Christian Retailing

Store rejected over 'offensive' Christian name Print Email
Written by Eric Tiansay   
Thursday, 30 September 2010 02:18 PM America/New_York

A long-established Christian bookstore has been rejected by an advertising agency because of its "offensive" name.

Don Toy, owner of Christian Book and Gift Shop in Kittanning, Pa.--a fixture in the town for more than 60 years--was told his store could not advertise on a local restaurant's menu because of the name "Christian."

Toy was "stunned" when told about the decision, reported The Kittanning Paper. "I have heard about being politically correct, but this was beyond what I could imagine," Toy said.

Toy had paid $135 to have his store's ad included in a menu at a local restaurant during the Christmas season. But the advertising sales representative later returned Toy's check, saying that the company had decided to exercise its right to refuse any ad it considered "offensive, questionable or otherwise in good taste."

When Toy asked what was wrong with the ad, the Paper said, he was told: "The name. It has the word 'Christian' in it," which could offend non-Christians.