A friend of mine with a fledgling "Gospel Ministry" who claims to respect a certian songwriter, has taken a very secular song and rewritten the words as a testament. I urged my friend to get permission from the songwriter before he performed it publically.

That's wrong.


SRS.

Rewording a folk tale with a Christian message is not a violation of copyright it is not a perversion of the original authors intent. Is it not part of the folk process to change a song or story for the audience? I guess if your friend is acknowledging the sources she isn't doing anything wrong. If she isn't, then it is kind of sleazy.