Thou shall not steal ???
It seems that in today’s world, music piracy is becoming as common as music itself. From secular to religious, English to Hindi, music piracy has breached nearly all areas of the musical stage. Why is it that we have hardened our hearts and now think it is ok to burn a complete CD album and distribute it to up to five friends? Why do we no longer think of the repercussions of our actions on the artists providing us with wonderful music, and why is it that no thought is even put into what spiritual ramifications are resulting due to our piratic actions?
In Exodus 20:15 we are commanded not to steal, and even after the first coming of Christ the 10 Commandments are supposed to have stayed strong and embedded in the minds and hearts of Christians. In Matthew 5:17, Christ Jesus explains that “18 until heaven and earth disappear, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” The commandments spoken of are situated around the massive importance of the Law which Christ did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. The 10 Commandments are undoubtedly included in the law, so why is it that we have overlooked that commandment which states “Thou Shall Not Steal?” Music Piracy is an act of theft, it is an act of disobedience and disregard for the Lord’s Commandments. By taking a product we have not bought and do not rightfully own, we are taking from the individual who—with their God given talents—has provided the world with their unique creation.
There are a whole ton of excuses and reasons why downloading nearly half a CD off of a website or burning a CD for a friend is “definitely not music piracy,” but if you look at the back of most CD albums you will see a clear and explicitly labeled area in which the text will say something along the lines of:
“ALL RIGHTS OF THE PRODUCER AND OF THE OWNER OF THE RECORDED WORK RESERVED. UNAUTHORIZED COPYING, HIRING, RENTING, PUBLIC PERFORMANCE, AND BROADCASTING OF THE RECORD PROHIBITED.”
So then, where do we get off thinking that taking and duplicating the product of an artist is okay and in any way legal? Well, that has its roots in the world we live in. We live in a world in which we are continuously tempted to stray away from the Lord, His teachings and His Guidance, and we are in a constant struggle to put our faith in God and “fight the good fight of faith.” The tempter will strive to bring us down to the level of sin in any way possible while we are living. He will cause something beautiful to influence us to sin, and he will cause something which is despicable within to seem “right” and “just.” This is what we, as Children of God must watch for.
Now that music piracy in general has been addressed, that leaves something which is rising amazingly popularity-wise; Christian Worship music.
Sure, Secular music is nothing like Christian worship music. Lyric-wise, emotionally, spiritually, Worship music is completely different than Secular music, but it is music nonetheless. Just because the cover of the album has a cross in the background with some inspiringly devout figure doesn’t mean that it doesn’t provide the artist with an income he or she needs to live off of. Even if a persons reason for duplicating the music of a specific artist is along the lines of witnessing to a non-Christian, their method is incorrect. Don’t get me wrong, I am all for witnessing the gospel to non-Christians, but the bottom line is that you can’t steal from one mouth to give to another. The 10 Commandments apply to all areas of life based on what Christ Jesus has stated; witnessing included. Christian Worship music is an amazing tool that helps in helping our brothers and sisters come to a better understanding of who our God is and what He has done for us. But if you’re going to use Worship music to pass a point across, just have your friend come over to your house and listen to the music together. Pull out your Bibles, turn the worship music on low and have a Bible study. If your friend wants some of the songs, tell them where they can buy it or just buy it for them as a gift! You could even just go to music.yahoo.com and buy the songs individually for .99 cents a piece! Don’t be a thief, how can you preach God’s word and disobey Him at the same time? Don’t be fooled, something is obviously wrong with that scenario!
It is absolutely necessary that we Glorify our Father by obeying His word and allowing Him to work through us and to enable us to act as the “Salt of the Earth.” We, as Christians are meant to act as the light of the world, like an illuminated city on a hill. (Matthew 5:14) If we are acting in the same way as the rest of the world, then how can we allow God’s light to shine from us so that all individuals can “see our good deeds and praise our Father in Heaven?” (Matthew 5:16) Music piracy is a major issue in today’s world, and we are supposed to be morally upright believers in Christ. Our absolute faith in the Lord and dedication to the study of His Word are supposed to cause us to act as beacons of truth in a deceitful world. This can not be accomplished if we continue to associate our lives with the sins which are committed by countless others.
So, come'on guys, enough of this blatant cheating and enough of being fooled into the belief that it’s OKAY to steal as long as it isn’t technically called “stealing.” Glorify God by allowing the Godly deeds He wants to do through you enter into your life, strive to be that “Salt of the Earth” and strive to let God’s Greatness shine through your life.
Manny Pavlopoulos
Take some time to review the following articles:
http://www.christiantoday.com/article/piracy.of.gospel.music.worries.christian.music.ministries/675.htm
Especially this one:
http://www.westernrecorder.org/wr/wrsite.nsf/stories/200721-Music