Borders Bookstore Still Showing Their "Religious Sensitivity"

While holding to the corporate policy of not carrying the current issue of "Free Inquiry" magazine, which is explained at the corporate level as being for the "safety of their customers and employees", as the magazine reprinted the now infamous Mohammad cartoons, the giant chain bookstore proves that it's ideas of "religious sensitivity" and "respect for those of all faiths" is a bit confused. As has been discovered, in some districts (though not corporate policy) it is required that the Koran as well as the Torah be shelved above a certain height (out of respect for religious rules regarding these texts, and these texts alone). This is supposedly out of respect, and Borders has stated that they indeed respect the views and beliefs of all of their customers. Check and mate.

First of all, if they really respect the beliefs of Muslims so very much, then why is their stated purpose of rejecting this issue of "Free Inquiry" to "protect customers and employees"? Could it be that they indeed have little respect for Muslims at all as they seem to expect them to harm their stores and cusomers as well as employees? This sounds more like running scared than "respect", especially as the decision to not carry the magazine was made due to the corporate policy of not carrying any publication reprinting the said cartoons. I was told by a public relations executive that this was their policy, though she also told me that there had been no threats or concerns voiced to the corporation by Muslims. So the PC crowd out there can be just as upset at Borders as the rest of us that they seem to view Muslims as violent terrorists bent on attacking Borders bookstores were they to carry the Mohammad images......

......Second of all, this "respect for the beliefs of others" is subject to the pursuit of the bottom line, and not even balanced out, as the blatant disregard for opposing views that are respectful of Christianity has been shown in my local store. The large display is, of course, designed to hype The DaVinci Code and help the store cash in on the release of the upcoming movie based on this bestselling novel. However, all of the books on this display table, save two refuting The DaVinci Code DIRECTLY, are books on different aspects of Christian history and the speculated role of Mary Magdalene. Many of the books on display tie in to certain aspects of Dan Brown's bestsellers, DaVinci and Angels and Demons, also on the display table. Yet many of them, as can be seen delve into obscure topics all of which most scholars and Christians would find neither credible or respectful, as the titles suggest. Much of the work on the "sacred feminine" and refutations of early church teachings are shaky and meant to sell only to an audience with an anti-Christian bias. The titles are all there, on the table exactly as I found them. And any number of other books within the store, scholarly, yet less biased against Christianity, could have been added to this display. I urge people to check their local stores for displays of this sort. Barnes and Noble may also have such marketing techniques on their floor. I have not yet checked.

Read the rest and view the pictures in full at http://whatwouldcharlesmarteldotm.blogspot.com/