California pastor outraged to find Bible filed under ‘fiction’ at Costco

[big_dog]

A California pastor says he found the Bible filed under “fiction” at a Costco store near his home. Pastor Caleb Kaltenbach said he made the discovery Friday while shopping for a present for his wife in Simi Valley. “All the Bibles were labeled as fiction,” said Kaltenbach, pastor at the nondenominational Discovery Church. “It seemed bizarre to me.”


The pastor said he checked the shelf for other Bibles, and each copy had a sticker that said: “$14.99 Fiction.” Kaltenbach said none of the Costco employees he found would answer his question about the Bibles, so he took a photo of one and posted it on Twitter. “People are pretty shocked and upset,” Kaltenbach said. “We are supposed to be living in an era of tolerance, but what Costco did doesn’t seem too tolerant.” The pastor said he doubted the Washington-based company would have labeled a Koran as fiction and took the label personally.

“If they don’t believe in the Bible, that’s fine – but at least label it as ‘religion’ as some bookstores do, or ‘inspiration,’” he said. “On the one hand Christians should not yell out.’ We aren’t living in Iraq or Iran. But on the other hand, I believe that we do need to stand up for our faith and we need to be vocal about our concerns.” “Let’s hope Costco’s explanation is true and not the result of having been caught attempting to marginalize the very foundation of Christian beliefs, the Bible,” said pastor and author Robert Jeffress. “Christians need to call out organizations like Costco whose actions undermine Christianity – regardless of whether those actions are accidental or intentional.”

Costco has drawn the ire of conservatives for its refusal to allow guns into its stores, and its cofounder and former CEO, Jim Sinegal, has become a liberal hero for paying workers fair wages and earning much of his income through stock options, rather than salary. http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/11/19/california-pastor-outraged-to-find-bible-filed-under-fiction-at-costco/

[NuclearDem]

1. *snort*

Oh no! Mislabeling at CostCo undermines Christianity!

[loli phabay]

46. lol double snort

[snort]

89. triple

[loli phabay]

90. omg, took me a minute to catch your name.

[Cha]

102. "We're Not Living in Iraq or Iran!!!!!111111"

[lame54]

2. The pastor said he doubted the Washington-based company would have labeled a Koran as fiction...

They sell bibles but not korans
the irony is completely lost on him

[silvershadow]

86. Maybe they will order some Korans and label those as well? Nice thought. nt

[A HERETIC I AM]

3. In a library....

isn't a bible placed in the "Myth" section?


Terribly offended pastor is offended terribly.

[big_dog]

6. the stock picture at raw story is hilarious

I dont think it is the actual pastor though...

[geardaddy]

83. Here he is...

[jmowreader]

100. Uncle Fester got a job as a preacher? Who knew?

[geardaddy]

133. Right!

[PumpkinAle]

58. It was just myth-placed.

n/t

[wendylaroux]

63. HA!!!!

[Arugula Latte]

65. A re-tale worker messed up.

[RKP5637]

128. ...

[Art_from_Ark]

118. Nope

The "myth" section, although classified as 201 in the "Religion" category of the Dewey Decimal System, is apart from "Bible" which has its own classifications (220-229).

[mike_c]

4. the best solution to this problem is the most obvious one....

Don't sell that crap at Costco.

[Mr Dixon]

137. Agreed

well said

[LuvNewcastle]

142. That's my solution.

Let people go to bookstores if they want to buy that stuff. I think most Christians buy their Bibles at Christian bookstores anyway, or maybe Amazon if they want a discount. I've never been in a Costco; we have Sam's down here, but I imagine that their book sections are pretty much the same -- very limited selections from popular authors.

[Auggie]

5. Costco is good at following consumer trends ...

just calling it the way they see it.

[TBF]

7. Dewey Decimal System would be 200s -

but close enough

[joeybee12]

8. I'd be pissed too...it should be under Children's Fiction...nt

[Retrograde]

22. Nah, too much sex and violence for kids

And the begats get pretty tedious.

[Humanist_Activist]

26. No, Adults only fiction, that book is disturbing and not for children's eyes. n/t

[Arugula Latte]

54. Or Fetish - S&M

That Yahweh is one dominant sicko. He likes to dole out the punishment.

[idwiyo]

115. No way! It should carry a warning 'racism, homophobia, misogyny, violence, incest, rape, S&M'

and 'Not allowed to be read to minors before age of 21'.

[Egnever]

9. And my love for costco

grows a little more

[LittleGirl]

42. me too eom

[JRLeft]

64. +1

[SomethingFishy]

10. Yeah Wal-MArt is awesome because they sell tons of bibles marked "religion"

while they collect food donations for the employees they don't pay enough to eat.

Costco sucks because they labeled the book fiction(and it is) while capping their CEO salaries, paying their employees a living wage and closing on the all important RELIGIOUS HOLIDAYS.

Lala land must be a nice place to live.

[hibbing]

77. Yes

What a bizarro world it is on the DU homepage today. Two threads about the Walmart stuff and now this. I really wish this right wing dipsticks would get back to the reality based world. It really is up is down and down is up with them all and the scary black president.

Peace

[Turbineguy]

88. For the wingnuts

reality is just too terrible to contemplate. Much better to divide one's time between Fox News and the voices in their heads.

[tridim]

11. The more literal the reader takes it, the more fictional it becomes.

The thumpers should be happy that Costco even carries their book of myths.

[frogmarch]

12. Not mislabeled,

inadvertently labeled correctly.

[Rex]

13. Did he ask his God, which was no doubt stranding right next to him

if it was fiction? Didn't think so. I would have labelled it under 'fantasy' along with all the other books on alternate realms, dragons and unicorns.

[leftyohiolib]

15. the bible is about more than just god

[Rex]

18. Yeah, without God the Bible would exist...not.

Not really, the Bible is all about how you should worship God.

[leftyohiolib]

28. u have a point there. the non-god stories while they might have been put in print

would probably not be contained in the same book without the god thread

[LanternWaste]

21. I imagine many librarians would chuckle quietly

I imagine many librarians would chuckle quietly should they receive the request to put The Epic of Gilgamesh or The Iliad in the Fantasy and Science Fiction section, regardless of whether they too, ask their God or not.



However, I also imagine one may easily find a distinction without a difference should they so choose...

[leftyohiolib]

14. yea more religion bashing from the tolerance party

truth is with out any real evidence it is where it belongs although it is probably both

[Rex]

17. What does that even mean?

That makes no sense whatsoever.

[bravenak]

30. Add punctuation and capital letters.

Truth is, without any real evidence, it is where it belongs. Although it is probably both.

[Rex]

43. Thanks.

nt.

[Marr]

87. I prefer a more tv-psychic sort of interpretation.

Truth is without any real evidence. It is where it belongs, although it is.

Probably... [both!

[cleanhippie]

101. It's "probably" both? What does that even mean?

[bravenak]

106. I believe it means it's probably both fact and fiction.

Just a guess.

[trotsky]

135. Let's eat grandma!

[bravenak]

148. It took me several hour to get it.

Went right over my head. I'm ashamed.

[leftyohiolib]

31. i mean there are elements in the bible that are (probably) fiction and nonfiction

[NuclearDem]

34. It's about as factually accurate as the Aeneid, Red Dawn, or Washington and the cherry tree.

Part creation myth, part propaganda, and part lionizing a renowned figure after his death.

It's historical fiction, at best.

[Rex]

44. I agree with you there, also the use of the Bible

as a codex on how to live (back in the day) or as rules is clearly demonstrated. Sorry for my snark, I really did not understand what you were saying. I hate the spellcheck on here and how it divides words.

[cleanhippie]

104. Taken as a whole, it is entirely fiction.

[frylock]

19. without any real evidence

without any real evidence

[Jamaal510]

20. The way I see it,

this whole debate is pretty pointless. None of us were alive billions of years ago to actually know for sure how everything came into being. For all we know, either side could be correct. That is why I think it is foolish to completely rule out one side or the other, whether it's the Big Bang Theory or the existence of a deity.

[NuclearDem]

24. Except claims of deities can't be disproven.

You can't evaluate the supernatural through naturalistic methodology by definition. Therefore, they're completely irrelevant.

[TBF]

36. For some things we actually have

This new-fangled thing called "scientific evidence". The rest is myth/fiction unless proven otherwise.

[Arugula Latte]

52. Debate on the origins of the universe is a far cry debate on whether the Bible is fiction or not.

The Bible is the collected stories of a primitive people from 2,000 years ago. Debating its veracity is akin to debating whether or not Athena really was born from Zeus's head.

[sendero]

125. Since it is blatantly..

.... self contradictory over and over and over I think fiction is a pretty good guess. It certainly is not the "word of an infallible god", why would such a god allow his word to be so corrupted?

http://www.skepticsannotatedbible.com/

[cleanhippie]

91. What is foolish is to cling to a position that is not supported by reality.

And nothing claimed in the bible is supported by reality. To think that "both sides may be right or wrong" is foolish, for only a fool ignores reality.

[Humanist_Activist]

27. Why should we tolerate stupid ideas?

People, sure, but ideas and beliefs should always be fair game. Unless you are so thin skinned you can't distinguish between attacks on beliefs versus attacks on people.

[KittyWampus]

136. Stupid idea- the material world is the only level of reality.

[joeglow3]

139. That is the EXACT SAME ARGUMENT the right uses regarding homosexuality

It is bullshit when they pull it and it is bullshit when you pull it.

[Mariana]

29. You talking about the pastor?

The guy who's publicly squawking about the labeling of nonexistent Korans on Costco's shelves?

[LostOne4Ever]

124. I think you mean

Belief, without evidence.

Saying Truth is kind of begging the question.

[Politicalboi]

16. I'd join Costco but I don't need bulk

Sure would like to work there though. Any place that pays living wages and puts the bible in the fiction category is alright by me.

[Egalitarian Thug]

119. I save more than the cost of membership on gas alone.

Add in the savings on Tillamook and booze and I couldn't afford not to join them.

[Scuba]

23. Where would he put a book with a talking snake and a man living in a whale?

And another guy who lived to be 969 years old?

[CoffeeCat]

120. ROTFL!!

I can't sleep and I was just browsing through these comments and I about peed my pants when I read yours.

It hit me just right. The perfect amount of fact and deadpan commentary. Seriously...How else would you label a book with a talking snake it it???

So true!!!

Thanks for the chuckle!

[Demo_Chris]

121. I read the Harry Potter books carefully, and many times, but the Whale story...

Just isn't in there.

[backscatter712]

25. Truth in advertising!

[FarCenter]

32. In the LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CLASSIFICATION OUTLINE, The Bible is subclass BS

http://www.loc.gov/aba/cataloging/classification/lcco/lcco_b.pdf

[silverweb]

62. Okay, that's just hilarious.

[font color="navy" face="Verdana"]Serendipity or synchronicity or... someone with a great sense of humor working at the LoC....

[geardaddy]

78. ...

!

[mountain grammy]

82. Very funny.. thank you! Who knew?

[Mr Dixon]

140. good one

[Initech]

33. If he doesn't like it go to Sam's Club

[AndyA]

35. Well, I'd like to see the long versions of the birth certificates for the authors of The Bible

If they ain't Murkins, they must be terrorists, and that book they wrote shouldn't be available to the public!

[2naSalit]

37. 3..2..1..

Time to call the whaaambulance.

[One_Life_To_Give]

38. Customer is always right

Must be some new marketing strategy. I'm sure corporate will appreciate the effort to help move inventory.

[nolabear]

39. I could see labeling them under "religion." Seems reasonable.

[hollysmom]

40. seriously, what Costco does he shop at? In mine the books are piled on the table,

they just put Children books separate from Adult? Book shelves? really where exactly is this person?

[Johonny]

45. You captured my thinking exactly- who would have know that random book pile was sorted?

You have one table covering children's books to fifty shades of gray. Only someone really wanting to pick a fight with Costco would care. My guess the pastor has "other" issues.

[SeattleVet]

47. It's not in a 'section', it's on the price tag. nt

[central scrutinizer]

41. Was it next to the halal lamb?

A lot of Xtians already boycott Costco because they are Islamifying America by carrying halal food.

[MynameisBlarney]

49. Then they should also boycott

just about every other grocery store in the US, except maybe for Piggly Wiggly in the South, because they ALL carry at least one Kosher food item.

http://www.netgrocer.com/pd/BaTampte/Mustard-Delicatessen-Style/16-oz/074301006009/

BTW....

BEST. MUSTARD. EVER.

[MynameisBlarney]

48. And if I'd had anything to do with it

It would have been on the toilet paper aisle.

[vlakitti]

50. YAY!

[ananda]

51. And yet, the bible IS a work of fiction.

..

[Shrike47]

53. Being outraged is a way of life. For some 'Christians.'

Otherwise they get no attention at all.

[Arugula Latte]

55. They're a poor, powerless, oppressed minority in this country.

[Hippo_Tron]

145. In their defense, a lot of them are poor and powerless...

They just don't realize that their being poor and powerless has absolutely nothing to do with supposed persecution of Christians (or white people, for that matter).

[CoffeeCat]

122. Yes, these people have POS...

POS--Perpetual Outrage Syndrome.

They are in a constant state of outrage. They bounce from one Fox News story to the next--completely out of their minds.

I saw this story come through on my FB feed, from a conservative radio host. The comments were just priceless. They are all so convinced that the world is against them. I think that makes them feel more important.

Their hair is on fire, at the moment, about Obama intentionally omitting words about God from the Gettysburg Address that he recently recited. Apparently, Ken Burns asked him to recite it, gave him a copy and that version did not contain those words--and neither did the original version.

Seriously. These people blow a gasket about every ten minutes. They're going to hurt themselves.

[Cheap_Trick]

56. Personally, I'd stock the bible in the toilet paper section.

That'd make the fundie nut job heads just EXPLODE!

[Sedona]

59. Bible belongs in the "Fantasy/Mythology" section

[the_sly_pig]

60. A person with faith is not affected by labels.

He or she also believes the Creator of the Universe is not affected by labels. Hence, the person expressing outrage has no faith.

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

61. The dirty parts could be filed under "Erotica".

The Bible is a book with some beautiful poetry, a bloodstained history, a wealth of obscenity, and upwards of 10,000 lies. Mark Twain

[Arugula Latte]

67. Gotta love Twain.

He also said:

"You believe in a book that has talking animals, wizards, witches, demons, sticks turning into snakes, burning bushes, food falling from the sky, people walking on water, and all sorts of magical, absurd and primitive stories, and you say that we are the ones that need help?"

and

"Faith is believing what you know ain't so."

[Tierra_y_Libertad]

69. One of my favorites.

"I am not afraid of death. I was dead for billions of years before I was born and recall no particular discomfort."

[Playinghardball]

66. How are fairy tales labeled?

It's the biggest fairy tale ever written....IMO

[Vashta Nerada]

68. That's because it is fiction.

Fauxrage.

[TeamPooka]

70. Prove it isn't fiction or STFU Pastor.

[Roland99]

71. Oh, ye of easily bruised faith

just part of that war on Christmas, don'tcha know!

[notadmblnd]

72. Sounds to me like the pastor is not too tolerant himself.

If I were the CEO to Costco, I wouldn't stock any religious books.

[NV Whino]

75. It was probably on the remainders table

Got in a bulk shipment.

[ReRe]

73. Well.....

... what do you expect out of a Bible thumping capitalist? The "reverend" should have written to CEO Jim Sinegal himself instead of making a big public spectacle over it. The fact that he made a fuss without going to Sinegal is proof that he is using his religion to get all the fundamentalists in an uproar, and hopefully to steer the zealots away from shopping at Costco, i.e. to put a dent in Costco's bottom line.
Ha! It'll backfire, wait and see. Costco's bottom line will increase because of this.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

74. Wait until he sees churches under "architecture".

Seriously...

[SoapBox]

76. ROFLMFAO

Hilarious!

[Starry Messenger]

79. I'm not usually a fan of speculating unduly, but this seems like a plant.

Walmart probably put this guy up to it to try to throw some dirt this week, since they've been getting their just desserts.

I say that a company that pays its workers and gives them Thanksgiving Day off is way more in line with so-called Christian principles than Walmart, eater of hopes.

[perdita9]

80. Isn't there more important things we could be worried about...

...then some religious dude getting his feelings hurt over a 'filing' issue?

[JimboBillyBubbaBob]

81. Well, I'm outraged...

...that they let a pastor in a bulk store. Shouldn't he be doing the loaves and fishes routine?

[Yavin4]

84. That pastor is 100% correct

The bible should be in the Complete Bullshit section.

[Marr]

85. Bet you $10 the good pastor is lying his ass off. /nt

[Hekate]

92. That's just weird

I checked the price label on the cookbook I recently bought and it says "Cookbook," so there's definitely more than two categories of labels. There's always an abundant selection of Bibles and devotional material, so it's not like Costco doesn't stock them, either. Somebody made a mistake or did it for a prank, and instead of getting in the faces of random employees on the floor, he should have gone to the manager and inquired like a grownup, instead of venting his shock and outrage at the Fall of Western Civilization to the media.

Good grief, Charlie Brown.

[jimmycck9]

93. Uncle Fester?

Didn't realize he was still with us...

[gopiscrap]

112. welcome to DU

[In_The_Wind]

130. Hello ~ jimmycck9

[img][/img]

[hrmjustin]

94. I have mixed feelings on this. I think he is doing this for the press coverage but I would have

been upset if I saw it. I will still shop there.

[Joel thakkar]

123. hmmm

you seem like a religious person...your sig is also religious...how do you handle the bashing of religion from liberals and atheist? What is your reaction after seeing my sig?

[hrmjustin]

141. Well we debate religion in the religion room.

We have our debates here but the reality is I expect my faith to be challenged.
Most people here let you just be who you are.

Yout sig line does not bother me.

[Hippo_Tron]

146. He could've given them the benefit of the doubt, maybe write an open letter saying...

Dear Costco, here's the situation. I assume you had no intention of offending anyone and that this was just a simple oversight. Could you please correct this in the future? Thanks!

I'll give him a few points for a kinda sorta temperate response where he notes that this isn't the end of the world and Christians aren't being executed, but that only goes so far.

[hrmjustin]

147. I tend to think that he was looking to make a name for himself but I do understand why he was taken

aback from it.

[NastyRiffraff]

95. Some Christians look for things

to be outraged about. I know one who is "outraged" about Hannukah because it "undermines Christmas, which is the most important holiday." And don't get her started about Kwanzaa; it makes her "so angry!"

And yes, I know some Muslims do that too.

[Blue_Tires]

96. Let me give you the proper headline:

ATTENTION-WHORING PASTOR FINDS HIS POT OF MOCK OUTRAGE GOLD; MEDIA MORONS OBLIGE HIM SINCE THEY HAVE NOTHING BETTER TO DO

[lpbk2713]

103. Lara Logan is on the case.

Be looking for it next time on 60 Minutes.

[PeaceNikki]

97. I don't see a problem, sir. Ask him where the Qur'an was located.

[DesertFlower]

98. bill maher calls it

"the book of jewish fairy tales".

[jmowreader]

99. Okay, which one of you assholes is responsible?

And what did you put the "religion" stickers on, Fifty Shades of Grey or something?

[Cha]

105. On the up side.. Costco's Owners are more like Jesus Christ than

fucking Walmart owners. So, there's that.

[hatrack]

107. Oh, get the fuck OVER yourself already`

Good God, these butthurt clowns going around all day long like they're precious peaches painted by Leonardo Da Vinci sent straight from Heaven, and the least little FUCKING THING is going to bruise their little peach-fuzz and tear the Renaissance-era canvases and oil, and then they'll bleed 200-year-old cognac, so, so very precious and so, so very sad.

Get. Over. Your. Own. Dumb. Self-Righteous. Ass.

[JHB]

108. Costco is just keeping the commandment against idolatry

Or does he believe a Bible is paper and ink, rather the Word within.

IIRC, Jesus tended to disagreements with people who obsessed over outward displays of piety. Pharisees, no?

[JHB]

109. if you want a Bible treated properly, ask a little old lady...

...with her hard-backed NVI:

#t=127

[boston bean]

110. I don't blame them.

It belongs in the syfy section or true crime section.

[tjwash]

111. He's correct - it should actually be in the Jewish-Mythology section.

[idwiyo]

113. I am so going to start shopping at Costco now! Good for them!

[Jake2413]

114. Sorry but it is fiction

[eridani]

116. If Costco were a bookstore, it would probably have a religion department

--science, poetry, various subcategories of fiction. But it isn't. I wouldn't be surprised if "fiction" was the only book category Costco or any other big box store had. Sometimes people can be so damned stupid.

[Warren DeMontague]

117. He's right. Because most fiction has a much more coherent narrative structure.

I'm not sure why anyone would pay 15 bucks for a Bible, when the Gideons leave them in Hotel Rooms for free.

[Turbineguy]

126. Maybe he should just be thankful.

If it weren't for the Bible, he'd have to go out and look for a real job.

[RKP5637]

127. LOL, where else can it be filed, under Horror or Comedy, I suppose. n/t

[Hoyt]

129. It's a sign, Pastor. Heed it.

[Nine]

131. Yay. Another excuse for DU to have a Christianity-bashing party.

People aren't even addressing the original story anymore. It's just a convenient way to bash a significant segment of the Democratic Party, no different from bashing the South or fat people or people who live in trailer parks or people with the wrong job or anyone else deemed a member of an inferior group by DU standards. Hating is fun! Yay!

[Historic NY]

132. Wait, isn't it, "The Greatest Story ever told".

[Mr Dixon]

134. SMH

Not seeing a problem with the labeling

[joeglow3]

138. A hero for earning his income through stock options?

That is bullshit. That is EVERY CEO in the country (due to there being a tax deduction limit on non-performance based comp - i.e. salary). If any liberal praised him for that, they are an idiot.

[Kaleva]

143. Costco issues an apology

"Costco has since apologized, saying in a statement a distributor mislabeled a small percentage of Bibles before they were sent to the store. The company said they are correcting the mistake for future distribution."

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/costco-apologizes-california-bible-flap-20950235

[Generic Brad]

144. So...non-news from a butt hurt preacher

If his God is so powerful and all knowing, He would have prevented the mislabeling.