A WEEK ago, I ran into a Christian bus driver at the Brickdam Police Station. He told me that he had broken the law and he had to report to the police station. I asked him what he thinks may be the outcome of the case. He told me that he will have to pay a bribe to the police to settle it outside of the court.

Just as he had said, 30 minutes later, he paid a two- thousand dollar bribe, which settled the case. He wasn’t happy that he had to pay so much money for a minor infraction. However, he agreed to pay rather than go to court and pay a larger amount.

What was baffling to me is that this Christian man never felt that he was doing anything wrong, or cared that he was breaking the law by paying the bribe. I find it ironic that this man was fined for breaking the law. At the same time, he was breaking the law by paying a bribe. However, in Guyana, there is no fine for paying a bribe, and it does not appear to be against the law to pay a bribe.
This Christian man did not see it as paying a bribe, but rather as settling a matter out of the court, which saved him money and time. He was not disputing paying the bribe, but only the amount of the bribe.
Paying a bribe in Guyana is normal and accepted. It is like breathing air.

In light of the above story, my question to you is whether it is a sin/wrong to pay a bribe? Did the driver commit a sin by paying the bribe? Would what he did be considered a bribe? If it was a bribe, should he have paid it or instead go to court? How do you reconcile being a Christian and paying a bribe? Is it a sin to accept a bribe? Did the police commit a sin by accepting a bribe?