Faith Under Fire....
Christian Book store advertisements rejected-because the store had the
word "Christian" in its name.
Mere mention of bookstore's name flagged as too 'offensive, sensitive'
Posted: October 01, 2010
9:30 pm Eastern
By Drew Zahn
A bookstore in Kittanning, Pa., was told its advertisement in a local
restaurant's holiday menu was rejected by the ad publisher, simply
because the store had the word "Christian" in its name.
Reverend Don Toy, owner of the Christian Book and Gift Store, told the
Kittanning Paper that a salesman entered his store and sold him a
business-sized, $135 advertisement to run in a special Christmas menu
at Garda's Restaurant in nearby Ford City.
But, Toy said, the salesman returned a few hours later and told him,
"''We have a problem. I contacted headquarters. Our company has
rejected your ad. They told me I have to return your check. We don't
take religious advertising. They are exercising the clause in the
contract you signed [stating] their right to cancel with you.'"
Specifically, the clause in the contract with Brecht-Pacific
Publishing, Incorporated, located in Longview, Wash., states the
publisher "reserves the right to refuse, edit or omit any portion of
any ad that we think is offensive, sensitive, questionable or otherwise
not in good taste."
When Toy asked how his ad violated the clause, the salesman explained
it was rejected because of its name.
"It has the word 'Christian' in it," the salesman reportedly said, and
it might be considered "offensive" to non-Christians.
Get "America's War on Christianity: In God We Trust," autographed by
the author, from WND's SuperStore!
"You've got to be kidding!" Toy said. "I have heard about being
politically correct, but this was beyond what I could imagine."
Toy said that neither the sales representative nor the restaurant owner
agreed with the decision, but that the call was made at corporate
headquarters.
But when word of the controversy reached those headquarters, Toy said
when he was contacted.
"A representative called me, wanting to clarify," Toy said. "He
explained that someone had misinterpreted the policy banning religious
advertising to include a Christian bookstore as well. He said he
regretted the error and his company would accept the ad."
The representative further explained that the company had been sued
several years ago by a satanic group for rejecting its ads and
accepting those from Christian churches. Since then, the company had
placed a "stop sign" on any ads that were expressly religious or
political.
Ken Brecht, Vice-President of BPPI, told the Kittanning Paper, "We have
made a policy not to put things [in our ads] – religious, political,
things where people might be bothered by us taking a side – because we
have to show all sides. For that reason and because of the issue with
Satan worshipping – we are a company that mostly everyone who works for
us, we believe, professes to be Christian – we don't want to put Satan
worshippers or Satan-worshipping insignias on menus. … That has been
our policy not to offend anybody, because we certainly don't find
anything about being a Christian offensive.
"A gift shop is welcome to advertise on the menu," he added, "and I
apologize for what's happened and how this has taken legs. I think it
could have been avoided if somebody would have called and talked to me,
but I apologize. It is not what I intended. I have no problem with his
book store/gift store being on the menu."
Toy, however, says that an apology and invitation to resubmit the ad
wasn't enough to earn back his business.
He told us that he explained to the representative, "That your staff
would even have a problem with the name 'Christian' is a sign of what's
going on in this country. For a nation founded on Judeo-Christian
principles to have become so PC that someone would worry that the term
'Christian' could be offensive? It's mind-boggling."
The restaurant's owner, Chris Arco, told the Kittanning Paper he too is
not satisfied.
"I am trying everything I can do to get out from that [contract]. I am
very much not happy," Arco said. "I have never had to worry about an
advertiser doing something like this, deeming a local Christian
bookstore to not be appropriate. There is nothing wrong with that being
placed on the menu."