Sunday Meditations – Ethics From God’s Perspective
This past week I’ve observed a couple instances of unethical blogging. It truly breaks my heart that people who call themselves Christians allow themselves to do such nonsense. Ethical blogging isn’t rocket science or brain surgery. It’s just good old fashioned common sense.
Instead of just writing words that are mine, I’m sharing what God’s Word says. My words are finite. God’s Words are infinite.
- Give credit where credit is due. The Scriptures have a lot to say about stealing…A LOT. (Exodus 20, Deut. 5, Matt. 19, Luke 18, etc) Whether using ideas, photos, or any other “already used” material online….always, always, always give obvious credit and link back. {Regarding recipes: don’t steal someone’s recipe as your own….even if you link back. Direct your readers to the original site for the recipe.} The “Golden Rule” based on Matthew 7:12 applies here: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” You don’t want people misusing your stuff….so don’t misuse theirs. It’s a mutual respect thing that I’m pretty sure is common sense.
- Put others before yourself. Romans 12:10 says, “Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honor preferring one another.” Preferring means to promote or give priority to others. Whether in contests, blog posts, giveaways, on twitter or facebook etc, put others first. Otherwise it becomes really obvious that it’s all about yourself…and that’s just kinda really icky. Romans 12:10 isn’t a suggestion on how we might live…it is a command. When we violate that command it is sin. Period.
- Words and actions must line up. James 1:8 says, “A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.” In good Southern terms, it’s speaking out of both sides of your mouth. Saying one thing to one person and saying another thing to another person is being double minded. The Scriptures say that a person like this is unstable.…makes you want to be their really close friend, right? No, we want to run from anyone who appears to be double minded. Don’t be that person!
- Avoid Gossip and Solve Problems Biblically. I have watched gossip make small problems (online and off) escalate into HUGE issues…simply because Christians don’t know how to solve problems Biblically. Matthew 18:15-17 is my rule book for problem solving — go read it. I have used Christ’s system many times and it has cleared up misunderstandings and things that could have been blown way out of proportion. Online relationships are tricky because they aren’t REAL. It’s hard to get tonal inflections in written words. It’s hard to know what people mean when you read their words. When in doubt about someone’s intentions, words or actions…go talk to them!
Sara at Marketplace Mommies wrote a fabulous post on Blogging Etiquette: Copying. Check it out!
What are your thoughts on Ethical Blogging?
thank you… Good read…
AGAIN – I love this!! So glad you posted!!
Stef @ Layton Family Joy´s last blog post ..blogging friends
Great thoughts, friend! I always get nervous when I read a post like this because I want to stay as far away from this kind of behavior as possible. It’s kinda like in High School..I used to be SO afraid of plagiarizing! I hope and pray that I never offend anyone in the online community, and that if I do, they will let me know!! Hope you have a great Sunday tomorrow!
Rachel´s last blog post ..Remember
This is a great reminder! Thank you!
Kate @ Songs Kate Sang´s last blog post ..Etsy Weekend Pretties
Love it, M.
Very well-stated. I love the version of Romans 12 that you included, “Be kindly affectioned one to another…” Beautiful!
Online relationships ARE harder than IRL ones, and it takes a lot of patience to learn about another person in the online world. Sadly, as you pointed out, this leads (a lot of times) to less patience and loads of gossip which leads to lots of hurt.
Glad you posted this!
xoxo,
Amy
Amy´s last blog post ..Top 5 Walgreens Deals- Week of 9-12
Very well written, my dear!! Thank you for sharing your heart and your convictions with us!
Mandy´s last blog post ..Fill My Cup
Thank you for this Myra! I am bookmarking this as a post I constantly check myself against! Like Rachel, this subject makes me jumpy as I want to stay FAR away – praying God will help each of us KNOW we are on His path in our blogging.
Erin M.´s last blog post ..Second Saturday Seeds
Great way to line up common sense blogging ethics with Biblical guidance! Thanks 🙂
MainlineMom´s last blog post ..Time for Another Photography Thursday
Thanks for this post! I’m fairly new to blogging, so I hope I haven’t made any of these mistakes. I try very hard to be ethical in my writing and would appreciate if it someone pointed out when/if I’m not. Blessings on your day, amiga! 🙂
Jenni´s last blog post ..Running Late
How wise you are, Myra, to go to the scriptures for answers. I don’t have a blog, but your post applies to much more than blogging ethics. I’ve noted the passages you referenced, and my 5th grade Sunday School students can expect to find Romans 12:10 on their memory verse list next week.
I’m so glad I found your blog. I think I’m going to learn a lot from you!
Very well said. Preach on! I know someone must have been hurt in this. I’m praying they will have a forgiving spirit and that God will bring conviction on those that need it.
Thank you for this post. This is a wonderful read. I only wish I could talk to you and hear more of your thoughts about Matthew 18. That would be fantastic. We have been learning about, and discussing, respect this month at church. I hope you have a nice Sunday evening.
In Christ,
Kristine
Kristine´s last blog post ..Philosophy
This was an awesome post and excellent reminder to line things up with the scriptures. Thank you so much for taking the time to write this post. There has been a little bit of content “borrowing” lately and this is a great guide to use when you are faced with this situation.
I wanted to thank you for linking up to Sara’s post over at my site (http://marketplacemommies.com). She did a good job explaining everything from a legal perspective (she is a lawyer in real life).
I look forward to reading more of your blog.
Blessings
Honey
Honey´s last blog post ..How To Write A Great Blog Post
Wonderful post, Myra!!!
I sure hope it was not me. Being new to blogging and all. I always try to give credit where credit is due. I am used to doing that as I fell in love with country graphics and web site building. There was a lot of fighting because people were saying they made the graphics when they hadn’t.
It is really a great post honey. If you (or anyone else) ever see me goof up please help me out. I really want to honor others hard work.
Love to you and yours,
Grandma Patty Ann
Grandma Patty Ann´s last blog post ..Happy Grand Parents Day!
What a great post. I am sorry that you have had to witness things that would prompt this post but it is a great reminder to us all. Have a great week!
Shelley´s last blog post ..Daddys Little Viking
Plagiarism can happen in other venues as well. I liveblogged our local homeschool conference and forgot to delete my notesheet before posting– the note sheet that the speaker had provided– a complete oversight and totally unintended, but it happened. As soon as it was brought to my attention by some board members on Day 2 of the conference (about 12 hours later) I pulled ALL the posts that I had written until I had time to go through and figure out which ones were involved. Turned out it was just one post. I fixed it and republished everything. The speaker, it turned out, was NOT upset about it at all but just a bit surprised. She called me later, thanked me for my support, and apologized to me for the way MY local group had handled it. She was not from here. In this case it was accidental, but I encourage you to always doublecheck yourself before hitting PUBLISH! 🙂
Dawn@ 5 Kids and a Dog´s last blog post ..Phonics and Spelling and Reading Oh My
Myra,
Thank you for linking to my guest post at http://marketplacemommies.com – I’m glad you found it helpful.
Kindly,
Sara
Sara at Saving For Someday´s last blog post ..What If I Can’t Forgive
I really appreciated this! As a new blogger learning the ropes, it is helpful. It’s also encouraging to hear you discuss Matthew 18 as I’ve already noticed blogging cliques. Thanks for your integrity and desire to spur other women on to it as well!
Kelly´s last blog post ..Frugal Fall Decorating
Myra,
It is sad and unfortunate when people copy. I hope their mistakes are because they are naive or ignorant of copyright laws or blogger ethics. Some people pay not attention to scripture for their guide so at least they could get educated about the civil laws before they bankrupt their online welcome. Thank you for speaking up about this.
Sisterlisa´s last blog post ..Blog Pyramid Schemes