Scambaiting: Ethical for a Christian?

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Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 6:57 pm

Wow! Thanks for all the opinions!
I can see why, in some instances, lying is acceptable (such as pointed out- the lying to save Jews from the Nazis during WW2). Lying to save a life is even in Scripture (Abraham lied to save his life and his wife's life when they were in Egypt).
I guess, to me, when I think about it, I ask: "Am I really making a difference?" I guess I would feel better about scambaiting if I knew I was actually doing something. It's just...I start to think about it, and even if I scambait and trick a scammer, they are just going to move on to a real victim. I'm sorry for sounding discouraging, but I just ask if I could really make a difference, and MAYBE steer the scammer away from scamming.
Again, thanks for everyone's comments so far! God bless!

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:00 pm

Jedi_Night wrote:

I'm sorry for sounding discouraging

I thought this was a good discussion and your question was better poised and directed than previous ethics threads. I think your question was a good, honest question.

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:04 pm

@Jedi: I'm not sure you will steer the scammer away from scamming, but you are making a difference.

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:17 pm

Jedi_Night wrote:

and MAYBE steer the scammer away from scamming.

I have been here over 2 years and can think of one scammer who was proven to have quit after being baited. IIRC, it was one of Scam Patroller's lads who quit mostly out of sheer exhaustion.

As MrsBean pointed out, many lads consider themselves to be "good Christians" and see nothing wrong with going to church and praying for good magas.

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:19 pm

@Slayerfaith- Hmmm....maybe that's where I can reach them! To show them the EXTREME error of believing something such as that (that God accepts their cheating/stealing/etc). Thanks for the idea! Very Happy

** Retired ** Joined: 14 May 2007 Posts: 750 Location: Air

Of my short time here, I personally feel that this is about the most logical and open minded question asked so far.

I do not have an opinion on what you feel is right or wrong. You know as well as anyone that we are all different and only you can make the right decision for you, no matter how many opinions you get.

However in reply to your 'Will I make a difference'. I personally believe that since Master Metimbers got this almighty ball rolling, there has been at least 1 scammer said to himself "Man, this is not working" and left scamming for good. Over 4 years of baiting by 10,000+ members is bound by the law of averages to put at least one single lad into retirement out of frustration. And so who is to say that if we (baiters) had not intervened, he could later have scammed a real victim and completely ruined their lives.

No matter who's lad it was, we all should feel a sense of pride in the fact we saved that single victim from losing everything.

Ive heard it said that once a scammer always a scammer, but I dont accept that. Either by chance or fate, a lad will change. Not the majority, but a tiny select few. And it is these select few that hinge on us saving genuine people what they have worked their lives for.

So in my opinion, it is worth it.

sorry for rambling. (phew Embarassed

)

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 7:46 pm

With the lack of statistics/data being available, we don't know for sure whether it's a drop in the pond or if we're flooding the 419 market with grief. One thing is for sure though, a fight has to start somewhere. We help in other ways such as raising public awareness of 419 scams, while even providing trouble for those committing the crime. Who cares if it's a drop in the pond, we do make a difference and I'd imagine over time that places like the eater and aa419 will be able to climb further up the hill towards success.

Keep up the work bro, you're doing fine. Very Happy

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:03 pm

Quote:

it's a drop in the pond

Sadly, it's that one.

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:05 pm

I'm not a Christian, but I will say 'do unto others'. Twisted Evil

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 8:24 pm

@DR-x: everyone is entitled to an opinion and should feel free to be able to discuss it here, as long as it concerns scambaiting or fringes upon the borders of it and may touch areas as ethics. It is completly different if we were to compare the Qu'ran and the Bible for instance, THAT has nothing to do with baiting. You voiced your opinion as well, and everyone else must feel free to say their say.

As far as I am concerned, I am not religious, but i feel by wasting the baiters time, I am preventing him from going after innocent people, therefore I do not feel guilty, because these people are crooks!

Thank you for giving me space to rant, and forgive me if I insulted anyone. I stand corrected and await your PM's.

Spoilsport

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 766

Actually, not everyone is entitled to an opinion if it is not informed, willfully ignorant, or otherwise misleading.

--J.D.

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 9:42 pm

^^^^^ Oh yes they are entitled. Our whole democratic voting system is based on that.

However, that doesn't mean one has to pay any attention to them. Wink

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 766

^^^^^^You're FOOLING yourself!! We're living in a dictatorship!!!

--J. "Well I Didn't Vote for You!" D.

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:33 pm

Doctor X wrote:

^^^^^^You're FOOLING yourself!! We're living in a dictatorship!!!

--J. "Well I Didn't Vote for You!" D.

Trust me, you are not. You dont even want to know what thats like...getting back to the point: I think the fact that we're trying to save all those victims makes it ethical. I mean these people are the lowest form of scum youever want to meet. So I think iscambaiting is the right thing to do.

Posted: Mon Jun 11, 2007 11:57 pm

First of all, amazed it took until page 2 for Jojo to Godwin this thread, I expected it halfway in page one. Twisted Evil

Now the obligatory personal opinion.

As an agnostic who feels the Creator issue can wait until I am dead, if there is one, and if not it won't matter, I try to live by my own morals for my own sense of well-being, and trying to improve the world a little bit before i move on and add to the fertilizer content of the Earth. Wasting these dirtbags' time at least reduces harm, if not outright improving things as far as I am concerned.

Go by your own ethics, regardless of if you feel they are divinely inspired or part of your internal makeup. That's all I can say. Make your own choice, or if you have to, ask your fellow Church members/pastor etc.

However the Bible is such a contradictory collection of legends and parables that I am sure there will be no problem finding quotes to suit your internal direction, which seems to lean towards baiting if you are even posting here. Smile

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 766

419h8r wrote:

Doctor X wrote:

^^^^^^You're FOOLING yourself!! We're living in a dictatorship!!!

--J. "Well I Didn't Vote for You!" D.

Trust me, you are not. You dont even want to know what thats like...

This might help. . . .

--J. "Come See the Violence Inherent in the System!" D.

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:12 am

Ok, folks, this thread is slowly degrading.

Back on track please.

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 766

"Help! Help! I'm being repressed!!"

--J.D.

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:15 am

Doctor X wrote:

This might help. . . .

--J. "Come See the Violence Inherent in the System!" D.

LOL. Ok that definitely helped. Got it...Sorry

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:32 am

I am rather familiar with that church and am somewhat aware of its work in Africa. I am not sure the theological poins are important as they relate to scamming and baiting, it has a different flavor than the more "evangelical" churches that seem to be so popular there. I wonder if that makes a difference in how the lads target the church or how they attack people that they think are members. The Masters around here might know, but I've never seen a format that included the lad trying to be an Adventist.

A friend that is an Adventist almost got hosed by a scammer. it was more begging than scamming but the thing that almost got her was that the lad seemed to have looked up the name of his local church and found the name of the next higher administrative unit and that threw the almost victim off.

I'd like to say that there is no such thing as an Adventist lad, but that seems sadly unreasonable.

** ACCOUNT CLOSED ** Joined: 15 Apr 2007 Posts: 766

^^^^My pleasure.

ANYways . . . to avoid future "violence inherent in the system," I think baiters have to familiarize themselves with what these Lads actually do to people. What they actually do.

These are evil people, Gentlemen.

They deserve what they get.

--J.D.

*** BANNED *** Joined: 10 Jan 2004 Posts: 3779

Proverbs 4.19 wrote:

The way of the wicked is like darkness; they know not on what they stumble.

Let the wicked mugus stumble. Twisted Evil

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 12:49 am

I'm a Christain myself. Orthodox to be exact. I consider scam-baiting to simply be a consequence of being a scammer. If you are 419 scammer you WILL run into some baiters. I do this because I don't believe we should simply roll over and let evil have it's way without a fight. Every one of us baiters is standing in the way of someone who may have otherwise been a victim. Personally I believe that there should be hundreds of thousands of more baiters in the world to make the 419 scamming career alot less lucrative. I feel that this is the baiters ultimate gaol. To achieve this goal we must have numbers. Join us so the numbers can increase.

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:49 am

Doctor X wrote:

These are evil people, Gentlemen.

They deserve what they get.

--J.D.

U're so right.

Posted: Tue Jun 12, 2007 2:57 am

Very nicely said icepeople. I agree. Very Happy

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