in the importance of identifying where bribes fit into the local culture, and their purpose. Extortion is not to be encouraged, but sometimes we get up in arms – “they are violating our rights “- about things that in their value system are very simple and normal and functional, not criminal at all, and probably are applied to all, not just to us paranoid foreigners! Just a thought….
It would seem that the strength of prohibition on bribes in the Bible is on the receiving end. In cultures where it has come to a “fee” status, there would seem little choice. There it has reached the level of a kind of extortion. In a place with a strong rule of law and “righteous” leaders (term used very loosely), there is a choice and you would be bribing only to benefit yourself. Additionally, offering a bribe would seem to be as surely wrong as asking for one.
the question of paying a bribe may be like eating the meat sacrificed to idols – consider conscience, yours and those who are watching.
All that said, I have never been in the position where I had to make the decision yet.
I pray our missionaries would do what God leads them to, not violating the leading of the Holy Spirit. Very good things have come out of refusing to pay a bribe but never out of soliciting or offering one.
We do a lot of work in Mexico and dealing with the bribery issue is a constant thing. When we were in Bible school, our director, who had been a missionary it both Honduras and Guatamala, explained the difference between a bribe and a “tip for good service”. We don’t pay up front – a bribe – but we let the person we are dealing with know (or see the folded money in our hands) that if we receive good service there is a tip waiting for him or her. This has been very successful for us.
I live in a country in Eastern Europe where bribery is absolutely the norm in nearly all circumstances imaginable, often shockingly so. If our standard for ethics becomes “what do the locals do” then my paying a bribe would be par for the course.
But the “locals” themselves understand clearly that it is morally and ethically wrong. They take part in it up one side and down the other on both the demanding and the giving sides, but there is a very conscious understanding that this is corrupt behavior.
It’s not enough to look at what nationals *do*. I believe we need to ask people whether they think these bribes are good or bad, right or wrong. I think in most cases we will find that irrespective of actions to the contrary people of every culture understand that bribery is ethically wrong. If the people we are ministering to believe it’s wrong then we shouldn’t take part.
Now if someone is extorting then that’s a different question, but I think most often people that take this line of argument go there way too quickly in comparison with the value of simply “doing the right thing.” Extorting by removing my convenience or saving me some time … I think we’re stretching the meaning of “extort” in that case…
I believe Christ is honored by graciously resisting corruption and unrighteousness.
Our organization has sometimes differentiated between a “tip” for doing something faster (which would not have been illegal) vs. a “bribe” for doing something that otherwise would not have been permitted. Our organization does not permit our workers to pay the second kind of fee (“bribe”). But there is currently no prohibition against paying the “tip,” even though locals might not have been able to afford it. Based on the input so far from several wise commenters, do you think we need to re-think that logic?
(PS. By the way, once you leave a comment, you will receive emailed alerts when others reply to this thread. So you’re welcome to leave a comment that simply reads, “I’m interested in this thread.” You need not display your name — and email addresses aren’t visible to the public.)
In my opinion, your example is not bribery but extortion. A bribe is what you pay someone to do what he is not supposed to do. Extortion is paying someone to do what he ought to do but won’t do without a “gratuity.” Bribes are always wrong, I think, and extortion should be avoided when possible, but often it is not possible if you want to accomplish what God has called you to do. We often (during over 25 years in the Middle East) asked a national to take care of these needs according to local customs whenever that was possible.
OK David. Thanks for your input on that.
I have a couple of thoughts on the issue. In the country where I work, there was an NGO that refused to pay a bribe. That NGO has since had it’s permission to work in our country revoked. As a result, the work they did ceased (they worked mainly with widows and orphans), and many foreign workers found themselves without a visa and a few have since been blacklisted. I find it difficult to believe that God would rather see widows and orphans suffer than for this NGO to have paid the extortion money. (I do, however, believe that there is sin on the part of the gov’t officials that attempted to extort the money and when they couldn’t shut down the NGO.)
Also, another person I know who lives in a corrupt country and did a personal study on the subject of bribery believes that Matthew 5:40 is speaking directly about extortion and corruption. If he is correct, then maybe you should have paid the guy $40…
Great input, Jeff. Matt 5:40. Interesting read. I’ll ponder it. In the meantime, I’m now holding my coat at arm’s length. :-)
Interested in this thread.
Doug,
I’m not getting emails on this thread. Even though I have already submitted something above. ??!?
I came back this a.m. because I read this in Isaiah 33 where it asks the question about who will make it through the fires of opposition – see verses 14-16! Non-bribers included!
Not sure what the Matt 5:40 verse has to say about bribing. The Roman soldier’s extortion of the Jew was common and Jesus (to my mind and reading of the passage) was showing how we might show radical and powerful love to the oppressor by this over the top expression of generosity, but a counsel to be involved in bribery? Wha?!?
Re seeking local counsel I too would agree we need to only ‘go so far’. Our rule of thumb is biblical command and biblical culture not local culture. What the locals do is helpful but not always right. At that point my experience of walking counter-culture has always allowed me to see the Lord honouring my stance. Watering down what the Bible teaches to be “culturally appropriate” is a slippery slope.