Once upon a time, a Christian was offered a well-paying position as a Systems Administrator at the company’s national corporate offices located in Hollywood, California, just across the street and up 27 stories from Mann’s Chinese Theatre. In that position, this Christian young fellow would be responsible for the entire Unix based computer network. Along with the company’s national chain of "retail outlets" were vigorous internet and print catalog sales departments offering an extensive number of products as well as five magazines robust with sales featuring the company’s line of products. Much of the responsibility for these sales outlets would fall upon this young Christian fellow’s shoulders. High on the corporate ladder, he would report directly to the Board of Directors. The compensation package was in proportion with the level of skill and responsibility required. The starting salary was $157,000 with 10% over COL annual raises tied to performance, and a complete fringe benefit/retirement package.

Before accepting the position, this young Christian fellow was interviewed by the full Board of Directors and, in addition to being informed about the scope of his responsibilities and his remuneration; he was given a full panoramic view of the company’s line of products. Simply put, the company was the Nation’s leading distributor of pornography and owner/operator of a national chain of "adult entertainment" clubs. The series of pornographic internet sites and its dozen or more print catalogs offered what the Chairman politely described as "the appropriate type of toys," were international in scope. After hearing all of this and briefly considering what he had just learned about the true nature of the company’s products, he accepted.

But the real story is the "reasoning" he used in his decision to accept the company’s most lucrative offer. He was troubled; his Christian upbringing had taught him that pornography and prostitution were totally immoral. He asked himself how could he, a "practicing" Christian be involved with such sinful enterprises? He reasoned that he wouldn’t be directly responsible for the production, procurement, or marketing of pornography. In his mind, he was simply the director/supervisor responsible for providing and maintaining computer services, the same as with any other company he would accept a position with – plain and simple. In his mind, this would be no different than the same position in a governmental agency, a college or university or any number of large companies he had interviewed with already. He saw himself as "flying under the Radar" as it were – not really involved with or responsible for the pornography and prostitution that was the company’s bread and butter. With that decision behind him, with a grateful heart, the very next Sunday morning he dropped a $100.00 bill in the collection plate and filled out a form committing him to pay 15% of his salary in tithing. Needless to say, the news of his generosity spread throughout his church as his continuing generous donations to the offertory and his tithing commitment became known to the ministerial staff. He felt blessed. As the years passed, he became convinced that God had opened the doors of opportunity for him so that his abundance could bless and help sustain the ministry of his church. Whenever the shadows of doubt momentarily troubled him, he was able to push them away by assuring himself that he had no direct responsibility for what the company was doing. He was only going to be the company’s "computer geek."

The "Flying under the radar" (being unobtrusive, hidden) no one will notice, excuse as well as the "brass monkey syndrome" (hear, see, speak no evil) do well for multitudes of Christians living and working in businesses with questionable moral and ethical standards ranging from Wall Street to the used car lot. How else do Christians justify working for organizations large or small that cheat or short-change their customers; engage in illicit and immoral activities? However, aren’t we compelled to ask if tithing on one’s gambling winnings or ignoring the depravity and corruption; the fraud and vice surrounding us where we work really cancels the debt? Can we, by looking the other way, excuse the evil we are immersed in? Does pretending it doesn’t exist make it go away any more than protesting our innocence absolves us of our Christian responsibilities? There’s a third popular excuse for ignoring evil, "I didn’t do it, not me, I had nothing to do with it, I just work here."

Edmund Burke once said "It is necessary only for the good man to do nothing for evil to triumph." Shouldn’t we ask ourselves, if we do nothing to stop the evil, are we good men? Is it enough to play like Pontius Pilate washing our hands of any involvement or responsibility? The Catholic Encyclopedia writes, "Pilate is a type of the worldly man, knowing the right and anxious to do it so far as it can be done without personal sacrifice of any kind, but yielding easily to pressure from those whose interest it is that he should act otherwise." Is that how we choose to be remembered? Or unlike the young Christian fellow can we say as Paul,

But this I confess unto thee, that after the way which they call heresy, so worship I the God of my fathers, believing all things which are written in the law and in the prophets: Acts 24:14