Charge Some critics have accused Ellen White of plagiarism – the representation of another author’s works as her own. ... Two separate studies where undertaken, one by a Roman Catholic lawyer, Vincent L. Ramik, and one by the Adventist General Conference, both in the 1980s. Both concluded that Ellen White’s writings did not exhibit ...
The September 17, 1981 Review, heralded that their Catholic lawyer had declared that. Ellen White was not legally a plagiarist according to the lawyer's definition, and therefore her works did not constitute copyright infringement. 39 This report-clearly not coming to grips with the moral, spiritual, or theological implications at the heart of ...
Ellen G. White is not guilty of copy-right infringement or plagiarism. This is the opinion of Vincent L. Ramik, senior partner of Diller, Ramik & Wight, Ltd., a lawyer who practices patent, trademark, and copyright law in Washington, D.C. Mr. Ramik undertook to research Mrs. White’s writings after Warren L. Johns,
Attorney Vincent Ramik’s Lawyer’s Brief: In the autumn of 1981, Attorney Warren L. Johns, then chief legal counsel in the General Conference’s Office of Legal Counsel, using private funds, engaged the services of Attorney Vincent Ramik, senior partner of the Diller, Ramik, and Wight, specialists in patent , trademark, and copyright law. Attorney Ramik was provided for his …
In the March 20 1980, Adventist Review in an article entitled "This I Believe About Ellen G. White " Neal Wilson informed the church about the Rea [Glendale] Committee. The initial report indicates that "in her writing Ellen White used sources more extensively than we have heretofore been aware of or recognized....".
Studies by Raymond Cottrell and Walter Specht have shown that Ellen White borrowed about 2.6 percent of her words in The Desire Of Ages from William Hanna's Life of Christ .... However, W. C. White and Marian Davis both mention other books on Christ's life which Ellen White used. It is also evident that she borrowed from some works not named by W.
Order Walter Rea's book: "The White Lie". If Patriarchs and Prophets was the cornerstone of Adventist theology The Desire of Ages was the keystone in the arch of Adventist thinking and Christological views. In the preface of volume two (1877) of its forerunner, The Spirit of Prophecy, it was said:
The leaders of the church indeed found it hard to face reality, but it was obvious that something must be done, and done quickly. So, as always, the tired old men from PREXAD (the President's Executive Advisory Committee) and the White Estate, turned to the source they so often deny their members-the law.
Cottrell , a thirdÂgeneration Adventist, had served the church in various highÂlevel capacities, including that of book editor at the Review and Herald, most of his life. Specht had been known as a scholar, department chairman, and dean at some of the church's finest institutions.
McAdams had another reason to be concerned about what was taking place. He was one of the members of the special Glendale Committee to whom Wilson wrote. He had seen some of the evidence, had heard the January 28Â29, 1980, presentation, and had himself stated to his colleagues that the evidence was indeed "startling.
Although it is technically true that, as far back as the 1880s, the church has been righting a rear guard action concerning the use of others' material in the name of God and Ellen, the declarations have always been made with defensiveness and quick justification.
xii). Ellen White's use of other authors was not limited to historical or geographical material, but included other subject areas as well.
In 1980 Dr. Fred Veltman, at that time the chairman of the Religion Department of Pacific Union College, undertook a detailed analysis of Ellen White's use of literary sources in her book The Desire of Ages, a study which took eight years to complete.
Because she included such selections from other authors in her writings, critics have charged Ellen White with plagiarism. But the mere use of another's language does not constitute literary theft, as noted by Attorney Vincent L. Ramik, a specialist in patent, trademark, and copyright cases.
After researching about 1,000 copyright cases in American legal history, Ramik issued a 27-page legal opinion in which he concluded "Ellen White was not a plagiarist, and her works did not constitute copyright infringement/piracy.".
Dart quoted Wilson as saying that “originality is not a test of inspiration.”. He added, “The Holy Spirit helps the messenger to select his materials carefully….The prophet’s use of existing materials does not necessarily mean that the prophet is dependent on these sources.”.
The premise, which seems to obtain here, that the work of true prophets cannot be derivative is at least a bit suspect. The premise that prophets should be (on the whole) honest seems unassailable.
Ellen G. White found guilty of plagiarism (copying) White copied "The Great Controversy" 1886, from "The History of Protestantism" 1876. She not only copied the words, but the pictures too! Then claimed it was a revelation of God!
Remember, all this material comes out of book called, "The White Lie" written by Walter Rae, who has been an ordained Seventh-Day Adventist pastor for 40 years and even today, is a member in good standing, attends Sabbath service every Saturday and is still an ordained Pastor in the Seventh-Day Adventist church.
It was a law among them that all who entered the ministry should, before taking charge of a church at home, serve three years in the missionary field. As the hands of the men of God were laid upon their heads, the youth saw before them, not the prospect of earthly wealth or glory, but possibly a martyr's fate.
The missionaries began their labors in the plains and valleys at the foot of their own mountains, going forth two and two, as Jesus sent out his disciples. These coÂlaborers were not always together, but often met for prayer and counsel, thus strengthening each other in the faith.
This may stand for, HOOPER, the SC may be an abbreviation for "scribe" or "sculpsit" who etched the picture onto the printing press medium. Now it is argued that since White had the drawing "re-etched" into a printing medium a second time, that means she can drop "HOOPER SC" and put her own in its place.