It is Christmas You Know 

Tom Palmer points out some misplaced outrage by some in a New York Times article over the fact that the International Bible Society paid to have the New Testament distributed as an advertisement in the Colorado Springs Gazette.

The volume went into the same pocket of the newspaper's plastic pouch where items like CD's from America Online or soap samples often go. The Bible group paid the standard advertising rate, and its spokeswoman, Judy Billings, said it considered the 91,000 copies of the New Testament a Christmas gift to the people of Colorado Springs.

First of all, on it's face I see absolutely nothing wrong with this myself. A group has decided to advertise itself to a community via a newspaper. Companies do this all the time, pushing toothpaste, shampoo, detergent... why not the bible? It's perfect timing too. Why not advertise Christianity around Christmas? Moreover, it actually got mostly good reviews:

The paper received 195 positive messages about the insert and 69 negative ones and 5 people canceled subscriptions, a muted reaction compared with the response when a comic strip is pulled, Mr. Burdick noted.

Now isn't that hilarious. Removing your favorite comic strip gets a larger reaction then putting a bible in the newspaper. But let's go back a bit. Where is the outrage?

But it also set off a debate about free speech, the role of newspapers and religion in the public sphere.

Some Jews and Muslims said getting the New Testament with the Sunday paper felt like being proselytized in their homes. Journalism critics debated whether this was free speech or skating too close to an endorsement of a particular religion.

First off... a newspaper was paid to send this out. Secondly, the 1st Amendment states that the government shall not endorse a particular religion... nothing that says that a newspaper can't. Third... they weren't even endorsing it. That's like saying that because they include a package of Tide, that they're saying you can't use Cheer. Isn't it ironic that the one piece of writing that spawned the printing industry is now being shunned by that same industry (or at least some people would like it that way). This is the very epitome of free speech... the ability of a group to freely advertise their ideas to the community as a whole. To claim that a group shouldn't be able to do this is censorship plain and simple.

If you don't like the idea of a newspaper sending this out, then cancel your subscription as others did. Or hell... throw the bible away! Nobody said you had to read the thing. You see something you don't like on TV, you change the channel. This is not that difficult folks.

(Hat tip to the Agitator)