Is Ellen White truly guilty of plagiarism? 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 plagiarism.
SDA Church lawyer determines that White was not legally guilty of plagiarism because of the time in which she lived. 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 ...
In 1981 the church hired copyright attorney Vincent L. Ramik of the law firm Diller, Ramik and Wight to examine Ellen White's writings and present them with his conclusions. Two factors should be considered here, which make the story even more fascinating:
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 ...
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....".
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.
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:
Cottrell , a thirdgeneration Adventist, had served the church in various highlevel 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 2829, 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.
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.".
Ellen G. White was a prolific writer of about 10,000 pages of "inspired writings". In the early 1980's the denomination was almost torn apart when it was proven that about most of what White wrote was copied from other works that predated her own. See the 1980 Herald and Review article.
The story of a Seventh-day Adventist who grew up in that church, only to learn the difficult truth, that his parents had raised him in a cult!
On August 5, 2010, a Kentucky jury convicted Karen Sypher on six counts of extortion, lying to federal investigators, and retaliating against a witness. [1] The federal prosecution stemmed from a one-night sexual encounter between Sypher and University of Louisville men’s basketball coach Rick Pitino at a local restaurant in 2003.
Judicial condemnation of lawyers’ plagiarism in court filings does not exalt technical niceties.
Reported decisions calling attention to lawyers’ plagiarism were rare before 2000.