55 Questions that critics are afraid to answer.

[djconklin]

Because the works she stole from are no longer protected by copyright?

Your remark presuposes theft.  In America one is innocent till proven guilty.

Some of the works EGW borrowed material from were protected by copyright.

If someone told you that Byron which appears to have been copied from a German poet in 1764, would you believe it?  Would you still believe it if you find out that Byron didn't know a word of German?

Edward Fitzgerald on plagiarism: "My canon is that there is no plagiarism when he who adopts has proved that he could originate what he adopts, and a great deal more."

anon., "Topics Uppermost. Unwisdom of Hasty Charges of Plagiarism," The New York Times (Aug. 5, 1905): BR509.
 "Charges of plagiarism are easy to make. Every newspaper receives many communications embodying such charges from irate, well-meaning persons who cannot be made to understand why the Editor does not immediately lend all his resources to their cause. Frequently men and women of the highest literary standing are thus ruthlessly assailed."

anon., (originally from Samuel Abbott Green) "Founding Filcher, Benjamin Franklin, Plagiarist?," American Heritage (June/May 2002): 21.
Presents (in a double-column analysis) some evidence that some of Ben Franklin's famous aphorisms came from John Ray's "A Collection of English Proverbs" (1678). Some of them are word-for-word exactly the same.

Here's good example of the duplicity of those who accuse EGW of plagiarism:

anon., "Ellen Gould White and Plagiarism," http://www.pjpiisoe.org (no date, "Pamphlet 038," printed on 1/16/2009).  The way they have the pamphlet set up, it looks like Dr. Fred Veltman wrote it--but he didn't.  In fact, 4 of the 6 columns in the pamphlet were plagiarized from Rea's book, chapter 6!

Benson, E. F. "Plagiarism," The Nineteenth Century 46/274 (Dec. 1899): 974-981.
"In a word and without paradox, the truth seems to be that unintelligent theft is plagiarism, critical theft is not inconsistent with the truest originality" (page 976).  Note the date.

[OldDad]

Again, the "everybody does it" defense doesn't hold much water.

[djconklin]

Again, the "everybody does it" defense doesn't hold much water.

I never said that "everybody does it."  I pointed out the facts of the matter.  Ellen G. White's literary practices were well within line with was accepted back then.  See Macfarlane's book (not even 250 pages of text).

[larry2]

Dear djconklin, a question I do not see you list is why we should be concerned with Ellen G. White? I read in 1 Corinthians 11:1 that we're to be followers of Paul, even as he also was of Christ.

Colossians 1:25  Paul was given a dispensation to fulfil the word of God, which we are going to be judged by according to Romans 2:16. Why are any following other doctrines, for we read in Galatians 1:8 "But though we, or an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached unto you, let him be accursed."

My thoughts in Jesus' name - larry2

[djconklin]

a question I do not see you list is why we should be concerned with Ellen G. White?

It's quite simple: if they are so ready and willing to lie to you about such simple things, then how can you trust them to tell you the truth on the more complex?

[larry2]

a question I do not see you list is why we should be concerned with Ellen G. White?

It's quite simple: if they are so ready and willing to lie to you about such simple things, then how can you trust them to tell you the truth on the more complex?

Quite true.

In Jesus' name - larry2

[djconklin]

You are one of the very precious few who has seen that light!

David

[Wycliffes_Shillelagh]

Here are my own thoughts on the subject.  So - "plagiarism was rampant at the time" is supposed to be a defense?  I thought all her stuff came to her in visions.  So the admission is, yes she did plagiarize, but so did everybody else back then?

Wow.

[djconklin]

3rd post that says the same thing (previous two are #3 and #8)!*  "Wow!" is an understatement.

 

Ellen G. White did NOT plagiarize--get the point, yet?!?

* I wonder how many sock puppets there will be.  What does this tell you about the critics of Ellen White and the SDA church?

[davidandme]

So - "plagiarism was rampant at the time" is supposed to be a defense?  I thought all her stuff came to her in visions.  So the admission is, yes she did plagiarize, but so did everybody else back then?

Wow.

Not everything that Mrs. White wrote were from visions.  In fact most of it wasn't.  Mrs. White never concealed the fact that she copy from other authors in fact she encourage her readers to read from thouse authors.  When I read something from her I am more interested in the ideas that she communicated not so much weather  a writting was copied or not.

[djconklin]

Here's the latest whopper.

We were told on another forum:

"... for at last I know that the pope is antichrist, and that his throne is that of Satan himself....

Ellen White, The Spirit of Prophecy Volume Four, p 277"

But, when you look on that page there's no such quote. The reality is:

"When the papal bull reached Luther, he said: "I despise it, and resist it, as impious and false. It is Christ himself who is condemned therein." "I glory in the prospect of suffering for the best of causes. Already I feel greater liberty; for I know now that the pope is antichrist, and that his throne is that of Satan himself."" The Spirit of Prophecy Vol. Four (1884), page 117, paragraph 3

So, what the critic did was to rip a quote from Martin Luther and attribute it to Ellen G. White.

This is yet another example of why you cannot trust the critics of either Ellen G. White or the SDA church to tell you the truth. I will.

[OldDad]

This is yet another example of why you cannot trust the critics of either Ellen G. White or the SDA church to tell you the truth. I will.

Bull butter.

SDA's do the same thing - check out this thread that's been hanging out there unanswered for almost four months:

How Some SDA Sites Misquote Historical Christian Leaders as Supporting the Sabbath
http://www.gracecentered.com/christian_forums/index.php/topic,34720.0.html

[djconklin]

This is yet another example of why you cannot trust the critics of either Ellen G. White or the SDA church to tell you the truth. I will.

Bull butter.

 I will always tell the truth and I don't need to swear to win the argument.

SDA's do the same thing

You may find some who don't tell you the truth; I will.
Interesting how here you make it out like all SDA's "do the same thing"--but in the title of thread you concede that it is "some."

[OldDad]

OK, so you're not going to attempt to answer the thread either.  Noted.

[djconklin]

I haven't studied that topic--I only have 24 hours in a day and 7 days in the week.

I have studied the plagiarism claim--and it is a pack of lies.

No apology for the swearing by euphemism is also noted.