This page represents a classic example of a person plagiarizing another person's writing and getting caught doing it. A writing that was successful in bringing in a large sum of money. Please don't get me wrong, I am not perfect nor do I claim to be perfect. That being said, it should also be clear that I don't send out personal letters targeting large groups of people while asking them for money. And if I did I surely wouldn't send out that letter purporting it to have been written by me when in fact it was written weeks ealier by some other person.

Knowing that a well known Northern California preacher is pleading for money from a large group of people while claiming that this money is needed and then finding out that the entire plea letter is basically copied from another man's "successful" donation plea letter makes this plagiary even more disturbing. 

I even have to wonder if the need for this money was really there or was there more of a need for extra money and Johnston knew a couple of weeks earlier that this "plea for money" ploy had already been very successful for another well known preacher in Southern California? A preacher over 400 miles away. 

Twice in the donation plea letter Johnston makes it known that a "$250,000 miracle" is needed.  Wow, he is good at using psychology with this dollar figure. He's asking for $250,000 but is he hoping for three times this amount?  After all, Warren was pleading for $900,000 and saw donations of nearly $2.5 million. 

I can't speak for my dad (he caught over 8000 thieves in his life), but of the hundreds of thieves I have caught in my life I can't imagine any of them getting involved in this kind of dishonesty.  This is way beyond their scope of dishonesty. In fact, most of the thieves I caught stealing eventually apologized.  How about an apology from Johnston for his dishonesty or is he just another Chuck Collings who harbors narcism in his character too?  The mere fact his plagiary was caught by a son of Charles Nordby makes an apology from Johnston even less likely.  Johnston is also aware of the fact that the news media isn't going to publicize his dishonesty because it was I who caught him.   

Just Johnston plagiarizing a donation plea letter lets me know he could easily wear Collings' shoes very comfortably!  If acts of dishonesty were to be awarded with an "oscar" annually, Johnston in my opinion would have received one, for sure, with his award-winning-performance in this area. 

Below are the two letters in question.  If you don't want to be bothered by all of the animation and fun below, just click on the first two images below to read Rick Warren's December 30th letter and Ray Johnston's January 12th plagiarized letter.  Just one (1) additional note:

The Bayside Church was notified of Johnston's plagiary probably before Johnston received the first dime in his request for money. In fact, Johnston sent his email letter on the evening of January 12th and it was forwarded to me that evening. I didn't really look at the email until the morning of January 13th. Within minutes after reading Johnston's donation plea letter I was on the Saddleback Church website and Warren's "plea for money" letter was still there and I read it....bingo! 

   I wonder if the act of plagiarism by any other person over the last
100,000 years has ever been caught and exposed quicker than this? 
Make that the last 100,000 years and four (4) months-just to cover my bases.

      
Actually-if you click on the "Pastor Ray" image on the right, it has both letters in the PDF

Below represents part of Johnston's donation plea letter where he mentions "2 weeks"-

It appears to me that Johnston tried to plan out his plagiarism very strategically.

And all of the great stuff below, that Johnston is touting in his letter, you have to wonder if this information is really even accurate(?)  Maybe Johnston should prove all that he claims Bayside Church is supposedly doing and giving to the community. 

What I know he doesn't have to prove is the fact that he likes to pat himself on the back just like a lot of other preachers pastoring a church.  I pat myself on the back too----only because nobody pats me on the back.  Does Johnston get patted on the back by the members of Bayside when he leaves the men's restroom at the church?  I think Jesus targeted people like Johnston in some of his parables.