Chip Turner, a spokesman for Lifeway Resources, told The Christian Post recently...
"We have removed the September/October issue of Gospel Today from our shelves because the cover story, featuring female pastors, clearly advocates a position contrary to our denomination's statement of faith, the Baptist Faith & Message."
A few reasons why this bothers me:
1) I think this is a misunderstanding of scripture and that scripture allows for (and even encourages) female leadership. However, I understand that there are those that disagree with me and would leave it at that if
2) I didn't also object to the idea that we can't be trusted with a plethora of ideas, even those we disagree with. Why not allow us to make the choice about buying this magazine the same way as you allow us to choose whether to buy the George W. Bush faith memoir? Still, Lifeway is a business and can make its own choices about what to sell. I'd just respect them more for it if
3) Lifeway were to consistently take this stance when it came to disagreements on doctrine. I find it hard to believe that every author that hits shelves has been carefully vetted for doctrinal agreement. In fact, Gospel Today had previously featured female pastor Paula White on the cover, but the issue wasn't pulled. Which makes the whole thing seem less like principles and more like posturing. But that doesn't bother me as much as the fact that
4) Lifeway is still willing to sell customers the magazine! They keep it behind the counter like pornography in order to make the point that it is bad, but they aren't willing to actually lose money over this.
Well, they have lost mine. And they probably won't miss it, since I didn't shop there much. Still, let it be said I try to put my money where my mouth is. Lifeway spokespeople make the point that they are free not to sell items they find objectionable. They are absolutely right. And I am free to give another store my business and to encourage you to do the same.
I recommend BookPeople.
4 comments:
i'm not a christian bookstore junkie, because very little appeals to me outside of the very occasional (and often obscure) cd. i especially liked point number 2, i hadn't been able to put my finger on what that problem was until then. but i think you are most correct in that this is posturing and not principle. some issues, like women leadership, are lighting rods for this sort of behavior. but in the end, market principles outweigh any righteous indignation on the part of the retailer, and that is the only absolute truth to be found at Lifeway.
LOL...I love the point about keeping it under the counter like pornography. I guess Lifeway isn't all that different from Seven Eleven.
I guess elevating women is as dangerous as exploiting women, but neither is worth losing money over. This is America after all.
But Kester, where else are you going to buy all of your "Got Jesus?" tee-shirts or your rapture themed fiction?
I bet it's not hard to find Sarah Palin on the cover of a few mags displayed rather prominently in their stores, but at least she isn't likely to become a pastor.
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