22 May, 2009

Study or Cheat?

Exam result "stolen" for official's daughter

A young school girl in China

BEIJING (Reuters) – A Chinese police official has been arrested for stealing another girl's exam results and passing it off as his daughter's to ensure her a place in college, a newspaper said on Wednesday.

Competition for college places is fierce in China where stories of cheating surface every year. Students pay for leaked exam papers, smuggle in mobile phones and electronic dictionaries, or pay others to take the exam for them.

Wang Zhengrong, formerly of the Public Security Bureau in Shaodong county in the southern province of Hunan, was charged with forging and altering official documents and seals in 2004, the China Youth Daily said.

He passed off the identity information and exam results of a village girl, his daughter's classmate, as those of his daughter who had failed the National Examination for College Entrance.

The scam was uncovered when the village girl found she couldn't apply for a credit card as her ID number belonged to someone else, the newspaper said.

The story has become a hot topic on Chinese websites, infuriating many bloggers. "Did they ever think about the future of that country girl and her desperation?" one asked. "Is there any social justice in China?"

The issue eventually attracted the attention of Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu who demanded an investigation.

(Reporting by Beijing newsroom; Editing by Nick Macfie and Miral Fahmy)

 Story and Photo courtesy of www.news.yahoo.com.

2 Timothy 2:15 (Amplified Bible)

Study and be eager and do your utmost to present yourself to God approved (tested by trial), a workman who has no cause to be ashamed, correctly analyzing and accurately dividing [rightly handling and skillfully teaching] the Word of Truth.

What does today's God's Story Scripture teach us about Studying vs. Cheating?

Have you ever found yourself in a situation like this?  Maybe you've been given or offered the answers to an exam.  Maybe you've been tempted to cheat "a little" to help improve your performance on an exam.  Today's verse reminds us, however, that it's not just about the exam ... it's about "rightly handling and skillfully teaching the Word of Truth."  God's Story!  

My friends who aren't following Jesus want to know that God's Story is making a difference in My Story.  When I fall into the temptation to cut corners by cheating, what does that do to My Story?  One of my favorite 3Story phrases is that "it's more important for me to tell my friends how much I need Jesus, than it is for me to tell them how much they need Jesus."  So ... I need Jesus!  How about you?

 

How can we connect today's God's Story scripture to our lives?

  • Do you find yourself being tempted to cheat on an exam and cut out the studying?  Ask God to help you avoid that temptation.
  • Is it "too late?"  Have you already fallen into that temptation?  Talk to God about it and accept the forgiveness that He offers.
  • Spend some time today thinking about all the ways that you really need Jesus.  Thank him for always being there for you.

How can we connect today's story, God's Story scripture and our story to others?

  • Do you know someone who is more likely to cheat than they are to study?  Offer to help them study to keep them away from the temptation to cheat.
  • Do you know someone who has been guilty of cheating on an exam? Let them know about God's forgiveness.
  • Tell a friend today about one way that you really need, depend on, Jesus.  Let that start a conversation about where they are in their journey.  Be ready to share more of your story when the door opens.  

 

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The Daily Bide is brought to you by a team of writers from Youth for Christ/USA. The writers all have various years of experience in youth ministry but share a common bond in serving Jesus and discovering what it means to abide deeply everyday and to connect God's Story with those around them. A number of the Daily Bide writers have also written portions of our 3Story® resources. You can check out our resources at the 3Story.org website or connect with our writers at 3story@yfc.net. If you have a question or a story you would like to share, please reference the Daily Bide date in your email.

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