Tom commented on the endorsement of David Wolfe's new book by Gabriel
Cousens and Viktor Kulvinskas:

>I too am surprised by the endorsements from those two. He also has an
>endorsement from the Essene minister. I find it hard to comprehend why
>a minister of any religion would endorse a book when the author is
>a plagiarist AND continues to sell a plagiarized book.

Jo sez:

The raw community, as mentioned, is arguably a tight-knit group. So
when
dietary philosophies coincide, it seems the above luminaries have
decided
to steadfastly support the common cause: to disseminate the principles
and
benefits of the raw vegan diet to the general public.

Of course it's altogether possible to do so without supporting
plagiarists.

Meanwhile, back at the ranch, Dr. Cousens and Dr. Kulvinskas are
Essene
ministers; and Rev. Owen is the worldwide head of his Essene Church of
Christ. But this doesn't work for me. I mean, ordainment to the faith
(or
any faith for that matter) is not a prerequisite for ethical
practices.
Maybe I sound cynical (pragmatic?) but religious titles and dietary
outlooks, from my experience, guarantee little about the inner person.

Tom continued with his comments:

>Plagiarism is a form of theft, and it is condemned by all legitimate
>religions. Some folks will bring up forgiveness here -- that is irrelevant
>as long as the plagiarized book is still on sale.

And then there's the issue of credibility. I'm intrigued as to how
anyone
could promote themselves as authorities of anything after having proof
of
plagarism shovelled onto their front porch. I could cover the mess
with a
blanket but it still stinks.

The raw vegan community seems to have moved beyond (or disregarded)
the
underlying odor. Forgiveness or business decision: I won't speculate
which
(or both) but maybe the endorsement of the latest book is an isolated
one?
All I know is that this cowboy will keep his wallet stashed away until
NFL
undergoes a detox.