[sword-devel] [Fwd: BOUNCE sword-devel@crosswire.org: Non-member submission from ["Jeremy Bettis" <jeremyb@hksys.com>]]

[Jerry Kreps]

On Thursday 13 December 2001 18:12, Jerry Hastings wrote:
> At 02:19 PM 12/13/2001 -0700, Troy A. Griffitts wrote:
> >But there are still expenses associated with creating the
> > translation. Salaries of the translators, big expensive Greek and
> > Hebrew dictionaries, etc.
>
> True, ink and paper and such, need to be paid for by someone. And
> before the printing press a scroll was very expensive to produce.
> But if you had a scroll and had the money to cover the expenses you
> were free to make more copies. Though some religious officials may
> have objected for "religious" reasons.
>
> >You can't expect someone to shell out $1,000,000 or so making a
> > new translation, and then giving it away for free can you?
>
> Yes, you can.
>
> I know an electronics wiz who works full time, very long hours,
> designing, producing and maintaining equipment that is used by the
> Jesus Film Project to convert the film into other languages. He is
> paid by getting people to support him. I know people that go
> overseas to minister. They either pay their own way or find others
> to support them. So, what is the problem with translators? Are they
> too proud to ask for support? Don't they believe the Church will
> support their work? The Church is rich with money. It could buy a
> ship and turn in into a hospital and send it to poor countries. Oh,
> wait that has already been done. It could rent large stadiums
> around the country and pay large amounts to entertainers and
> speakers. Oh, wait that has already been done. It could buy
> airplanes to fly food and other needed things around the world. Oh,
> wait that has been done. It could buy satellites and send them into
> space to broadcast Christian programming around the world. Oh, wait
> that has been done. To bad it can't use the money to make good,
> free to use translations.
>
> >  that needs to be recovered via royalties.
>
> Why are royalties the only way?
>
> Don't get me wrong. Life is a lot more complicated than this post
> makes it seem. And on other days I have been the one here telling
> others to give copyright holders some slack. There are reasons
> besides money for copyrights. And for the most part I believe the
> people responsible for Bible copyrights believe they are doing the
> right thing for the Church. If anyone is lead by God to copyright
> something that is between him and God. But, if this is something we
> are free to workout then I suggest that there are better ways to
> get things done than requiring royalties and copy permission. Not a
> big deal in English. But, I see that in many languages the
> restrictions are in the way of getting the Scriptures to the
> people.
>
> Jerry (The younger one.)

And then there is Christian Pirate Radio (mycpr.com) which is also 
free.  Love the music.

The man who married my wife and I was a preacher for 45 years.  He 
was also a painter (supported himself like Paul did).  His income 
from painting averaged $15,000/year and he accepted donations from 
individuals he knew, like my wife and I.   He would go to Nigeria and 
live in the bush for 6 weeks every year.  He did that for 15 years, 
beginning when he was 55.   He took a lot of medicine, books, writing 
supplies, Bibles and money, and always came back empty handed and 
broke, with malaria and full of bedbug bites and 30 lbs lighter, 
except on his last trip.  He came back in a casket made from the 
trunk of a tree by his brothers and sisters in Nigeria.   He had been 
shot in a phony robbery by a couple of Islamic radicals.  He sent 
many kids to school.  Paid for many medical treatments that he 
couldn't do himself.  He established congregations in dozens of 
villages.  While he was home he sent Bible lessons to them and 
included return postage.  He averaged 4,875 lessons per year!   He 
was also a gardener and always planted a huge garden so that he had 
enough for himself and his wife, and many neighbors who needed help.  
Did I say that he gave a radio sermon every Sunday called "Lessons in 
Love", out of Hoxie, KS?   He preached in any church that would ask 
him, and he never changed his message.  His name is Darrel Foltz.  I 
look forward to seeing him again.

On the other hand, some people think that 'godliness is great gain' 
too, and they do everything they can to extract cash from the 
gullible.  Can you think of a few TV 'evangelists'?
Jerry (The Older)