BOWIE SAID IT, BUT HE DIDN'T CREATE IT - another MEME for MORONS

What's one of my pet peeves? QUOTES ATTRIBUTED TO PEOPLE WHO NEVER SAID THEM.

I'm also not too fond of QUOTES from people who merely REPEATED somebody else's witticism.

You can't fault David Bowie for THIS:

It's quite likely that if he was around, he'd admit: "I didn't come up with that one. I read it somewhere."

If you want to quote Bowie, quote one of the brilliant things he did say, like, "FAME, FAME, FAME" or "CH-CH-CH-CHANGES!"

This remark, in one way or another, has probably turned up in hundreds of old magazine articles, prayer books, pamphlets, and even novelty toilet paper. It might not be in The Bible or the Koran, but don't be surprised if someone unearths these very words peeled from an ancient fortune cookie from the Tang Dynasty.

Bowie was QUOTED as QUOTING it in the 1997 book on Bowie, “Loving the Alien” by Christopher Sandford. Sandford does NOT say that Bowie originated it, he only quotes Bowie as liking it. Bowie says:

‘A wonderful analogy: “Religion is for people who believe in hell; spirituality is for people who’ve been there.” That for me makes a lot of sense.’

Where did Bowie get it? Three years earlier, 1994, it was quoted in a book by John Lucas called "Winning a Day at a Time." Quoth John:

“Religiosity is often for those people who are afraid to go to hell, and spirituality is for people like me who have already been to hell.“

Also in 1994, "The Road to Healing” by Raymond Guterman came out, and Guterman attributed the quote this way:

“Religion is for people who are afraid of going to hell. Spirituality is for people who have already been there.” (John Lucas, Coach, Philadelphia 76ers)

All over the Internet, people are putting the COPYRIGHT SYMBOL on every poem, every story, even every quote they stick on a blog. They get into flame wars if somebody tweets what they tweeted. Hack comedians and the most obscure of songwriters file suit insisting that SOMEHOW a famous person read their mind or came across their obscure Facebook page and STOLE the QUOTE. People do want, if not MONEY for their creativity, some CREDIT.

Assuming John Lucas was the first to say it (which he most likely wasn't) at least he quoted it before Bowie did. Wouldn't it be a little bit nice for John Lucas and his relatives to see HIS name on a MEME instead of David Bowie? It's a bit dishonest and revolting for a pop star to be idolized not just for a handful of songs and androgyne poses, but for "oh my, one of the most profound and coolest things I've ever read....SHARE IT...pass it along..."

The Internet should be the place of “Snopes” and of working together to debunk lies and celebrate the truth, and that includes who should be credited for their wisdom. You can quote me on that.