Preaching, Plagerism, or Piracy?

[Napoleon J. Harris V]

We've all done it. We've all heard a preacher say something catchy and repeated it or we've heard a great sermon and re-preached it. We've all done it. But it's not right, it is stealing and false representation. Whenever, we front like the work of another is ours we are stelaing!

Yes I know, we alll read commentaries or at least should, and we all listen to sermons or at least should, but there is a difference between being inspired through preperation and down right perpetrating but:

when and do we draw the line?
When is it no longer preaching but plagerism and piracy?
How can we hold ourselves accountable?

I mean it's a shame! To do this in the hallowed halls of academia will result in dismissal, the same holds true in any other field. It's fraud! Yet we tolerate it in the church and the pulpit of all places! How can we expect our parishoners to be just in their dealings when we ourselves are notorious in ours?

We need some integrity. It is wrong to steal. It is wrong to lie, and pretending as if you've wrote something you didn't is a huge lie! Especially when we consider the fact that we're getting paid, because the classic definition of pimping is getting paid from the toil of another, so not only are we stealing (plagerism/piracy) but we're also pimping! Especially in this multi-media world, where we can broadcast anothers ideas via internet, tv, cd, and dvd, and make money off of them! I've heard of preachers doing revivals and getting paid well all while preaching the sermons of other preachers. This is just down right wrong.

What can be done? What do you think?

P.S. to those of us who are reading this that specialize in Sat. night specials, you know surfing the net, or Libronix, and WordSearch, or other various software programs to cut and paste sermons, or those brothers and sisters who constantly re-incarnate what they've heard a televangelist say and do, I would be remissed if I didn't say in my most earnest voice stop it!

God will speak and in those moments when He is silent do as Juanita Weems suggests and live in the meantime, the span of time between the last time and the next time. Preach in the meantime, testify of God's goodness even in His seeming silence. Walk by faith. This silence is also a part of the journey. Take heart nobody hears the voice of God allways and at all times, if they did they wouldn't need to have faith! So take heart and be encouraged, but do not I mean do not, take the work of others and pretend that it is your own.

Secondly, consider settling in your own saddle. God gifts us all differently. Some of us just don't have the same outlooks, rather than stealing the fruits of anothers outlooks on the biblical text consider your own and hone them. For instance, I have a friend in New Haven, CT., nobody preaches like him! he shouted me in front of all the sisters I was trying to impress at the National Baptist Convention Summer Congress, while I was on stage, and in my convention suit (yall know how we are when we swear we clean and trying to be cool!)

I mean he KILLED me, killed me dead! I have two other friends who preached in the same convention at a late night service and another who preached there during the day. They can all rip a text apart and then put it back together again. They are masters, (They all appear on my post about who's the best preacher and why...check it out and voice your oppinion!) while I am a novice. Yet, I still will not steal their stuff, (even though we exchange information, and when I borrow I cite them), because I haven't lived life in their shoes. So I don't see things as they do! We come from different vantage points and it'd be a diservice to think that God would have us to see and say the same things. If this was the case He would've never called me! I have nothing on them guys, I ain't even as nice as them! Instead, I recognize that God has seen fit to navigate me through some tumultuous times and events all to shape my outlook on the biblical narrative. With this being said I have no need to steal, their expressions of God's navigational prowess, because I have my own!

And so do you, I implore and encourage yout to discover how GPS has benefited you in life, no not the GPS that accompanies Cadillacs and other fiine coupes, I mean the GPS that comes in the finest machinery known to man.... mankind itself. And this GPS is God's piloting system. Activate it through prayer, fasting, and meditation, ask God to open eyes, minds, and hearts. And then finally, just as you want pur good wine or champagne, or good gognac, or fresh water, or even cold Kool-Aide into a dirty contianer, neither will God speak to us when we sit cemented and centered in sinful activities, so I suggest that we try to live right, so that God will want to speak to us, through new and exciting means with new and exciting messages!

When inspired by a sermon, use it, but make it your own, and most importantly tell the truth if you got it from someone cite them, nothing makes you look smarter than citing some information!

Remember, knowing it all doesn't really make you smart because no one knows it all! But the truly smart are smart not because they know it all, but because they know where to go to get the answers!
As always your questions, comments, concerns, critiques, conversation and contension is much warrented and welcomed.

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

It is truly amazing how many times I read responses in blogs from people who respond without reading the question. They go on baseless rampages to prove they are holier than most like the Parisee in the temple. Everybody else is wrong and they are the only ones who are right. They are spineless in the body of Christ because they choose a forum where debate is not possible and critize without fear of re-approach because they carry some long hurt feeling from their past over a church hurt.
AMEN Rev. Moore

You're beginning to sound like a broken record.
AMEN Bro. Watson

My Brothers in Christ: There is a warring spirit traveling throughout this website.
So . . . . .

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, is a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour." 1 Peter 5:18 KJV

[Hezekiah Ben Israel]

Brother. He is talking about Preaching and plagerisim. If you are teaching the Bible, where is the Plagerism?

[Rev. Charles Moore]

The problem: In your original response you did not provide any input to the discussion, you only wanted to make a stand with your enlightment of underastanding. Next you began to critize Sat/Sun Sabbath day worship, when everyday is the Lord's and ministry should be conduct everyday. Finally, the title debate......you really don't understand.....People can call me whatever they please....because regardless of the name.....I'm still nothing but a servant. I serve....when I feed the homeless - they say thank you Rev...and i keep serving......I serve by keeping single mothers in their homes by paying ultility bills from the collection plate - They say thank you pastor - and i keep serving. Servant is not a title but a calling & a responsibility.

Your senseless debate is like driving a car. You want to spend time arguing which gas station has the best gas........I say forget about the debate and fill up your tank so you can do the work in the field where the work is needed.

Chaplain - I do apologize for responding in this manner but many people of this website are tired of these Pharisee who intentually ruin good thread with rhetoric trying to show the world their intellegence. THey are deep in their knowledge but lazy in the field.
They are like the servant who was given a single talent but through his own thinking, buried his talant and profit the the master nothing.

[Hezekiah Ben Israel]

It is not my understanding that I lean to. It is the Bible that gives me understanding. If you had understanding or allowed the Lord's understanding to come into your mind you would have no prob with what I am doing. The original thread talked about plagerism in sermens. That has nothing to do with the Bible. I know I go hard when it comes to the word of God, but it is not to show what I know because I know nothing. All my learning come from the Bible. I am trying to get people to see the truth, so that the Lord may find me worthy with the fruit that I bare. I go hard because it will either cause you to look up what I post, and find out, or not deal with what I say at all. If I were to scratch your ears, then most would not even hear the word when it is posted. The Lord says keep the commandments, and and if you do not, then you are going to the fire. That is why I post what I post. I fear the Lord. I am afraid for the people who don't keep the word.. If you believed the Lord, you would be doing what I am doing. Here is the scripture.

Matthew 5: 17-19 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

I am sure if read this, and think nothing of it, but I fear it because this is the word of God.

[Pastor valentine]

I have an issue when it becomes verbatim, in our preaching,teaching. My background in minstry is mainly baptist,though now I am now COGIC . I speak from the perspective when we listin to a sermon or listen. in a class. We should recieve words, thoughts, that shoiuld move our spirit closer to God. I do now ,use thoughts, words or phrases that I heard from others. Example if you preached a word and it moved my spirit. I would share that revlation with others. No, I do not stop in my sermon or at the end and give credits. I feel as men and woman of God , There's nothing wrong with useing what word God has blessed you with. After all as long as God and God alone . Recieves All the Honor, All the glory, and All the Praise. If you are selling ,books,tapes, etc , then that's another matter.

[Chaplain Pat Harris]

Rev. Moore, no apology necessary. I encourage all saints of God to stand strong, even in hard places.

[newview]

As Christians - doesn't the premise of the question go against everything we are taught as followers of Christ?

The scriptures say:
Now I beseechyou , brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye all speak the same thing, and that there be no divisions among you; but that ye be perfectly joined together in the same mind and in the same judgment. .
and another place:
Did the word of God originate with you?

Maybe preachers should get their sermons copyrighted and if another one preaches it - they can sue that Christian.

HahHah!...Besides IMITATION is the highest form of flattery.