UPDATE 12/15, 7:24a: This is a big enough story that CNN is covering it, as is the Associated Press.

This is a huge embarrassment to Komen and further exposes its relationship with Planned Parenthood to the general public.

Kudos to Lifeway for doing the right thing. Kudos to pro-life groups, news sources, and blogs for making this an issue. From the AP:

The “Here’s Hope Breast Cancer Bible” was sold at Walmart stores and other major retailers….

The Komen foundation issued a statement of its own, saying that LifeWay’s decision was disappointing and that all funds from the Bible sales would go to breast cancer programs. Andrea Rader, from the charity’s marketing communication department, said LifeWay had pledged $25,000….

The Bible had been in stores since October. Controversy over it began last week after pro-life websites such as Bound4Life.com and Lifenews.com began complaining.

They cited a report from the… American Life League, which showed that local affiliates of Komen had granted hundreds of thousands of dollars to Planned Parenthood affiliates.

“The sign might as well read, ‘Buy a Bible and support abortion!’ ” wrote Susan Tyrrell of the Bound4Life blog.

Komen has acknowledged that some funds have gone to Planned Parenthood for breast cancer screenings….

12/14, 7:01p:by Kelli

Yesterday we highlighted a story from Moral Outcry on a new pink Bible for breast cancer awareness, published by Southern Baptist-affiliated B&H, a division of LifeWay Resources. Each sale would have given $1 to the Susan G. Komen Foundation, which is a financial supporter of Planned Parenthood.

Moral Outcry and its readers wrote to the publisher when the story originally broke, with one commenter receiving a response from LifeWay that it planned to continue selling the Bible and finish the contract with Komen.

But B&H has had second thoughts. Today it released this statement:

We made a mistake.

As part of Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October, B&H Publishing Group released to several mass market retailers a Cancer Awareness Bible as a way to place God’s Word into the hands of those suffering through breast cancer. As part of the project, B&H agreed to donate $1 from the sale of each Bible to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for breast health education, screening and treatment programs.

As this project has developed, we realized it was a mistake.

When our leadership discovered the overwhelming concern that some of Komen’s affiliates were giving funds to Planned Parenthood, we began the arduous process of withdrawing this Bible from the market. Though we have assurances that Komen’s funds are used only for breast cancer screening and awareness, it is not in keeping with LifeWay’s core values to have even an indirect relationship with Planned Parenthood.

B&H’s mission to advance the gospel through distribution of God’s Word is unchanged, so we will continue to seek innovative ways that are in keeping with LifeWay’s core values.

Thom S. Rainer
President and CEO
LifeWay Christian Resources

[HT: Susie Allen from Pro-Life in TN; photo of Lifeway via The Tennessean]

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