A Cody News Spot: July 28, 2006

A Pastor Who Plagiarized Finds a Congregation Willing to Forgive

By MICHAEL LUO
Published: July 28, 2006

WASHINGTON, July 28 — The Bible does not discuss plagiarism. But it does say that thou shalt not bear false witness and thou shalt not steal.

So what to do in the case of a disgraced former preacher who violated both commandments several years ago when he borrowed sermons, often whole-cloth, from other ministers and passed them off as his own?

I’ve made the joke before that Google is in many ways what we pray to today. That is, where we used to pray to “God” looking for answers we now type in our questions to Google.

You gotta give some props to Kathy McGregor, the staff nurse at the National City Christian Church in Washington who prayed to Google about her pastor's sermon. She certainly found some answers for her and her congregation. What a crock that this plagiarist is getting a second chance. He should be in jail.