Understanding When It’s Plagiarism

January 12, 2026

In a scene from season 3 of Office, titled “A Safflower Christmas,” Michael Scott gives his girlfriend, Carol Stills, a holiday card where he photoshops her into a family ski trip, replacing her ex-husband. He presents it as a “Ski Sons Greetings” card, claiming that they had a great time. However, Carol quickly points out that they’ve never actually been skiing together, remarking, “This is so weird.”

This misunderstanding ultimately leads to the end of their relationship.

In a humorous moment, Jim Halpert reflects, saying, “Photoshopping a picture of his girlfriend and her kids alongside her biological father is a bold move. But is ‘bold’ really the right word?”

Well, no, it’s not really. It resembles someone taking a personal story I shared that involved my wife and reworking it as if it were theirs. We know what that is: plagiarism. It’s a form of stealing and, in this case, it’s also deceit.

Recently, discussions about plagiarism among pastors have become a hot topic; an article from the New York Times stirred up quite a conversation in Christian circles. I thought things might settle, given that many were called out, faced discipline, or were even let go.

But things have just continued to unfold. A recent story about a pastor from a large Virginia church keeps coming to light.

Having instant access to so many prominent speakers seems tempting, but instead of resisting or repenting, many are just redefining what plagiarism really means.

Now it seems all you need is permission from someone to borrow their work. Even if it’s just one idea, you can present it as your own once you get that go-ahead. And at that point, it’s almost like you can repeat it endlessly because you can just ask once per conversation.

But wait—it gets worse.

I convince myself that by borrowing someone else’s story, I can become them too. Just as Michael Photoshopped himself into a family picture, I could weave myself into their narrative and present it as my experience.

Sometimes people spiritualize this by claiming it’s all for the greater good or that it’s not really theirs, because God gave it to them. That’s somewhat true. But God also commanded us not to steal. This includes our intellectual creations, which is why “intellectual property” is even a legal term.

Let’s be clear: while there’s nothing wrong with drawing inspiration from other speakers’ talks or ideas, there are lines that mustn’t be crossed.

The following actions should be strictly avoided:

Using someone else’s creative outline without attribution.
Taking someone else’s original insights without giving credit.
Claiming someone else’s story as if it happened to you without acknowledging the source.
Quoting someone else’s phrase or idea and acting as if it’s your own.

This is serious. If you engage in these behaviors, let’s just call it what it is—a sin. It’s akin to stealing, lying, or acting out of pride.

There’s really little excuse for plagiarism anymore. These are crimes that can easily be avoided. It’s not hard to give credit smoothly. You could start a talk with, “My perspective was shaped by…” or “In today’s discussion, I want to thank…,” and continue on with a clear conscience.

You can say things like, “Philip Yancey speaks to this…” or “Chuck Swindoll discussed this interestingly…” or “John Stott framed this concept as…”.

Good communicators regularly borrow ideas, and that’s perfectly fine.

But when you start to manipulate the narrative in that way?

That’s not bold.

It verges on wrongdoing.

James Emery White