![]() “Literary theft.” Simply stated, “Plagiarism occurs when a writer duplicates another writer's language or ideas and then calls the work his or her own. Copyright laws protect writers' words as their legal property. To avoid the charge of plagiarism, writers take care to credit those from whom they borrow and quote”[i] in speech or written form. Why do some Christian leaders, pastors, and authors commit plagiarism? Good question when we all know better. Not everyone does it, just a few. Most of us were taught about plagiarism in our high school English class. In my high school everyone wrote term papers during his or her junior and senior years. We were taught the importance of proper footnoting and citing of sources. The dreaded annual ‘term papers’ provided a great opportunity for our teachers to instruct us in the ways of intellectual honesty. The same rules applied when we arrived on our perspective campuses for undergraduate and graduate studies. Yet some Christian leaders, pastors, and authors disregard the need for intellectual integrity. Unintentional mistakes occur and will from time to time. I’m not referring to such instances. I am talking though about some believers who knowingly commit this lapse of ethical conduct. Such a dishonest act is further compounded when the plagiarizing believer makes a profit by selling books and other materials with portions of another’s work. According to plagiarism.org there are several ways in which this occurs. The first list consists of plagiarism when an author does not cite his or her sources. The second list consists of plagiarism when an author’s sources are not properly cited. Sources un-cited:
Sources not properly cited:
Beyond the personal integrity issues, the academic and legal ramifications associated with plagiarism are two other serious concerns. In relation to the legal repercussions plagiarism.org says, “If . . . the plagiarism involves money, prizes, or job placement, it constitutes a crime punishable in court. . . . Most cases of plagiarism are considered misdemeanors, punishable by fines of anywhere between $100 and $50,000 -- and up to one year in jail. Plagiarism can also be considered a felony under certain state and federal laws. For example, if a plagiarist copies and earns more than $2,500 from copyrighted material, he or she may face up to $250,000 in fines and up to ten years in jail.”[iv] In an academic setting, one school states as a part of its requirements that “unless credit is explicitly given to sources, the student is asserting that the words and/or the thoughts are the student's own original work. Falling short of these standards is academic dishonesty. . . . The institution may take disciplinary action should any ethical standard of an academic and/or personal nature be violated. In the case of academic dishonesty . . . breaches of this standard will result in the failure of the assignment along with further possible disciplinary measures as outlined.”[v] With today’s technological abilities and Internet access, any article, book, or other material can be evaluated by a number of programs. Turnitin[vi] is one such program and “is the leading academic plagiarism detector, utilized by teachers and students to avoid plagiarism and ensure academic integrity.”[vii] Plagiarism is much harder to disguise now than in previous years. How can Exodus 20:15 be so easily overlooked by some who are members of the body of Christ? Unintentional mistakes do occur and will from time to time. I’m not referring to such instances. But I do believe a Christian violates ‘thou shalt not steal” by intentionally and knowingly plagiarizing another’s literary property. Paul reminds us, “Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus”[viii] and “whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”[ix] May God help us to be a people of integrity who honor Him and our fellow man. [i] http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/plagiarism [ii] http://www.plagiarism.org/plag_article_types_of_plagiarism.html [iii] Ibid. [iv] Ibid. [v] http://www.swbts.edu/catalog/page.cfm?id=118&open=13_area [vi] Turnitin is a registered trademark [vii] http://www.Turnitin.com [viii] Colossians 3:17 [ix] 1 Corinthians 10:31b
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