A friend of mine posted a link to THIS ARTICLE on my FB page. He is an unashamed smuggler and I am a horrified rule keeper. We've "discussed" this topic before, he laughs at my horrified face and I get emotional and annoyed and both of us end the conversation with unchanged minds!
It seems like most of the commenters agree that it's fine to smuggle candy, drinks and even whole meals into the movie theaters, but do you know that the theater makes no money from ticket sales the first two weeks of a movie and the only money they make is from the concession sales? So, if the movie doesn't last more then two weeks.....
I know the movie snacks are super expensive, but so are the tickets to get in. Why not just have one person buy a ticket and then let the rest of the group in through the exit door?
You know what else is expensive? Cd's and DVD's, so illegal downloading off of the internet must be okay too! Yippie, no more Netflix or Hulu subscriptions for me, I'll just download everything or free!
And I really like those boots at Target that I just don't have the money for right now.....there is no sign specifically telling me NOT to steal them, so I can just tuck the boots in my purse, right?
See where I'm going with this?
How does it look to kids who see us only keeping the rules we like or think aren't stupid? What if they don't like the rules you set and think bed times and vegetables are stupid? How can you explain that sneaking candy into to movies is okay, but they have to obey your rules, what's the difference?
How does it look to nonbelievers that we can't keep a simple rule like not sneaking candy into the movies? We read and watch all the same things, sneak candy, sleep around, pirate things off of the internet and from our friends, the divorce rate is almost identical in the church as out, is it really any wonder they view Christians as hypocrites?
WHEW! That went deeper then I thought it would.....fire away with your thoughts and objections!
Ps. If you don't like the prices, YOU DON"T HAVE TO GO TO THE MOVIES! They're not forcing you to sneak (the very use of words like smuggling, sneaking, hiding ect ect ect, kind of denotes guilt or wrong doing, don't you think?) the contraband food in! And using Dave Ramsey as a scap goat is just sad.....but officer I HAD to steal the car, I would have to dip into my 6-9 month emergency fund to buy it otherwise and I need it! =P
Pss. My family used to be candy smugglers, but my parents consciences were pricked after going through Growing Kids Gods Way and stopped!
Bravo little sis!!! Very well put.... I agree 110%...
ReplyDeleteI would think it would be ok if your kid had a severe food allergy or something. For example, I have a friend whose kids can't eat corn, wheat, milk, almost anything.
ReplyDeleteBut the debate would be if that is "smuggling" or a simple matter of going to the theater and explaining and asking permission.
Now, if that means I am not going to carry my purse which may at any given time contain a stick of gum or a breath mint which I may chose to consume - no. That is just my life - not robbing the theater.
But it is interesting to think about.
I think there's two issues here, 1) Stealing, vs 2) Breaking rules. Illegally downloading movies off the internet is stealing, because you're not paying the films' creators for them. Sneaking candy into a theater is not technically stealing, because presumably you bought it for cheaper elsewhere (say, a $1 Walmart-brand package of candy).
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, though--deliberately breaking the theater rules IS setting a bad example to the people around you (not just kids). Personally, I wish they would ban food in theaters altogether--I hate hearing "crunch crunch" in the middle of a movie. ;)
Hmm...interesting post. I usually bring a drink in the theater, but it's not like I hide it...I walk right in with my Starbucks, or drink from a restaurant and no one ever says anything. Maybe because my theater is in the middle of a big group of restaurants? I have been known to sneak food into a theater, but it's been a while:-) And sometimes I put a soda in my purse, but not really to hide it since no one seems to care!
ReplyDeletesorry, still unchanged. Im a stubborn old mule.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Marian though that there is big leap from stealing cars to sneaking candy into the theatre.
So, it must be wrong to bring your own water into a concert? Because they sell water there....
Or perhaps on your way to the fair, you stop at your local dessert joint (for me it'd be Sno Cap) and get an Ice Cream and, heaven forbid, bring it into the Fair .......because they have vendors there that are selling those items....
I would argue that most people would not consider this a bad thing. Yes, I think it is slightly morally wrong to "Sneak" in candy or other items, but there becomes a point when you are just nit-picking and searching for things for which to wag your finger.
And BTW, I do not bring in candy EVERY time I go to the theaters, just occasionally, certainly more than I buy food there (oh wait, I don't EVER buy food there... how do they call their sizes a SMALL anyway- they're huge).
Since the theaters don't make any money except for concessions during the first two weeks, Ill work at going to movies during the later weeks when I bring in candy. How does that sound? hehe
I'm not trying to be a Natzi, I carry gum and mints around most of the time and sometimes even have other kinds of candy. But I didn't buy them special with the intent of sneaking them past anyone(except maybe my siblings, they will have the gum gone in seconds of they know I have some!)
ReplyDeleteIf your child does have allergies, go ahead and ask for special permission, or maybe they should just wait for a snack until they get home.
And I know stealing a car and sneaking candy into the movies seem eons apart, but the intent behind them is the same, not wanting to pay for what you feel you deserve!
Lauren: If your theater doesn't have a problem with it, it's fine! I'e heard of some that don't have the rules against outside snacks. Wish I lived near one! ;-)
Tim: It all depends on if there are rule against outside snacks, if the fair/concert/theme park doesn't have a rule against outside food then of course it's fine, but if they do.....
I seem to have missed the fact that morality operated on a sliding scale, man that is going to make life SO much easier and less stressful!
Except gum. It's okay to take gum to a movie (as long as you don't stick it under your seat when you're done) because that is normal stuff you'd have in a purse anyway.
ReplyDelete