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WORKS IN SECRET

yousiegtennisyousiegtennis
edited December 1969 in Personal Issues
Hey everyone, I have a few questions that have been bothering me for the past few days and I wanted to get them cleared up...

Let's look at a hypothetical situation:
Person A has some kind of talent.  Person B is a priest who knows this person has that particular talent.  Person B goes to Person A and tells Person A to use that talent to create something but that he (Person B) will put his name on it.  The object that is to be created involves a ridiculous amount of work in a very short time, it's nearly impossible as Person A truly and sincerely does not have the time or the capacity to do this kind of work and says no to Person B.  Now, bring in another person...Person C.  Person C claims that it doesn't matter what kind of work it is and if Person A gets credit for his/her work as long as it's for church, to get the blessing because it's a service for church; Person C also claims that it would be better not to take credit for the work so that he/she can be rewarded in heaven.

My questions as of right now are:
1) Stealing someone else's work on the pretense that it's a service for church and using the verse in the Bible that says if you perform your works in secret, you will be rewarded openly...does this make it alright?
2) Just because it's a priest who is asking this, does this make it all the more obligatory that Person A must "obey?"
3) Does getting credit for one's work put one in danger of not being rewarded in heaven by God?
4) In the case that it does put you in danger, what can one do in order to use his/her talents for the Glory of God and at the same time not be prey to getting his/her work stolen and being taken advantage of and also be able to receive a heavenly reward?
5) Is getting your work stolen equated with receiving the blessing from a service?

I may have more questions if the ensuing discussion raises them; however, thorough answers to the above questions is greatly appreciated, please and thank you.

Please pray for me a lot.

Comments

  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    It is a bit difficult to answer or even consider the questions without having some idea of what the talent and the product are.
  • yousiegtennisyousiegtennis
    The talent is writing.  The end product is a 200-page book about a topic that Person A has no idea about (i.e. requiring massive amounts of research) and the expected date of production set by Person B is Easter (April 24).
  • peterfarringtonpeterfarrington
    Well speaking generally, it would seem to me to be OK for someone to be asked to produce something for the Church and it be anonymous, such as a service book for instance, or anything else that might be intended to be presented to and by the Church.

    But it does not seem appropriate for someone to be asked to produce something that another person intends to take the credit for.

    If I asked someone to produce a book of saints and it was to be the St Alban's Book of Saints then it might be appropriate for it to be anonymous or have a small dedication inside. But if I intended to take someone's work and pass it off as mine, then I don't think that is reasonable, although a person might well choose to offer the work in any case as a sacrifice and offering to God and not allow themselves to be concerned about who takes the credit.

    The person doing the work is always blessed if they perform it for God. The one who takes another's credit must reflect on if what they are doing is appropriate - it might be if it is being offered with the authority of the priest, or in the name of the Church, but it might not be if the person says 'I did the work'
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