I was hanging out with a group of people this past weekend - a bunch of musicians - rehearsing for a recording gig in a couple of months. It was mixed company; three of us that profess to be Christians, and four that make no such claim.
In between jamming, conversation got around to a variety of things. One of them was music and movies, and some of the guys started talking about copying CDs or movies. They talked about this as if it was just common practice and no big deal.
"Ripping" music and movies (or anything else) that you do not own and have not paid for is illegal. It's also just plain dishonest, stealing from the artists, actors, and companies to whom that property belongs. I've heard a lot of excuses that try to justify this. "Most actors are obscenely wealthy" or "A big company won't miss a few songs" or "It's not hurting anyone". That's not the point. The point is this: that product does not belong to you. It is illegal and just plain wrong to steal it. Just because it's a "small" item or something that "doesn't hurt anyone" is irrelevant.
The more frustrating thing is that the other Christians in the group went right along with the discussion, as if there was no conflict of interest. Two problems with that: First, Christians are called to live according to the laws of the land. Romans 13:1-7. Second, Christians are called to set a different example than that of the world. And if we exhibit the same sins the world does, we don't show them that we are different or stand for anything different.
Even if we don't participate in the public conversations about it, being a person of integrity means doing the right thing even when no one else knows about it. It's not just an issue of the appearance of doing right, for when others see or know about it. It's about doing right before God and before yourself, so you know your character is intact.
For what it's worth, I called this group of people out about this. All of them are, to some degree, professional (or at least semi-professional) musicians. They are themselves affected when other people pirate music. I believe I addressed the issue in a tactful and non-judgmental way. But here's the sad thing: the non-Christians took it better than the Christians. Both of the other Christians in the group got a bit upset that I was calling them out about their relaxed attitude about intellectual property theft. Almost all of the non-Christians took it well. I talked to two of them later (to make sure they didn't feel I was being judgmental) and they said they knew I was right and that I hadn't come off as superior or judge-y. They got that I was just sharing my view on it, and one of them said, "I like that you're different from what everyone else stands for."
I see that as a win. But it's very discouraging that the Christians in the group...the very ones that should know better...were the ones that got upset about it. That could be a guilty conscience, but whatever the reason, it's frustrating.
There are many situations where copying copyrighted works is acceptable under the law. For example, I give copies of songs/CDs to people on our worship team all the time. This is allowed under the CCLI (worship music copyright) license, when it's for the purpose of songs (or even possible songs) we might use in worship. I've copied clips from movies to use in a film class I've taught several times. This is allowed under the creative commons license, when it's for purposes of education. I'm not talking about these situations. I've also had people offer to burn CDs for me just to listen to, or movies for me to watch, and I've turned them down. Personal use is not allowed under copyright law. And since I'm called to live according to the laws of the land, I decline.
What kind of standards do you live by even when others aren't around? Are there some situations that you excuse or justify (for whatever reason) even though you know they're wrong? Finally, how do you react when someone calls you out if you don't live/act ethically?
Having strong character is very difficult. But consistency is essential if we want to be people of integrity...all the more true if we profess to follow Jesus. Not only are we called to be honest people of sound character, but we are called to set an example for the rest of the world - to set ourselves apart as people who have different values than the world, and live in a blameless way before man and God.
