The Chronicle of Higher Education has a disturbing article here about a guy who works for a business that writes papers for college students—even entire graduate theses. (HT: A.B. Caneday)
It’s a weird piece at one level—an adult making a living off of a blatantly unethical practice and chastising the educators who are duped. But it’s still instructive to read about how it’s done.
Here is an excerpt where he addresses teachers:
Of course, I know you are aware that cheating occurs. But you have no idea how deeply this kind of cheating penetrates the academic system, much less how to stop it.
Note this in particular:
I do a lot of work for seminary students. I like seminary students. They seem so blissfully unaware of the inherent contradiction in paying somebody to help them cheat in courses that are largely about walking in the light of God and providing an ethical model for others to follow.
Unattributed ghostwriting is probably more rampant in evangelicalism than many of us realize. Get hooked in seminary, and it will probably follow you into the pulpit.
For some thoughts on defining plagiarism, especially in the pulpit, see this article from DG.
A few verses to heed:
“You shall not steal.”—Exodus 20:15
“For the commandments [like] . . . ‘You shall not steal’ . . . are summed up in this word: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’”—Romans 13:9
“We have renounced disgraceful, underhanded ways. We refuse to practice cunning or to tamper with God’s word, but by the open statement of the truth we would commend ourselves to everyone’s conscience in the sight of God.”—2 Cor. 4:2
