Hello, I posted the following to JR's Raw List in response to Nazariah's comments on NFL's plagiarism. You may have to wade thru the spiritual / metaphysical overtones but I thought it might be of interest to list members. Nazariah wrote: [ Though I am too busy to participate on this board on a regular basis, I [ was told by a friend who does participate that I was recently criticized [ having written a positive book review of David Wolf's new book "Sunfood [ for Diet". The argument was that the Natures First Law guys plagiarized [ some material in one of their earlier books. Well, in regard to the [ alleged plagiarism, I have heard so many completely different versions [ of that story as to make one thing very clear: a lot of people must have [ the facts wrong. The version that my closest friends have told me is [ this: One of the Natures First Law guys, not David Wolf, had a [ grandfather who years before had written a book on raw foods. He supplied [ David with some material from that book without telling him the source. [ Thus, if that version is accurate, it was no plagiarism by David. Jo offers: If we disregard the storied history (which is irrelevant to the issue) and examine what is in print (and continues to be sold for profit), then I believe a more accurate assessment is possible. If time is too pressing, or if it's too inconvenient to secure copies of Arshavir Ter Hovanessian's "Raw Food Eating" and NFL's "Nature's First Law" for a side by side comparison, then it might be worthwhile to peruse the Raw Food Support List's archives and plug "plagiarism" into the subject field of the search engine: http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?S1=raw-food The most pertinent hit will be entitled "More Plagiarism From NFL" (98/02/05). I believe it was cross-posted to this list as well. It compares several example paragraphs from both books. A follow up message "Re: More Plagiarism From NFL (colorless)" (98/02/27) continues the blow by blow comparison. Anyone concerned about integrity and ethical business practices related to the raw community can investigate the documentation and then follow his or her conscience. Nazariah: [ 5) If instead of criticize him (or anyone else), the gossip mongers [ were to implement the profound wisdom in "The Sunfood Diet" in their [ own life, they would experience an elevation in their consciousness [ and no longer be hanging out in the cosmic sewer system which is the [ gossip mill. Jo asks: Is higher consciousness only within the realm of raw veganism / fruitarianism / Christianity? Or are these schools of thought just a few of the many pathways of the Human Spirit? Closer to the heart, does an intimate relationship with my Higher Self hinge upon adopting a diet as promulgated by Shelton, Szekeley, Ehret, Fry, Burger, Honnibal, etc? If not, what are the possible pitfalls of creating an identity based on one of these systems ("I am a natural hygienist / raw foodist / fruitarian / instincto / etc")? Is it possible to embrace, up front and foremost, the inherent elements such as self-love and compassion; express my potential with integrity; and oh, by the way, choose to eat raw foods or explore my spirituality through religion / parenting / art / athletics / corporate endeavors / etc? Nazariah comments: [ Since I was told that on this list not only myself but also my [ fellow Essene ministers Gabriel Cousens and Viktoras Kulvinskas [ were also blasted for endorsing David's new book, I can only say: [ I am sure happy to be included in the company of Viktoras, Gabriel, [ and David Wolf! Those three brothers are right at the top of the [ list of spreading raw food vegetarianism all over this planet. More [ than that, they are all three great people, deeply spiritual, and [ my dear friends. And guess what? If any of them ever do make mistakes, [ I will talk to them in private about it and forgive them. I have made [ plenty of mistakes in my own life and I bet the gossip mongers have [ as well. The main difference between Gabriel, Viktoras, David Wolf, [ and the gossip mongers is this: the gossip mongers have as many -- [ or more -- sins but far less actual record of good works. Jo smiles and sez: This simplistic scorecard of sins versus good deeds seems to obliquely parallel the fear-mongering underlying the political concept of heaven and hell. Your Humble Narrator will have none of it. I mean, holy cow, is there ANY value (or clarity) in attributing, to these "gossip mongers," an equal or greater number of sins perpetrated by members of the raw vegan leadership? Could we not do better without these types of vacuous generalizations? Are there more creative ways to draw people together? Additionally, who in the heck determines what belongs in the category of "good works?" These luminaries have chosen to disseminate the virtues of a raw diet; attained relative standing in their fields; published articles and books; succeeded financially. This is groovy. They're doing their thing and I applaud their efforts (IF they don't deceive or hurt others, obviously). But can I say that a person who lives with joy; relates to this world from the heart; makes truth her utmost priority; is less of a child of God because she's chosen to embrace something other than the raw vegan gospel? I mean, on what basis do I suppose that these gurus lead more exemplary lives than the guys and gals who are simply making every moment count in their own individual ways? In "spreading raw food vegetarianism all over this planet," should the participants at any time dismiss integrity? credibility? humility? Does this "holy crusade" justify hostility, arrogance and deceit? Aren't we better served by openness and brotherhood, rather than a fear-based need to control others? Jah, I think I'm due for a cruise over to the Asian supermarket for a couple of young coconuts. WooHoo!