Sociopath Community

darn this is a good one  because there is not holding anyone's debts against you  (forgiveness),  but you are also not supposed to give a false testimony  but I am not sure if that is supposed to be as far as do not falsely incriminate someone,  or if it would include also not leaving out or refusing to give information

I have to think on this one a little more

I think that I would tell the truth of what happened from my perspective

JesusistheKing said: 

I think that I would tell the truth of what happened from my perspective

Even if this meant you potentially serving two years?

Turncoat said: 

JesusistheKing said: 

I think that I would tell the truth of what happened from my perspective

Even if this meant you potentially serving two years?

Yes  there are cases in the old testament of like Hagar lying to protect the two men of God from being killed  (God appreciates mercy over sacrifice)  but the new testament is all about telling the truth,  and plus it isn't the death sentence or anything  but yeah  I mean my initial reaction would be to leave out any information about the friend,  but I am trying to think about what Jesus would do  and Jesus tells the truth  but he was not really ever in a position where he was asked to give information about someone else where it would put that person in jail  but plenty of Christians become imprisoned just for being Christians lol

And it also depends if the specific law broken was a law of God,  or a law of man  like if it was over something stupid like you weren't supposed to be allowed to travel by camel in this specific region because of some bizarre incident in the past where there was mass public chaos because of traveling by camel and so they decided to ban camel traveling but neither you or your friend were even aware if that law  :p  but God also says to respect authority but like  If it is not specifically breaking a law of God idk if I would consider it important enough to confess anything about another person being involved

As a matter of Game Theory, remaining silent is the biggest gamble over how you either serve one year or serve five as either outcome, and in the end you are ensured prison time no matter what you do over choosing to not testify against your friend. If you say nothing you are punished no matter what. 

Choosing to rat them out, even if they didn't do anything, becomes naturally incentivized over how there is no risk of five years within this option, it's either two years served or no time at all if your friend could be trusted to say nothing, meaning if someone machiavellian can count on their friend saying nothing they could end up never having to step foot behind bars at all. 

Emotional motivations however are a thing beyond just the yearly balances. If you for example snitch on them and they serve five years over having said nothing... you now have a dude with five years of resentment baking in a cell. To choose to be silent though is taking a lot on faith that your friend won't just try to cover their own ass when cornered, but that's why there's sayings like: 

JesusistheKing said: 

And it also depends if the specific law broken was a law of God

How would your answer change if it was a criminal organization like the mob rather than police? 

Silence, if I think I can trust the person. Accuse, if I have any doubt.

Tryptamine said: 

Silence, if I think I can trust the person. Accuse, if I have any doubt.

Based on your own nature, what are your odds of doubt over some sort of average guy being that friend (in percentages maybe)? 

Personally the idea of accusing the other person makes me very uncomfortable even with it technically being the safer answer for years spent in prison. I also figure even the most well meaning person is liable to panic, which should increase my odds of accusing them for my own safety, but then that ends up gambling them being silent and spending five years behind bars for doing what I'd otherwise say was the right thing. 

I don't really know how I'd answer this question beyond bringing up such a hypothetical with the friend in question before going through any crimes in hopes of making some sort of pact if not at least come to an understanding. The mystery of it would be the hardest part of figuring an answer for it even over an average rando.

Barring that... I'd probably not say anything unless the severity of the crime was high enough to affect my judgement, like if the two of us had been responsible for a murder arguably in self defense or a hit-and-run or something.