# Why are Christian Bookstores Allowed to Ban Books? **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [March 5, 2021, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271 "2021-03-05T15:24:37Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 12
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/221 "2021-03-05T23:50:26Z")
Well, at least the pretense of pro liberty, pro classical liberal thought with the nutty woke is left is finally gone. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/222 "2021-03-05T23:51:09Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > Like what? Well, how would you recommend that evangelical Protestant to have a discussion about Christianity with a Catholic, for example? Is it okay for the Protestant to simply declare “Catholics aren’t Christians” and expect the Catholic not to be insulted? If you as an evangelical Protestant can’t discuss the definition of Christianity with a Catholic without asserting “Catholics aren’t Christians”, because that’s what you sincerely believe, then okay, I guess you can’t really have that discussion. But the Protestant doesn’t get to assert “Because I sincerely believe this insulting statement, you have to have this discussion with me and ignore the fact that I’m insulting you.” The Catholic doesn’t have to put up with being insulted just because the insult is something that the Protestant sincerely believes. Same thing for people who want to discuss same-sex marriage while asserting that same-sex marriage isn’t really marriage, or who want to discuss transgender rights while asserting that transgender women aren’t women or transgender men aren’t men. If you can’t refrain from contradicting somebody else’s fundamental assertion of their identity, then you can’t have a civil discussion with them about the meaning of the concepts involved in their identity. And that failure’s not on them, it’s on you. Nobody is ethically obligated to put up with being insulted just because you hold that your sincere beliefs require you to insult them. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/223 "2021-03-05T23:52:59Z")
Rachel Dolezal says “hi!” ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/224 "2021-03-05T23:56:25Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > the pretense of pro liberty, pro classical liberal thought It’s not a pretense. Liberals as a group have always supported liberty and civil rights, but we have never interpreted that to mean that anybody must always be able to say whatever they want in any circumstances at any time with no repercussions of any kind. The category “nutty woke left” is just more of your ill-defined word salad, so it’s pointless trying to figure out how a rational person might reasonably relate it to the category “liberals as a group”. The phrase “nutty woke left” will take on whatever inconsistent definitions you choose to give it at different times for different rhetorical purposes. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/225 "2021-03-05T23:56:34Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > I think he meant when you use their OS. Like an iPhone, you know? Then the answer is still yes, but with caveats that are different than the caveats you wish there were. Firstly, if the OS wanted to censor the data that a separate messaging system is sending down its wires, that would be damn near impossible, because it would be difficult to determine which transmissions were messages at all, much less ones with illicit content. A broadbased attack on your data would almost certainly corrupt myriad licit transmissions as well. For this censoring to work Apple would have to target it to specific messaging systems, who could bypass it by changing or encrypting their transmission structure. Secondly, if Apple somehow did figure out a way to implement systemwide censorship over everything on it (that didn’t _destroy_ everything on it), then they would call it “child-safe” and it would sell like gangbusters, to people like _you_. And people who do want to swear would use their normal OS, or some different OS. And thirdly, if the OS somehow is censoring everything, that means it’s also _reading_ everything. That’s a far graver concern than the censorship. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/226 "2021-03-05T23:58:11Z")
Yes, Amazon and Apple can censor those using their services if they like. That would probably be a terrible business decision, and they’d lose tons of business to their competitors. But companies are free to make bad business decisions, and free to decide what speech to allow on their platforms. Did someone think this was a gotcha? Companies can do this legally. They always have been able to. Blocking them from doing this would be blocking the first amendment rights of those companies. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 5, 2021, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/227 "2021-03-05T23:59:31Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > Well, how would you recommend that evangelical Protestant to have a discussion about Christianity with a Catholic, for example? Is it okay for the Protestant to simply declare “Catholics aren’t Christians” and expect the Catholic not to be insulted? How should I know? I’ve never been either and I have never been obliged to pretend to believe in god in order to have a discussion with religious people. It’s accepted that people have different views. I can chose not to mention my beliefs, but if people demand to know my opinion (and they do), do you expect me to lie as a prerequisite for having the discussion? Maybe you see it differently because you _have_ been obliged to lie about your religious beliefs? I know a lot of Americans are religious. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/228 "2021-03-06T00:00:26Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > Well, at least the pretense of pro liberty, pro classical liberal thought with the nutty woke is left is finally gone. If you’re referring to how I’m not required to agree to perform your racist singing telegram at a child’s birthday party, then nothing has changed except in your hallucinations. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/229 "2021-03-06T00:02:04Z")
Speaking of muh word salads. ---
**Author:** ![DemonTree](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/demontree/32/8646_2.png) [@DemonTree](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DemonTree)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/230 "2021-03-06T00:03:04Z")
> [@Kimstu](#): > > It’s not a pretense. Liberals as a group have always supported liberty and civil rights, but we have never interpreted that to mean that anybody must always be able to say whatever they want in any circumstances at any time with no repercussions of any kind. Speak for yourself. I support an open and tolerant society where multiple viewpoints are valued. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/231 "2021-03-06T00:04:01Z")
A tiny bakery refuse a cake and it’s the end of the world. Giant corporations with more wealth than most nations censor? Not a problem. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/232 "2021-03-06T00:05:57Z")
And once again you demonstrate that you’re too stupid to understand the cake situation, or too dishonest to stop lying about it. Yawn. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/233 "2021-03-06T00:06:26Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > I’ve never been either and I have never been obliged to pretend to believe in god in order to have a discussion with religious people. When you have such a discussion, do you say, “I don’t believe in god.”, or do you simply assert over and over, “There is no god.” ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/234 "2021-03-06T00:07:32Z")
Of course no inconsistency. It’s muh contexts! ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/235 "2021-03-06T00:08:24Z")
Dunno about **DemonTree** , but I repeatedly assert “There is no god”. No reason not to tell the truth. Admittedly there are lots of conversations where there’s no point in asserting that truth, much the same way that there’s little point in repeating “Frodo is fictional” while discussing Lord of the Rings. But when the situation merits it? Sure. ---
**Author:** ![DavidNRockies](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidnrockies/32/6279_2.png) [@DavidNRockies](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DavidNRockies)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/236 "2021-03-06T00:08:48Z")
Can anybody who’s been here longer than me help me understand what’s going on ? Have the meds just _worn off_ or have they just _kicked in._ Should we call somebody ?? Yikes. ---
**Author:** ![begbert2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/begbert2/32/3357_2.png) [@begbert2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/begbert2)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/237 "2021-03-06T00:09:01Z")
He’s trolling. Badly. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/238 "2021-03-06T00:09:02Z")
> [@octopus](#): > > A tiny bakery refuse a cake and it’s the end of the world. They didn’t refuse to make wedding cakes, what the fuck are you on about? They refused to make a wedding cake for a specific couple because they didn’t approve of their lifestyle. If Amazon ever starts refusing to sell books in their catalogue to people they don’t think should have those books, then we can talk. ---
**Author:** ![octopus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/octopus/32/3716_2.png) [@octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/octopus)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/239 "2021-03-06T00:11:23Z")
Pointing out ‘liberal’ hypocrisy is not trolling no matter how badly you wish it were. ---
**Author:** ![Kimstu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ecd19e/32.png) [@Kimstu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kimstu)\ **Post date:** [March 6, 2021, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271/240 "2021-03-06T00:12:24Z")
> [@DemonTree](#): > > How should I know? I’ve never been either Okay then, how would you recommend that anti-SSM conservative to have a discussion about same-sex marriage with a same-sex couple? Maybe you’ve never been either of those any more than you’ve ever been a Protestant or a Catholic, but perhaps the hypothetical is an easier reach in this case? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271.md?page=11) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-are-christian-bookstores-allowed-to-ban-books/937271.md?page=13)