It has long been a source of vexation to me that good Christian people can go out and burn and pirate music, movies, and software. Then I thought to myself that perhaps people simply aren't informed enough (as a few years ago I was out there burning CDs with the rest of them), so I decided to write this article to inform them. Now if you're bored enough to still be reading my article, then read on! Maybe you'll learn something important.
First and foremost, one has to realize (and Pastor Jim kindly pointed this out in one of his sermons this year) that CD piracy is theft. You are taking something that someone has spent time and money to make for free. It can be very difficult to see piracy this way. An article that appeared in the Toronto Star on April 30th stated, "If you've grown up stealing software, it's hard to see it as a crime" and "many Canadians, including youths, view software piracy as a victimless crime." Let's start off by looking at CD piracy from a secular point of view.
When arguing CD piracy with my friends, I've often come up against the arguments that large corporations really don't need all the extra money and that products are overpriced anyways. However, the reality is that CD piracy really does affect corporations and music artists. Grame Hirst, a computer science professor at UofT used Vietnam as an example. "There the local software industry just can't get off the ground because the tradition of piracy is so ingrained that a company can never hope to sell more than one copy of any program it developed (Toronto Star 30/04/02)." The effects of CD piracy are that companies go under, jobs are lost, and prices rise (since less copies of products are being sold). High school students always use the excuse of piracy because prices are high. Not only do high school students have what is referred to as "disposable income" (income without expenses such as taxes, housing, electricity, etc.) but also piracy actually causes the prices to rise. And what happens when we all exit school bound for the workplace? Piracy will have caused many companies to disappear, reducing job availability.
Now that it can't be denied that CD piracy is theft and is not victimless, how does this affect us as Christians? God has specifically ordered us not to steal. In fact, this is so important that it is one of the Ten Commandments: "Thou shall not steal (Exodus 20:15)." Stealing is also illegal. Police have raided stores carrying or producing bootlegged movies, music, or software (including Image & Sound in Times Square, Pacific Mall, and First Markham Place). Simply because it is virtually impossible for the government to go after every individual who pirates music, movies, or software does not make it okay to do so. Paul says in Romans 13:1-2, "Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgement on themselves." Stealing software, music, or movies is something we should not do because God has instructed us not to. If we do, we are not only sinning against God, but we are also setting poor example for non-believers. After all, if we are calling ourselves Christians and still stealing, non-believers will see no difference between them and us.
Lastly, I would like to address the concept of pirating Christian music. I have heard many of my brothers and sisters in Christ argue that it is okay since Christian music is beneficial to us. It is true that Christian music is beneficial to use, but I find that stealing Christian music is one of the most hypocritical actions that a believer can participate in. After all, Christian music is music that it supposed to build you up as a believer and be used for the glory of God. Then is it not hypocrisy to break God's law in order to get music that you say glorifies God?
I hope that you can all see now that pirating music, movies, and software is stealing and that it is wrong and I would urge my brothers and sisters in Christ to cease engaging in such acts. If you've taken the time to read this article, I thank you and can only hope that I have made a difference.
