legal issues

I'm not sure what you're asking; are you asking do you need permission from a real jurisdiction to have an anglo-catholic priest character from the anglo-catholic church because there aren't any parishs in your town?

I'm no expert, but I don't see that would be a problem. I thought legal issues pertain to denigrating a real life person through a character or plagarising. I don't think you need permission to have a fake parish; you need permission if you're using somebody elses' copyright, for example, like a song.

Maybe somebody in the know will reply.

Good luck!

So long as your person isn't a real live Priest whom you're writing about, you're fine. It's no different than writing about a writer and publishing, or a cook and a restuarant.

The only law that I can think of that would violate using a real life person in your book would be "stigmatizing plus", which basically means you can't use any information to cause any harm to them. But if it's a character you made up who just happens to coincidently resemble someone else, I don't think there's a problem...but I'm also not 100% sure.

Look at Sin City. They had a cannabalistic priest. I'm sure you'll be just fine.

Or the Thorn Birds with Richard Chamberlin. Sauve and sexy Father de Bricassart. Heck, look at the Father Brown series. Or even Bing Crosby as Father Chuck O'Malley and so on.

A.J., why don't you ask the church yourself for permission? If they say yes, make sure you get a written document stating that you were given permission.

If Opus Dei didn't sue Dan Brown...

Honestly, the church tends to get sued, not the other way arund.

Besides, the defense to slander and libel is truth. It's hard to come up with an indecency or horrific torture the Church hasn't actually done.

Just my opinion, of course.

Careful, Gordon, even opinions voiced offhand can ruffle feathers. You walk among Catholics.

Church detractors oft forget indecency and horrific torture prevented by the church. Just my opinion, of course.

badducky said:

Careful, Gordon, even opinions voiced offhand can ruffle feathers. You walk among Catholics.

Church detractors oft forget indecency and horrific torture prevented by the church. Just my opinion, of course.

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That's it, Gordon. I hope you didn't expect some kind of Spanish Inquisition on these forums.



...

To be serious, yes, the Church (whichever one you want) has done some lousy things. So have Jews. So have Americans. So have the Irish. So have, so have, so have, so have.

So what? Like badducky points out, they've done good things too. This is because mostly, they're people, and people do good things as well as bad things. It's part of being human, I'm afraid. Being religious, being Catholic, being right-handed/left-handed, green-eyed or six feet tall doesn't affect in the slightest any of it. It's all just people who do good things, and people who do bad things (and sometimes, it's all wrapped up in the same person). Everything else is just excuses.

On THESE forums, outside of the Take it Outside forum, we're jes' folks. Let's happily remember that. Otherwise, my teeth are sharpened and ready.

Hobbes is the one with teeth. Calvin's only weapon was a plastic suction-cup-dart gun and sometimes perfect slushballs. Where's Toothpaste? She's the one with the teeth.

Do you not SEE the full range of teeth in my avatar?

Anyway, CALVIN'S weapon may have only been a suction cup gun...but *I'll* do just fine beyond that.

PeeDee said:

To be serious, yes, the Church (whichever one you want) has done some lousy things. So have Jews. So have Americans. So have the Irish. So have, so have, so have, so have.

So what? Like badducky points out, they've done good things too. This is because mostly, they're people, and people do good things as well as bad things.

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I'm not sure that's entirely true. Institutions take on a life of their own. It is quite possible for the individuals of a particular faith, or country, to be wonderful people and yet their church or government can be not a force for good in the world.

Regardless, 'tis a discussion for a different forum, no?

More importantly, can anyone think of an instance where a church sued a writer?

Agreed. Someone in TIO can hash through that issue. I have no head for it.

The church won't sue you. Honest, they won't. And if they did, I don't think they would have a leg to stand on. Just don't use any real people.

badducky said:

If Opus Dei didn't sue Dan Brown...

Honestly, the church tends to get sued, not the other way arund.

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My question - after reading that steaming pile of crap - is why did Opus Dei get so upset? They admit to the practices that were depicted in the book and the two characters who *were* part of Opus Dei were shown to be abberants in the subsect of the Catholic faith. Not hardly representative of it at all.

Now, if they, the devout and the Catholic church hadn't raise such a big, hussing fit about the book it would have labored in the same obscurity as all of Dan Brown's other piles of steaming crap.

Just like - if the ultra religious hadn't raised such a fuss about "Harry Potter" then it probably wouldn't have exploded the way it has now.

As for the original question: No, you can't get in trouble for having a fake church in a fake town even if it's connected to a real faith. However, as someone else advised that you could create a fictional character based closely on a real person and be okay - not true at all. If that person could prove that your libelous remarks were injurous to themselves and the 'veneer' was thin enough that everyone knew who you were talking about - then it's still libel and they could sue. Crap, just use a person's name on a completely different character and see what happens. Don't believe me? Ask Todd McFarlane what happened when hockey player Tony Twist got a hold of one of his comic books.

Rabe...

badducky said:

Regardless, 'tis a discussion for a different forum, no?

More importantly, can anyone think of an instance where a church sued a writer?

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The Church of Scientology sues reporters, magazines, news shows, journalists and writers all the time.

Oh, wait, did you mean a real church and not something with 'church' in the name? If so that would have been my mistake.

Rabe...

Rabe said:

Ask Todd McFarlane what happened when hockey player Tony Twist got a hold of one of his comic books.

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That was wonderful. I'm in favor of bad things happening to Todd McFarlane.

oooo- Interesting thread - especially for me. Let's see I'm using fictitious church names, and priest's names although one priest is modeled after a real monk who founded a real hermitage for which I have not changed the name as yet. Much of his beginning story is real although the actual priest is now deceased. I guess his order or his relatives could get ticked.
I'm also using an actual museum and its name as well. Hmm. I could get in trouble, but what the heck if anyone prints what I write I'll be thrilled, lawsuits and all! LOL