I have never lacked reasons to participate in the sacrament of reconciliation.  I am a fallen man, a sinner.

But I can honestly say that I never cheated on a test in school, copied someone else’s homework or turned in a paper someone else wrote and claimed it was my work.

Many folks can’t make that claim.  And now there is a professional service for liars and cheaters.

I’m not going to tell you the name or give you a link to the organization’s website.  I went there so you don’t have to after hearing the company’s owner interviewed on the radio.

This nameless, amoral woman explained that her service hires people to do online homework and take exams for college students who don’t have time to do the work.  She justifies this by explaining that she serves people who could do the work, but are too busy.

I have a problem with this, first because it is absolutely dishonest.  If a college (online or otherwise) is giving credits to people who don’t do the work, what value are the credits?  What value is a degree?  What value are the people getting the degrees?

Have we become so morally corrupt that we don’t see the difference between having the ability to do something and actually doing it?

I’m reminded of a discussion in a college philosophy class long ago.  We were studying logic and the professor was citing popular phrases she believed were not logical.

“That rock singer is terrible – I could do better,” was one she mentioned.  And she went on to say that the singer might be terrible, and an individual might be a better singer, but it really didn’t matter unless the better singer actually was up there performing.  “I could sing that song better” means nothing unless you actually do.

During Ms Amoral’s radio interview, the rather perplexed host asked whether she would hire as expert test-takers for her company any of the people who had used service.

“Of course not,” she replied.  “We need real experts.”

That’s a little like selling a car you don’t think is safe enough to drive yourself.

I’m trying to sort out in my own mind whether this company or its customers are more reprehensible.  So far it is a tie.