What does the Bible say about software piracy? Part 2
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In my previous article of this series I concluded saying that software piracy is theft. Let’s pick up from where I stopped.
Now what does the bible say about stealing?
1. God commands that we must not steal.
“You shall not steal.” Exodus 20:15. When we commit software piracy we break God’s law as well as the state law.
2. Software piracy is sin
The Lord spoke to Moses, saying, “If anyone sins and commits a breach of faith against the Lord … through robbery…”
Robbing is a sin. Software piracy is robbing from some one’s hard work therefore it’s a sin detestable before God.
3. Thieves shall never inherit the kingdom of God. (see the underlined text)
“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: ….nor thieves…. Will inherit the kingdom of God.” 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
Whether you are aware or not you take a risk of loosing your salvation each time you purchase, use or distribute pirated software.
What must we do as Christians?
God will forgive us if we confess, repent and stop sinning.
But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9
Last year I uninstalled all the pirated software installed in my Home and Office Computers. Remember God cannot forgive you if you don’t repent genuinely and stop sinning. You continue to sin if you don’t get rid of those pirated stuff.
Now how do I run my Computer without Software?
As I told you before you cannot use a Computer without the necessary software. But don’t worry. There are plenty of options available.
If you are a nerd and wants to get rid of a pirated Windows Installation settle for a Linux flavor like Ubuntu. You will be able to master it soon. I heard that the developers Ubuntu are working on a user manual also.
If you don’t want to use any thing less than Windows consider buying a “Starter Edition”. Starter editions of Windows Operating systems come with a lower price tag. In my Country a copy of Windows XP Starter Edition can be purchased at a price of US $ 40. Windows Vista Starter Edition is available for a price of US $ 60. Microsoft Office Home And Student (OEM) Edition can be bought at a price of US $ 80.
If you find it difficult to afford for both Windows and Office Package, you can purchase a copy of Windows and download Open Office which is a free – open source alternative for Microsoft Office. (Update: if you don’t like the less than professional look of Open Office, try “Lotus Symphony free Office Suite from IBM. You can get more information and the download link from PCMech’s blog post.)
However there are disadvantages too. You can not use Starter editions of Windows Operating systems in a corporate environment because they lack networking facilities. If you are using Windows Vista Starter Edition in your PC, you can access the Internet, send and receive emails but can’t print to a network printer. Furthermore you can run only 3 software programmes simultaneously and cannot use more than 1GB of physical memory. You can compare editions here.
Windows Vista Starter Edition can not give me everything like a pirated copy of Vista Ultimate could do but something is better than nothing and having everything and going to hell.
Jesus said,
If your eye causes you to sin, tear it out! It is better to enter into the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell (Mark 9:47)
Here is a complete list of Free and Open Source Software alternatives for Commercial software.
Let’s get rid of pirated software and become real Christians.
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Thanks for bringing this issue to the attention of others. I represent BibleWorks software and we have had to spend thousands and thousands of dollars in program development and administrative effort to combat piracy. Sad to say that many (waaaaay too many) people worldwide feel it is not a sin to steal our (intellectual) property. I know I am not without sin, but our company does all it can to keep our software prices as low as possible so that Missionaries, Pastors, Students and Academics worldwide can afford it. Every time someone “steals” our software, it makes it harder to keep our prices down.
Blessings,
Jim
Thanks Jim. Thank you for appreciating our little effort to confront the Church of this sinful world-wide issue.
Regarding copyright law (Romans 13:1 arguments aside), sharing is hardly a sin. You must examine these issues much more deeply than you did in this article to come to any reasonable conclusion. I encourage you to educate yourself on the history and purpose of copyright law. More importantly study the effects technology innovations have on the application of law and understand that natural rights are unaffected by technology innovations.
Hi Eric,
I already did examine the issues…. Software piracy can’t be justified as sharing as long as it violates the law of God and the law of men.
As for educating my self on the history and purpose of copyright law plus the effects technology innovations have on the application of law and understand that natural rights are unaffected by technology innovations, it’s irrelevant.
I am also dissapointed in this article because it does not confront piracy it confronts theft. This also goes in with those who claim piracy is theft which I can understand.
What I want to know is if the bible considers intellectual property or ideas as actual property? I skip over the having to follow the law of the land because it often conflicts with biblical teachings and itself. Thank you and please reply with your thoughts or scripture thank you!
Carroll, the Bible doesn’t address software piracy specifically. Not to offence, however did you try listening to your conscience lately? What does it say, (Romans 2:15). Most people want a direct quote from the Bible condemning software piracy not because they are genuinely interested in the truth but because they are looking for mere excuses.
Food for thought. Lets assume that I am wrong. Shall I loose anything? What if I am right and you were wrong??? He who has ears let him hear.
I don’t want to quarrel with you on the issue of software piracy. The problem is in point #3 where you suggest that one risks losing their salvation. In Ephesians 2:8-9, we see that we are saved by grace and not by works. If you truly believe that continuing to perform good works (or abstain from bad ones) is the way to salvation then software piracy is the least of your concerns.
Good question… and my answer comes from Philippians 2:12-13.
“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (NIV)
It’s true that we are saved by grace not by works. But we must not forget that our salvation is not complete rather it’s progressive. We are being sanctified every day.
Keeping that in mind let’s consider Paul’s words. He says here “Work out” your salvation. What does Paul want to tell? For instance what do we do in a physical work out? We work out not to get a body, but to develop the body we already have. We don’t work for our salvation, but we do work out the implications of it.
The next phrase says, “with fear and trembling.” What does this mean? It doesn’t mean we are to be afraid of God because God’s children never need to be afraid of their heavenly father. Jesus paid the penalty for all our sins on the cross and we’ve been given God’s grace so we’re now a part of His family.
What we should be afraid of is that we might miss out all God has done for us (in this case because of software piracy). This is why I say every one who pirates software risks their sweet salvation.
Remember Jesus’ words:
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of heaven – only the one who does the will of my Father in heaven. On that day, many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, didn’t we prophesy in your name, and in your name cast out demons and do many powerful deeds?’ Then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you. Go away from me, you lawbreakers!’ (Matthew 7:21-23, NET)
Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, [13] for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.
What Philippians 2:12-13 actually says that God is the one who works in you. So in effect you are still not the one working for your salvation.
Berna,
Don’t be a fool. This is what Apostle Paul actually meant when he said ‘…workout your salvation…’
1. We should work to make a break with sin. We are not to just sit back passively, but are to work at repentance and renewal. Therefore according to the Bible I believe software piracy is sin.
2. We are to work at adopting and applying the positive behaviors that the Bible admonishes. According to the Bible I believe software piracy violates this principle too.
3. We are to guard against the influence of the world. Again, Christians who pirate software, are giving themselves into the world.
I think that this is a good article. One thing I strongly disagree “Whether you are aware or not you take a risk of loosing your salvation each time you purchase, use or distribute pirated software.” This can be a very dangerous statement ONCE YOU’RE SAVED YOU ARE ALWAYS SAVED AND STEALING SOFTWARE WILL NOT CAUSE YOU TO LOSE WHAT JESUS DID FOR US ON THE CROSS, WE MAY LOOSE REWARDS BUT NOT OUR SALVATION. I PRAY THAT YOU WOULD BE VERY CAREFUL WHEN YOU ARE DEALING WITH DOCTRINE THAT YOU DON’T CONDEMN PEOPLE FOR THEIR SINS. WE ALL SIN AND FALL SHORT AND ALSO READ ROM 7 IT’S LIBERATING. OTHER THAN THAT GREAT ARTICLE. Dr.Hunt
Hunt,
I will not risk my salvation based on the careless statement that we will not loose our salvation but rewards because of what Jesus did on the cross of Calvary.
I am sure that I am based on sound doctrine when I write these things. Not to offend the great theologian John Calvin (if you are referring to Calvinism…) but his conclusion that once I am saved always saved is a dangerous doctrine to follow and embrace…
Besides what shall I loose if what I have written here is doctrinally false (proving that your position is right…) According to your claim it will not effect me or my salvation at all.
But what if I am right and you are wrong???
I wish people will remember that no matter what, Jesus, the King of kings, will be the one to decide who goes to heaven and who does not.
We can talk, praise that “so and so” will go to heaven and condemm “so and so” will go to hell. None of it matters, because Jesus is the one with the power to grant a person life or death.
He sure as HELL isn’t going to base the entire fate of a person based on what any Tom, Dick or Sally says.
And to me, the “creative” industry are equal thieves as well. Who told you that you are entitled to earn a million dollars, just because you created something? And if you didn’t earn a million dollars, who said that you could bribe the government into creating special laws written for you, so you could collect free money?
Anyway, it’s all the same to me. If the industry and lobbyists had their way, they’d put a gun to everyone’s head and force every citizen, even if the citizen is not interested at all in their products to buy them, and as a bonus, murder all the pirates and if the pirates had their way, they’d steal everything.
All are sinners.
No Deal,
Please note that I haven’t quoted any Tom, Dick or Sally but the Bible itself. Neither I sought to condemn anyone but explained why piracy is a sin and its affects on eternity. My logic is solely based on the Bible.
You failed to take into account that when the software created by the developer is sold to the punter, the punter owns a copy. That’s what he paid money for. If he doesn’t own the software there there needs to be a serious rethink about what it means to sell something.
Obviously since the punter legitimately OWNs a copy of the software, it’s his information to do what he wants with.
It’s because of people copying the Bible that the word of God is spread. If someone came along and said, well you have to purchase this Bible for $99.99, even though it’s the word of God and ought to be freely available, would you pay the $99.99? No!
Piracy is NOT theft, piracy is progress!!
Martyn,
You don’t pay for the software. You pay for the LICENSE which in turn grants you rights to USE the software (http://goo.gl/nzAKK) . This license DOESN’T grant you OWNERSHIP over the product or rights to duplicate it.
I agree with everything the Bible says, but will somebody please help me to understand how it is possible to steal something that has ZERO MASS.
How much does a computer program weigh?
I believe your computer’s mass does not change when you install a new piece of software! I might be wrong about this in which case I will have some serious repenting to do!
Um wow really? Christianity is not a religion it’s a way of life. People get so caught up that by doing works they will save themselves from hell. Actually that’s not how it works at all. We are in the grace administration. We were so unworthy of God’s gift to sacrifice his only begotten son. But yet he loved us dearly. In The old testament the Levitical laws only applied before the birth of Christianity. In the new testament all those born again are saved by grace alone. From there on you CAN NEVER LOOSE YOUR ADMISION TO HEAVEN FROM ANY SIN, except for being born again of the wrong seed (Satan). But this can never happen to someone born again. It just cannot period.
Religion is about works, Christianity is about grace. And God would never turn his back on any born again person who sins.
———–
Now that that’s out of the way I would like to comment on the piracy issue. Yes companies can loose potential customers, but there will always be plenty of people who go out to buy the disk. The internet may be very anarchist in many ways. But something with no physical weight that does not cost money to reproduce on the internet is very hard to control. I think a model that would really do excellent for free software would be bartering/ free advertising.
In the end I see the current federal government as a sin to everything the constitution stood for. $250,000 fines for a movie worth $15 is absolute greed. Trafficking what other people do and say on the internet is tyranny, and of the old testament Levitical laws which are useless to Christianity in general. And in themselves have become a sin overtime. Its oldman nature. Something that is very damaging to the human condition in general.
Just know that God is love, forgiveness, and grace. Apply those thoughts and you are good to go.
What you’ve posted is really true. But… There’s something missing.
I’m currently using Linux. I have Debian in the big computer and Ubuntu in the small one. THey both work perfectly and I don’t have to pay a cent for them, neither for the programs associated to these Linux distributions.
The thing is I’m also an Engineering student and my school uses really expensive (talking about thousands of dollars) technical software, so if I can’t get this software, then I’m in a very disadvantage position. Maybe someone may say that I should get open source, but open source technical programs are FAR FAR FAR away from the comercial ones (compare, for example, Scilab with Matlab). The final option is: getting the pirated version, otherwise I could fail.
Well I guess I just practically lost my talent for music production
This is an interesting topic and I agree that it is a sin to use pirated software. But this article does not point to piracy itself but theft.
#3 is wrong. You cannot loose your salvation by sinning again, rather you learn from your mistakes, with repentance and again thanking God for His grace, appreciating it more and more.
God gives us warnings and unlimited chances to repent. That is the purpose of the verse. “Thieves shall not inherit the kingdom of God”. We are all these thieves. And because we are thieves, we can’t go to heaven, but because of God’s grace, we can. So repent. That’s the point. See things beyond every scripture. There is always a GOOD NEWS about it, that’s why it’s called “gospel”. Blessings!
Sorry guys, if it costs money to obtain legally, then it’s stealing if you don’t pay for it. Why does it need to be spelled out in black and white for you to stop justifying it?
Obviously, the Bible will not specifically deal with software piracy. It hadn’t been invented yet. It also doesn’t say anything about splicing into your neighbor’s cable either, but that is stealing too and against the law.
God is love and He is always willing to forgive a repentant heart, but He cannot forgive you for sins you refuse to acknowledge. God is love (forgiving), but God is also just and He will not exhibit one trait at the expense of the other.