Replies to DB

Logan Mitchell

When writing, Christians should strive for excellence as not to mislead readers. It is very easy, at times, to lie unintentionally and plagiarize. To avoid plagiarism, citing your works and paying attention to detail when writing is extremely important. The Bible states in Leviticus 19:11 "Do not lie. Do not steal. Do not deceive others." ( Leviticus 19 | NIV Bible | YouVersion, n.d.). When you conduct in plagiarizing, you are lying, stealing, and cheating all at the same time. This is not God-like and goes against what we as Christians are taught as we grow in our walk with Christ. Citing the works that you use in your writings can save a lot of heartache in the long run and keep you from lying, stealing, or cheating. With all of our writings, as Christians, God manifests himself with in them and shows our readers that we are Christians. Paying close attention to detail in what we say in our writings, as well as our opinions that we express, are a direct reflection on Christians everywhere. When thinking of how Christians are perceived through one's writings, I think back to deployment and going to the different countries and ports of call that we visited. When pulling into another port, our superiors always remind us that we are United States Navy Sailors, and that we are representing the Navy in its entirety, not just ourselves. This holds the same for Christians, especially with the types of persecutions that the Christian faith faces today. Think of Westboro Baptist church, and how the Christian community was looked at when they protested the funerals of soldiers. This is why it is imperative that we follow God's teachings, and should be motivated to be exellent in all that we do.