Why Is It Wrong To Look At Someone’s Spelling Test And Write The Words Down?
Answer: When you look at a person’s test or copy from another person’s homework, you are not being honest.
God commands us to be honest because he is truthful, and whenever our behavior is not like God’s, we are wrong.
When you look at someone else’s answers on a test and then put the answers on your test, you are telling the teacher that you knew the right answer when you didn’t.
That is cheating – and lying. When you copy a friend’s homework and turn it in, you are telling your teacher that you did the work by yourself when you didn’t.
That is cheating – and lying.
Remember that every time you lie or cheat you hurt youself in the long run.
You are hurting yourself because you aren’t learning what you need to learn, and someday you will regret it.
Key verse: Stop lying to each other. Tell the truth. We are part of each other. So when we lie to each other we are hurting ourselves. (Ephesians 4:25)
Related verses: Exodus 20:16; Leviticus 19:35-36; 1 Samuel 8:1-3; Proverbs 11:1; 20:23; Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 16:10; 1 Timothy 3:8; Titus 1:7
Note to parents: When a question like this arises, you can remind your child of the reasons for going to school and how cheating on a test undermines that purpose.
What’s So Bad About Cheating In Sports?
Answer: Cheating in sports is bad because it deceives others and ruins the game.
Sometimes on TV or even in school, it can seem as if winning a game is the most important thing in the world.
We forget that it’s only a game. We let winning become too important.
But nothing is so important that we should cheat to get it, because God wants us to be honest, truthful, and fair in all that we do.
That’s also why we should play clean. Some people think that playing dirty (hurting others in a game) is OK as long as it doesn’t break any rules.
But Christians should respect others as well as obey the rules.
Remember, the best reason to play sports is to improve our skills and physical condition and to learn about teamwork and how to win and lose.
When we play any sport, we should do our best, play fair and clean, and enjoy the game. That’s much more important than winning or losing.
Key verse: Unless you are honest in small matters, you won’t be in large ones. If you cheat even a little, you won’t be honest with greater things. (Luke 16:10)
Related verses: Leviticus 19:35-36; 1 Samuel 8:1-3; Proverbs 11:1; Matthew 25:14-30; Luke 16:10; Ephesians 4:25; 1 Timothy 3:8; Titus 1:7
Note to parents: Some parents put tremendous pressure on kids to succeed in sports.
Don’t lose perspective. If you put too much pressure on your children, you may unknowingly encourage them to cheat, thinking that winning matters more to you than playing well.
Is It Cheating When You Let The Other Team Win When Their Team Wasn’t Playing That Well?
Answer: No. Cheating is when you break the rules in order to gain an advantage. You can play differently without breaking the rules.
There are times when you might want to play easier to give another person or team a chance in a game. If you do, just be up front about it.
But don’t do it to make fun of them. If teams are very uneven and you know that one will slaughter the other, you may want to adjust the rules or change the teams to make it more even and thus more fun.
Remember, what matters to God is that we treat each other with respect and love, not that we win.
Key verses: With the Holy Spirit in our lives there will be different kinds of fruit.
They are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, and faith. People with the Spirit are gentle and have self-control. (Galatians 5:22- 23)
Related verse: Luke 6:31
Note to parents: Sometimes parents wonder whether
they should go easy when playing games with their kids and let the children win.
If children lose all the time, they will grow discouraged and quit. You could say, “I’ll go easy on you to help you get the hang of it.”
And if it bothers your child that you let him or her win, promise to play harder next time and do so.
You’ll both enjoy the challenge and have some fun. It’s appropriate to give them some challenge – that’s how they learn and grow.