The logic of this is that if Wal-Mart is going to ban George Carlin’s and Jon Stewart’s books plus assorted CDs for what they consider inappropriate content, why not the Bible which has far worse stuff in it (sex, murder, demons, hellfire, damnation) if they don’t want to be hypocrites.
Many people who visit TheBibleLetter.com are surprised to learn about the obscene nature of the Holy Bible. Why would this book contain orders to murder, discriminate and hate? For many, this is their first exposure to the dark side of the Bible.
TO: Lee Scott
President and CEO
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.
Bentonville, AR 72716-8611Dear Sir,
We, the undersigned, respectfully request that Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. cease distribution of the book known as the Holy Bible. We make this request after careful consideration, having examined numerous passages in the Holy Bible that are repulsive, stridently offensive and/or illegal. The following five examples reveal the obscene nature of this book and help you to understand why we are making this request.
1) The Holy Bible demands that readers murder hundreds of thousands of Wal-Mart employees.
In Exodus 31:15 the Holy Bible demands: “For six days, work is to be done, but the seventh day is a Sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD. Whoever does any work on the Sabbath day must be put to death.”
And here’s a guy who wants a V-chip for the Bible.
The Bible is the best selling book in the world! What do you expect?
Tell me the exact difference between the Jews and the radical Islamists again? I think I need a refresher.
Rich, think of the Jews and radical Islamists as fundamentalist Christians and you should be up to speed.
Sorry, Higgy — though lots of superstition freaks like to say so, there never has been an independent publishing industry source that agrees with you. Just another urban legend.
God forbid Wally piss off the bible belt. Since when are matters of the bible subject to logic?
Ah, I love the smell of religious bigority in the morning.
Lets not bring up: The Davici Code? How about Harry Potter? Tom Clancy? Daniel Steel, The millions upon millions of books, who quite easily can be taken out of context. The fact remains, if we abolish the bible, no matter if it is Wal-Mart or in your school we are damming ourselves to become just like the taliban or worse.
I don’t see the good of the Bible being quoted here of course. Even if you don’t belive in Jesus (as I do and wish you did as well), his teachings are still words to live by. Love another like yourself, forgive and forget, don’t judge others, and most of all LOVE!
We could ban the ban the bible, but then we have to ban history books because Hitler is in them, and then we would have to ban all shows on prime time T.V., were do we stop?
7, I tend to think the letter is a satire.
#7 Clayton, you have completely missed the point. Wal-Mart already abolishes some books. The people in the article are using the same logic that Wal-Mart uses, and applying it to the Bible. Consequently, exposing how hypocritical they are.
No, I didn’t miss the point, I don’t agree with banning any books per say. I think the moment we start banning people from making up their own minds is the moment we become the next Taliban, Hitler, Etc. While I may not agree with the books Wal-Mart has banned, the point I was making was in reference to what was quoted on the letter (see link on this main blog’s post) and what some of the previous comments were making. All I saw were points about the Old Testament and some of the old laws that were in those books. Now remember these were the same laws that were used to put Jesus Christ to death. Yet there are millions of Christians who live today because of that man. We follow his teachings.
I am not a hard core right winger either who believes in censorship, I believe that all should be allowed to view every piece of evidence then to choose to make up their own mind. The point on the letter to ban the Bible in Wal-Mart is an agenda against Christianity, they don’t attack any other book of the bible except the old testament in order to pervert our ways, just as the radical Muslims are perverting their faith to justify killing Jews. I feel a society of live and let live should be observed and people should stop crying about what is not fair because they want George Carlin books in Wal-Mart.
Further more, one last note, Wal-Mart is a company, not a public organization who has the right to choose what they do and don’t sell. Just as the letter is a right to point out they think it is “unfair” and Biased” that they don’t ban the Bible.
However if Wal-Mart wants to ban books, and allows others that is their choice and they may loose or gain customers because of this action. In Montana we are forced with the new law “The clean air act” where all public places are banned from smoking. I feel this law is extreme non-the less and over steps the governments bounds. If a company wants to allow smoking in their establishment, they will loose people who can’t and won’t tolerate the smoke. On the reverse a business that goes non-smoking has the same effect. It all comes down to control and peoples need to have someone control them or others. That is where I draw my battle lines, when people can learn to take care of them selves and not have to force a company, person, government to do it for them, we may actually see a better country.
Of course all this is really of topic now, but it comes to the same. To the authors of the letter to ban the bible, QUIT crying and shop at K-Mart. That is my personal opinion, I may be wrong.
#10, Clayton, Again, as pointed out by others, you missed the point. Wal-Mart has decided to only sell books, music CDs, and DVD movies that meet their standards of decency. The people requesting Wal-Mart stop selling the Bible are using those very same standards to back up their point.
In case you haven’t been paying attention, Wal-Mart has a history of abusing their employees, harming the environment, and sponging off of the taxpayer. To alter this image, Wal-Mart has a campaign to promote what a good company it is. Well here they are selling a book full of mass murder, genocide, advocation of treason, treason, false medical practices, rape, stealing, slavery, and a whole host of other illegal activities. Like it or not, these are in that book and they are contrary to Wal-Mart’s policy.
http://www.guinnessworldrecords.com/content_pages/record.asp?recordid=48276
Bible, best selling book of all-time.
Once again, are we forced to shop at wal-mart? I myself do not. As for teh abuse on their employee’s we live in a free country where people are allowed to work where they want want.
As for the “Well here they are selling a book full of mass murder, genocide, advocation of treason, treason, false medical practices, rape, stealing, slavery, and a whole host of other illegal activities. Like it or not, these are in that book and they are contrary to Wal-Mart’s policy.”
It is their choice, who are we to point out that they are wrong? We are compelled as citizens of decency to Force Wal-Mart to do what we want? Wait, We must make them follow all rules becase this is a fair and balanced society? Where do we get off? They are a company that can choose to sell CDs that are edited and the Bible because it is not, shall we trim part of the constitution until it fits the needs of what WE feel is right? Common people, get a cause that is more worthy of fighting instead of the force fed Wal-Mart is evil Agenda!
As for teh abuse on their employee’s we live in a free country where people are allowed to work where they want want.
Yeah, as long as jobs jobs are available available. Not always the case after Wal-Mart puts 30% of the local mom’n’pop businesses under.
If they are going to release the Chrisien Bible they should also release books on the other relgions….Buhdist, hindu, Koran, and so forth…
Put then all on the SAME isle, and watch the fights.
Clayton (10) said:
“To the authors of the letter to ban the bible, QUIT crying and shop at K-Mart. That is my personal opinion, I may be wrong.”
Valid point, except that Wal-Mart is rapidly becoming responsible for a huge percentage of retail sales and already has gained a lot of control over what is sold in its stores, especially music. We’re not there yet, but there may be a time soon when we have to start asking questions about how they wield this power.
On the other hand, maybe online retailing will come to the rescue by creating more competition. I honestly don’t know where this is heading. But it is worriesome.
>>I think the moment we start banning people from making up their
>>own minds is the moment we become the next Taliban, Hitler, Etc.
Well, we’re there. Once Wal-Mart decided to ban SOME books, they began the descent down that slippery slope towards the Taliban, Hitler, etc. Now the only question is where do we stop? At rape? Genocide? Murder? Slavery? Treason? Or is it only George Carlin’s seven words you can’t say on TV that are vile and satanic enough to warrant exclusion from the retail aisles?
And the smoking ban comparison is just ludicrous. Preventing a minority of addicts from forcing their carcinogens into other people’s lungs is about as far away from banning George Carlin books or CDs as you can get. If Wal-Mart employees or customers jumped uninterested shoppers and strapped headphones to them, FORCING them to listen to George Carlin, it would be a different matter.
As to the “good” and “bad” parts of the Bible, the link below presents some interesting points… specifically, that if you choose to believe ANY part of the Bible, then you must inherently believe ALL parts of the Bible, because the Bible itself claims to be the infallible word of God. Therefore, if any part is found to be wrong, how can you believe any other part of it? If you truly believe the Bible is the word of God, then you must accept every word of it to be completely, 100%, the word of God, and to have abosolutely zero influence by the mortal men who physically wrote, published, and reprinted those words.
This comes into play in the many passages that specifically endorse misogyny, slavery, sexism (women are basically demoted to just above slaves, below the status of men, to be silent and subserviant), human and animal sacrifice, mass slaughtering of babies, etc. See chapters 12-17 of the link below for specific references.
http://whywontgodhealamputees.com
The New Testament supercedes the Old Testament.
Actually, the Bible should not even be for sale – it should be given FREE. Bibles are as expensive (if not more) than contemporary novels. It’s hypocrisy on the part of Bible makers who have Bar-coded the Bible and turned it into a profit-centered industry. Arrrrrrggghhhh!!!
There are many important teachings in the Bible. Sometimes I wish my wife would read it more.
1 Timothy 2.9: Women should not spend too much on clothes.
Does anyone else notice that the same people who say you cannot pick and choose in what the bible has to say want you to pick and choose when you have a valid argument. Ignore the old testament we just keep that in the Bible for continuity. Oh and when they stop handing out bibles for free I will call it the best selling book of all time.
I should also say that being around for upwards of two thousand years would give it a chance at selling a lot of copies. Many people I know who buy Bibles get fancied up gold embossed hard cover copies that look really nice. That whole humble Jesus goes out the door with Mel Gibson building a two million dollar private chapple. The giant church syndrome of building multi-million dollar houses of worship is all over the world including poverty stricken africa.
Clayton you actually say “live and let live.”. If you are truly religious you must be self taught. I have never encountered any believer who actually believes that motto. “Even if you don’t belive in Jesus (as I do and wish you did as well)” is part of the new soft sell technique believers use with non-believers. What ever happened to the people who said accept Jesus into your life or rot in hell. I will forgive many things, but a mamby-pampy proslytizer. If you really are a live and let live person than I appologize. I just have not meant many believers confident enough in their faith to really believe that.
Clayton does have a point in that if you do not like Wal-Mart’s policies do not shop there. I agree to a point, but if I do end up shopping there due to them having something I do want at a price I like that does not implicitly mean I endorse there policies.
John
What I find sad is that the letter uses points that “seem” like valid arguements, but I have done some serious studies into the Bible and its teachings, and I find each point has been taken out of context to an extent to mean something else. Different times and different cultures result in different views on a certain subject. A deeper study will reviel the true meanings behind these ideas.
John S, I do wish you would contact me, my email is on my site and in this post, just click my name to get there.
Yes I belive a Live and Let Live policy is best in making this letter invalid. Once again I belive this is a direct attack at the Christian faith, they are not grouping any other books into the “ban” such as the ones I listed on my first post #7. This is a common thing now days, before it was people didn’t like christians they ignored them, comments like yours on a “self-study” Christian are right on the mark. I do not let anybody force feed me my faith, I read the bible and many other sources of information and make up my own mind, once again, I come back to Jesus Christ’s teachings, “Let he with out sin, cast the first stone” (John 8:7). I can’t condem the fact they are upset about their books being banned, that isn’t right, but by asking all books to be banned or books they like to be banned is just plain vindictive. This is not about Wal-Mart, the Bible, or Christianity, this is about people throwing a temper tantrum because mom and dad wont let them play with a certain toy. So now they are going to pout and cry until they get their way.