Updates on the 8th Commandment: You Shall Not Steal

The 21st century has brought in new ways of violating God's command to not steal. Obvious examples are digital media- it's easy to find music and movies online now without reimbursing artists and publishers for their work.

In The Ten Commandments, J. Douma (citing J.M. Lochman) writes,

Are there not mechanisms at work in our "normal" world of labor and consumption that rob people of their freedom, perhaps without even realizing it?

Here are a few other examples we'll discuss Wednesday night at our covered dish meal and 10 commandments study:

• Do leaders (such as politicians) steal our hearts when they promise one thing and do another?
• Do we allow advertisers to steal our freedom when we give in to hype?
• How can we become slaves to affluence, giving over our financial autonomy to credit cards, mortgages, and interest?

So, what do you think? Does God's command not to steal apply only to property? How does it impact plagiarism, copyright, industrial design--even nuclear secrets?

(Image: City of Lompoc)