ANTICORRUPTION
"You must not accept a bribe, for the bribe blinds clear-sighted men and can distort the words of righteous men."--Exodus 23:8. Is it possible to diminish the practice of bribery? What are some of the devastating effects of this practice? How can it be overcome, with God's assistance and blessing?
Anticorruption--Why and How?*
1. How rampant is corruption, but what catastrophic consequences have been experienced?
1. RAMPANT, DIRE CONSEQUENCES. Legislation alone often has not succeeded in curbing bribery. “Millions of bribes change hands every day, and billions of people suffer the consequences...In some countries nothing gets done unless a palm is greased. A bribe to the right person will enable one to pass an exam, get a driver’s license, land a contract, or win a lawsuit.” Corruption is rampant in the world of commerce. “Some companies allocate a third of all their profits just to pay off corrupt government bureaucrats...As the scale of this corruption has increased, the consequences have been catastrophic. In recent history, “crony” capitalism—corrupt business practices that favor the privileged few who have good connections—is said to have ruined the economies of entire countries.”
2. What powerful forces are keeping the fires of corruption ablaze, and why is this a vicious cycle and a futile course?
2. STOKING THE FIRES. “Two powerful forces keep stoking the fires of corruption: selfishness and greed. Because of selfishness, corrupt people turn a blind eye to the suffering their corruption inflicts on others, and they justify bribery simply because they benefit from it.” However, “a lover of silver will never be satisfied with silver” says Solomon (Ecclesiastes 5:10). The more material benefits they amass, the greedier those practicers of corruption become. They thus betray a lack of honest integrity.
3. Why did the apostle Paul remain imprisoned by the Roman procurator Felix for two years, although with certain freedoms, setting what example?
3. FIGHTING CORRUPTION with the Sword of the Spirit. God’s inspired word exhorts: “Put on the new personality that was created according to God’s will in true righteousness and loyalty.”—Ephesians 4:24; The apostle Paul, although imprisoned by a greedy Felix, refused to sidestep the legal process with a bribe. He preached a message of truth and honesty, and lived accordingly. He wrote “we trust we have an honest conscience, as we wish to conduct ourselves honestly in all things.”—Hebrews 13:18. We can thus see that a bribe is a dishonest or unlawful use of money or favor given in order to influence the judgment or conduct of a person in a position of trust, who should be impartial, just and law-abiding in executing his or her duties. This is in contrast to a legal use of money or resources such as by a decided-upon fee for services rendered, or a price for goods that is fair and in complete harmony with the law. A government may also make wise use of money to fund projects primarily for the benefit of its citizens. Whether making use of government money or that of an individual, God’s word reports, at Ecclesiastes 7:12, “For wisdom is a protection just as money is a protection, but the advantage of knowledge is this: Wisdom preserves the life of its owner.”
4. What is the first step in fighting corruption, and what are some of the effects of bribery?
4. STEP ONE. The first step in fighting corruption is to recognize that bribery is destructive and wrong. James B. Foley, a now retired U.S. foreign service officer, and former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State, said: “We all recognize that the cost of bribery is high. Bribes undermine good governance, harm economic efficiency and development, distort trade, and penalize citizens around the world.” As Solomon wrote, “By justice a king brings stability to a land, But a man seeking bribes brings it to ruin.”—Proverbs 29:4. The use of bribery is out of harmony with the true wisdom of God, and carries a detrimental effect on the spirituality of all involved, promoting a disregard for fair, upright conduct, causing one to stray from right standards, and the hope and joy of a life in true peace (Eccle 7:7; Deute 10:17).
5. What is the second step in fighting corruption, and how did Jehovah once intervene because of it?
5. STEP TWO. The second step is to recognize that no man or nation needs to be corrupt. God encourages the wicked to leave their way of life and change their way of thinking. He wants each and every one of us to replace greed with unselfishness and corruption with righteousness. “The one who defrauds the lowly one insults his Maker, But whoever shows compassion to the poor glorifies Him.”—Proverbs 14:31. In the past, Jehovah God has intervened to stamp out blatant corruption. For example, he bluntly told the inhabitants of Jerusalem why He would abandon them to their enemies. Through his prophet Micah, He said, as recorded in chapter 3: “9 Hear this, please, you heads of the house of Jacob And you commanders of the house of Israel, Who detest justice and who make crooked all that is straight...11 Her leaders judge for a bribe, Her priests instruct for a price, And her prophets practice divination for money. And yet they lean on Jehovah, saying: “Is not Jehovah with us? No calamity will come upon us.” 12 So because of you, Zion will be plowed up as a field, Jerusalem will become heaps of ruins.” True to God’s warning, about a century after Micah wrote those words, Jerusalem was destroyed and abandoned.
6,7. What is the third step in fighting corruption, and how thoroughly can a person change their view?
6. STEP THREE. The third step is to understand how a person can change, realizing that “the word of God is alive and exerts power.”—Heb 4:12; Persons deeply involved in corruption have completely changed their ways by considering and contemplating the instruction of God’s word. They have come to view it as in Psalm 119:105: “Your word is a lamp to my foot, and a light for my path.” For instance, a scripture that caused one man to reconsider his ways is found at Proverbs 4:14-16. It reads “14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, And do not walk in the way of evil men.15 Shun it, do not take it; Turn away from it, and pass it by.16 For they cannot sleep unless they do what is bad. They are robbed of sleep unless they cause someone’s downfall.” This man said “Passages such as this convinced me that those who want to lead a criminal life have no real future. I began to pray to Jehovah and asked Him to guide me in the right way.”
7. CHANGED VIEW. He continues: “Of course, living by honest standards has meant earning a lot less money. But now I feel I have a real future, that my life has real meaning. I realize that my former lifestyle with all its expensive trappings was just like a house of cards waiting to collapse at any moment. Formerly, my conscience was insensitive. Now, thanks to my study of the Bible, it pricks me whenever I am tempted to be dishonest—even in small matters. I am trying to live in harmony with Psalm 37:3, which says “Trust in Jehovah and do good; reside in the earth and deal with faithfulness.”
* This is essentially a summary of two articles from the Watchtower magazine, w00 5/1 p. 3-7.