AboutJohn of AllFaith Expertise I can offer answers on a wide variety of religious topics about the world's religions including, Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism, Sikhism, Paganism, Noahide, Taoism, etc. If the question is of a religious nature give me a shot and I'll do my best! See my questions and answers at allfaith.com/questions
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Plagiarism is a crime.
Plagiarism can end careers, lead to expulsion from school, the loss of financial aid, and can even result in fines and imprisonment in some cases. Its not worth it!
Despite this a small percentage of those who ask questions at AllExperts, Yahoo Answers etc. copy and paste our answers as their own, often without giving credit. This is plagiarism. Its not worth it!
We all know that one can google a homework question and in many cases find an easy response, but so can your teachers! Many teachers are aware that some students do this and catch their cheating students.
To read more about this go to the following link. Its a conversation between one such teacher from a respectable institution of learning and me: where she writes: ...I have had over 20 students copy your work in the past 3 months...
Understand that if you plagiarize you are cheating your instructors, your answerer, your fellow students, everyone who respects you... and ultimately yourself. Its just not worth it!
Please use our answers to help in your research, not to replace it.
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Experience Since 1969 I've been involved with many diverse spiritual and religious disciplines. I've lived in ashrams and monasteries, acquired ordinations and degrees and so on.
Publications Allfaith.com
Education/Credentials I hold a Calvary Chapel (Christian) Ordination, an independent Missionary Baptist (Christian) ordination, an MA in Religious Studies from JFKU, an ordination in Ministry and Spiritual Counseling from the Interfaith Seminaries, an ordination from the Universal Life Church, and am Pastor Emeritus of Grace Inclusive Church.
To varying degrees I have worked and studied with many different groups including: the Noahide Nazarene sect, I attained the position of Vaisnava brahmana within the International Society for KRSNA Consciousness and in the Sri Gopinath Gaudiya Math (both members of the greater Brahma Madhva Gaudiya Vaisnava Sampradaya), I'm a former student of Swami Muktinanda's Sidha Yoga Foundation, an initiate of the Yoga Society (of Sri Ramamurti Mishra), was initiated as a Welsh Pagan priest, have been a Sunni Muslim, a Taoist, a member of various Buddhist sects (including the Dharmad Hatu of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche) and various diverse Hindu sects, numerous Christian denominations and movements, was a Missionary to Central America, carried a 12x6 foot wooden cross on my back from Atlanta Georgia to San Antonia Texas, and have been involved with numerous other groups and movements too numerous to mention
Question Hi, I had a question about borrowing and modifying a bible verse. I want to get a tatoo of a certain bible verse Psalm 23:4 and I wanted to add my own little thing at the end of it. I know that in many religions being tatooed is a sin, or offense towards God, yet I have my own thoughts on that. So all I am asking is that if it is incorrect to modify the verse in any way. I would greatly appreciate your help. This is very important to me being a stage 4 cancer survivor, I honestly believe I was walking through the valley of the shadow of death and that God himself walked me out of it alive.
Thank you,
Gios
Answer Hi Gios,
In my opinion there is nothing wrong or unbiblical about tattoos (as long as they are scripturally sound, Christians should not tattoo a devil on their arm etc).
As for modifying a verse for your own use in this way, I suppose that would depend on what you have in mind.
If for instance if you want to update King James English, replacing "thou" with "you" and don't change the meaning there would no worries in my opinion. If you are wanting to alter the meaning of the text, then yes that would be unwise in most cases.
As an example only (a silly one) changing "Thou shalt not commit adultery" to "You should commit adultery" would not be advisable.
Having something like, "I walked through the valley of Death and God was with me" would be a wonderful testimony.
My feeling is that the fact you care enough to ask the question leads me to think you will do the right thing.
If you wish to share the verse with me I'll be happy to share my opinion, but really:
I John 2:27 ... the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
Hope this helps and congratulations on your recovery!
