[sword-devel] Copyrighted Texts Summary

Brandon Staggs sword-devel@crosswire.org
Fri, 3 Dec 1999 10:55:53 -1000


> Since I really can't tell from your letter whom you are speaking to so it
> makes it hard to respond.  One thing does indeed trouble me however that
you
> would ask that the discussion end since you don't agree with the views of
> one or more of us in it.  The discussion concerns the very right to do
GOD's
> commandment and to spread His Word accordingly.

I think you are responding to my message. Let me clarify:

I think the discussion re: KJV-O is off topic to this list, and should be
taken to private messages, not just because I disagree with them....
However, I disagree with the statements that 1. The NIV, since it is popular
in Christian circles, must be "okay by God" so-to-speak (someone else
pointed out that we do have the free will to make horrible choices, and I
think that the mass-acceptance of corruptions of God's word, like the NIV is
evident of this). and 2., that only the original languages were promised to
be preserved by God, which is unbiblical and in the case of Greek, no one
could even agree on what was preserved if God HAD only preserved the
original languages (something contary to the promises of scripture).

Now, what this has to do with the SWORD project, I can't really tell. It is
a given that SWORD supports more than just one translation, which is not a
bad thing -- so this discussion is pointless on this thread, don't you
think?

As far as the rights to copyright God's word, I am in agreement that anyone
who thinks that Zondervan should have exclusive rights to what they claim is
God's word is clearly off their rocker, since if it truely is God's word, it
belongs to GOD and is for everyone, and show me chapter and verse where God
grants exclusive rights to a corporation for the distribution of his
blessings?

Anyway, the bottom line is, I was simply asking that the clearly off-topic
KJV-O (or rather, KJV-O bashing, as it were) be taken private since it
doesn't have anything to do with the Sword project, which is the reason I
subscribed to the list in the first place. The copyright discussions imo ARE
on-topic, and I liked reading them, until the off-topic discussion of how
wacko people like myself are, for believing that because the NIV and KJV are
so completely different, that both cant be God's word... well anyway, you
undestand by now I think.

> I can however see in one regard your statement if you are calling it
> "off-topic" simply because it is not technical in content.  Perhaps yet
> another "forum" is in necessity.  I however think that the "subject" field
> in the letter should make the content clear enough to let people know
> whether the letter is "technical" in nature.  Thus enabling them to not
have
> to read debates they do not wish to participate in.

Unfortunatly, the message I was responding to was a KJV-O bash, not
something that had anything to do with the copyrighting of modern versions.
Like myself, the writer didn't change the subject heading.

-Brandon
http://staggs.pair.com