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 long time  to  come;  if  they  refuse  to  share  with  the starving hundreds  around  them,  the  government, general or  local,  as  the  case  may  be,  has  a  perfect right to  seize  on  their  property  and  distribute  it around  among  the  suffering  poor. Here again there is  no  sin  nor  theft,  for  material  goods  are  not to be  compared  to  human  lives,  and  if  these  rich  men refuse to  save  human  lives  with  their  goods,  their refusal is  wicked,  unreasonable,  and  not  to  be respected. But remember  it  is  only  in  cases  of  extreme necessity  that  the  words  mine  and  thine  cease to exist — that  what  is  yours  becomes  mine  and  mine yours; and  then  only  to  the  extent  of  relieving  that necessity here  and  now. Again, suppose  I  agreed  to do  a  certain  amount  of  work  for  a  man  for  so  much a day,  and  suppose  that  by  and  by  my  employer doubled my  work  without  increasing  my  pay. I protest and  demand  either  less  work  or  more  pay,  but he refuses  both,  and  in  all  the  world  I  cannot  see where I  am  to  get  another  job. What am  I  to  do? I must  consult  my  confessor  about  it  and  if  he  agrees that the  circumstances  really  are  as  I  state  them, then I  can,  unknown  to  my  employer,  take  from  him as much  money  or  goods  as  will  compensate  me  for the increased  work  I  do. Oh, but  I  steal! No, for my employer's  dissent  is  so  palpably  unreasonable and unjust  that  I  am  not  bound  to  respect  it,  and  besides I  do  him  no  wrong,  for,  according  to  himself  at our  first  agreement,  my  work  is  worth  the  money.

These are  a  few  cases  allowed  by  the  Church  to save  the  poor  and  needy  from  absolute  oppression.