[A reductionist view of the eighth commandment would be simply: don't forcibly take someone else's property. For most affluent people—affluent enough to have an Internet connection and read a blog post—this is pretty straightforward. But Heidelberg doesn't let us off the hook; by asking (in line with Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount) what the heart behind the commandment is, it provides application for all of us. Theft "also includes all scheming and swindling to get our neighbour's goods for ourselves," even if the means appear legitimate. It rules out the charging of excessive interest (credit card companies, anyone?) and the watering down of beer as much as it rules out counterfeiting and fraud. It even rules out squandering God's gifts and laziness. How are we to live instead? "That I do whatever I can for my neighbour’s good, that I treat others as I would like them to treat me, and that I work faithfully so that I may share with those in need."]