An ITF Struggle with Conscience
Today I violated my conscience.
And I didn’t just bend or fracture it, I shattered it. I guess I really made it worth my while.
I feel bad about it, of course, but at the same time I’m struggling with the notion that I was manipulated somewhat by circumstances. That I was maybe justified in doing it because of threatened retribution.
But how important do you consider your convictions if you cave and they topple at the first sign of opposition? They certainly aren’t growing stronger! Tribulation certainly isn’t working patience!
And this was something I have stood up valiantly for in the past, triumphantly even. It’s something I hold dear to my heart, I’ve nurtured a great passion for it for many years.
But this time I was strongly opposed, I was informed in no uncertain terms what the consequences would be. And the consequence would have been disciplinary action at work, to some degree putting my job in jeapardy.
Does that mean my job is more important to me than my conviction? I cry “no,” but the evidence says “yes.” I don’t know what to think.
For years I have passionately stood up for mankind’s inborn right to have Saturday’s off work. Shouldn’t even be a question, you get Saturday off no matter what. I fondly remember many an affirming conversation I had in years past with Mrs. Darling’s brother about this God-given right of all men. We vehemently agreed that 8 hours a day was enough and Saturdays were off limits.
The Den of Iniquity has been going through very difficult times lately. Production has been greatly hindered by varied and sundry obstacles, and overtime has shot through the roof. Rarely does management demand that we work a Saturday, and if they do it’s usually only until noon.
Not so today. They demanded attendance, and they demanded a full production day. What they got was a day’s production in about a day and a half’s production time. It was almost evening before I finally punched out (we begin at 6 a.m.), this was the longest day I had ever logged in service for the Den on Iniquity.
So anyway, that’s why I’m struggling with body, mind, spirit, and emotions.
11 Responses
October 15th, 2005 at 10:30 pm
I tried to feel sorry for you, but I couldn’t quite drum it up.
Ag
October 16th, 2005 at 7:07 am
You did have me worried there for a minute, Tom. I work Saturday because it is a regular work day for me. I get Monday and Tuesday off, which is great. But when I worked in parts sales, I worked Mon-Sat by choice, simply because I needed the pay.
As John Wayne stated, “Sometimes a man’s gotta do what a man’s gotta do.”
October 16th, 2005 at 2:26 pm
OH Boy, I thought that you finally had really surcumbed and ate with a fork. What a relief, it was only working on Sat. {:^)
October 16th, 2005 at 2:26 pm
Ag, honey, I felt sorry for him! All that energy he wastes howling (he calls it singing) awfully and all the times that he is drugged and all the times he nearly crashes (because he falls asleep) his poor wife and now he has to work on Saturday! Oh. My. Goodness. Talk about trials and tribulations! The poor man!
October 16th, 2005 at 2:27 pm
I thought the conscience that you had violated might have involved a certain email you sent me… *grin*
October 16th, 2005 at 2:44 pm
I hate to pop your bubble Tom but the Bible does say this in Exodus 20..
“Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates.
Sorry Tom, your conscience got mixed up with the wrong day. It wasn’t Sunday!
October 17th, 2005 at 8:13 am
Really, Rob? Are you sure Sunday and the Sabbath have a lot in common? I don’t mean to burst your bubble…
No, I have no intention of making this a MennoDiscuss simulation, but matters of the conscience are indeed weighty matters, as Tom has proven. =)
October 17th, 2005 at 9:50 am
Yes, I can see my brother afffirming your desire for a five day week. In the summer he spends a lot of time sitting on his porch drinking ice tea after work. He’s all into a laid back life style.
I have to admit I was relieved you had only seared your conscience in matters of working on Saturday rather than Sunday. And you’re right about the conviction part. Our old Bishop, Ernest Bontrager, use to say that a conviction is something you would die for before you’d violate it.(that sentence seems all messed up somehow but you get the point)
Hmmm looking at it like that I’m not sure I even have a conviction about not working on Sunday! I do have a strong feeling it should be avoided though! :)
October 17th, 2005 at 10:16 pm
does that mean you get there by 6:15
October 17th, 2005 at 10:31 pm
Ok, so now you are scaring me. Tom, do you have a dh? How does your dw feel about this?
October 18th, 2005 at 8:59 pm
Tom, Tom, Tom, I would really like to feel sorry for you. But having had to work almost every Saturday since I graduated some 25 years ago. and just recently having had Saturday’s off with some consistency, I really have no sympathy for you. Just last week I was informed that, due to driver changes at work, I would no longer be getting Saturdays off until next spring, I once again felt like I was in the past. However, hearing you talk about such a long day, I can’t feel sorry for you there either. I started at 1:15 a.m. this morning and finished at 5:00 P.M. Yes, I’m tired and after I eat dinner, I will go to bed as I have to be at work at 3:00 A.M. tomorrow. Just thought I’d let you know how GOOD you have it. Take care bro….another older bro, dt