Bad Apple

Apple wrongly rejects an app reflecting mainstream Christian beliefs

Randy Hicks, President of Georgia Family Council
January 21, 2011

Consumer electronics giant Apple is known for its technological innovation and creativity. The company has sold millions of iPhones, iPads and computers over the years and just reported $6 billion in profits for the last quarter.

When it comes to products for the tech market, they’re getting a lot of things right. However, their recent action has proven that they don’t always get it right.

A few months ago, Apple decided to remove an app from their online store that was created for the Manhattan Declaration – a statement of Christian conscience that espouses Biblical principles related to marriage, human life and religious freedom. It’s a statement of belief that has been signed by nearly 500,000 Christians.

Though the app had been approved and posted by Apple, they later removed it after getting pressure from homosexual activists saying it was “likely to expose a group to harm” and considered to be “objectionable and potentially harmful to others.”

So what does the Manhattan Declaration say? Here’s how the preamble begins: “Christians are heirs of a 2,000-year tradition of proclaiming God’s word, seeking justice in our societies, resisting tyranny, and reaching out with compassion to the poor, oppressed and suffering.”

Frightening isn’t it.

The Declaration goes on to explain its three central tenets addressing the sanctity of human life, the value of marriage, and freedom of religion and conscience. It thoughtfully expresses what millions of Christians believe is true about the condition of man and the church’s responsibility to address the critical issues of our time – just as the church has done for centuries.  

I don’t expect everyone to agree with what the Declaration says, but you’d have to do violence to logic to determine that this is a hostile document.

Apparently some folks haven’t figured out that disagreement does not always mean hostility. All of us have disagreed with someone we know, but we don’t automatically assume the difference is motivated by ill will. In this case, Apple is going along with a small group of politically motivated activists who disagree with the document and wrongly mischaracterize its intent.

Without question there have been incendiary and irresponsible statements made by Christians and those claiming to be. Perhaps most notable are the members of the Kansas-based Westboro Baptist Church who picket soldiers’ funerals claiming God has killed them because of America’s tolerance of homosexuality. Their statements are hateful and cruel, not to mention theologically wrong. Theirs is an offensive message that should be rejected.

The Manhattan Declaration, however, is not.

Its tenets are expressed in a respectful tone that reaffirms each Christian’s responsibility to his fellow man, including loving your neighbor as yourself. The document is simply a clear statement of beliefs that have been held by Orthodox, Catholic and Evangelical Christians for centuries. To claim that this content is potentially harmful and objectionable is to claim that historic, foundational beliefs held by Christians are themselves harmful and objectionable. Let’s hope that is not the position Apple is taking.

Apple has every right to reject any app it wants. Last year, it weathered criticism for its wise decision to reject pornography-related apps. In this case, however, the company is showing itself to be obtuse and out-of-step with mainstream religious beliefs, while refusing to allow free and open debate about those beliefs. To quote one of the Declaration’s drafters Chuck Colson, “it was a triumph of political correctness and ad hominem attack over civil discourse.”

What Apple has chosen to do is far more egregious than anything the Manhattan Declaration comes close to doing – by a long shot. I’m hopeful they change their mind because if this type of content is rejected, there’s no telling what might be next.

Georgia Family Council is a non-profit research and education organization committed to fostering conditions in which individuals, families and communities thrive. For more information, go to www.georgiafamily.org, (770) 242-0001, This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .