Jumpstarter 5 of 10

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Question 5

Bercot remarks that the colonists seemed to believe they had an “inherent right to smuggle”; what are the modern equivalents of “respectable” sins Christians treat as entitlements (financial, digital, workplace, tax-related, insurance-related), and how does calling them “rights” change the conscience?

Another way to ask: Bercot says the colonists acted like smuggling was a “right.” What “respectable” sins today do Christians act entitled to (money, online, work, taxes, insurance), and how does calling them “rights” dull our conscience?

Direct Answer The transcript doesn’t list modern examples, but Bercot’s point is that when people label wrongdoing as a “right,” they numb the conscience and turn sin into something they feel entitled to defend. His “inherent right to smuggle” comment exposes how easily a culture can normalize dishonesty.

Support from Transcript:

After enforcement, colonists claimed England was “trampling on their rights.”
Bercot’s sharp summary: “Apparently, the colonists believed they had the inherent right to smuggle.”
He describes smuggling as widespread: “rampant smuggling” and a pattern of evading earlier tariffs.
He says “an entire culture had developed in colonial seaports to protect smugglers.”
The outrage wasn’t presented as guilt but as anger: they “went into a rage” over writs of assistance.
He frames obedience as Christian duty: paying taxes is implied by “paid back Caesar’s things to Caesar.”

Discussion Follow-ups What behaviors do believers excuse because “everyone does it” or because it feels necessary to compete? How does your language (“I deserve this,” “they owe me”) reveal when you’ve turned a temptation into an entitlement?

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