Earlier this week, Apple pulled the Manhattan Declaration iPhone app from the iTunes app store for offending large groups of people. Well, it looks like Apple has offended even more people by revoking the application; the Manhattan Declaration earned the ire of some 7,000 iPhone users initially, but Christians have started an online petition of their own to get the app back on the market. Currently, the Manhattan Declaration petition has 36,571 signatures supporting the iPhone app and pleading Apple to put it back up.
The Manhattan Declaration is a collective of cross-denominational Christians supporting core values of heterosexual marriage, pro-life, and freedom to worship. As you might expect, their iPhone app lets users keep tabs on related events, fill out surveys to see if their values line up with the Declaration’s, and a map showing pictures of folks who have signed the Declaration.
Marc has already made his position loud and clear, and though I’m definitely with him on the atheist front and wouldn’t download this app in a bajillionty years (I’m all for gay marriage and abortion rights), the Manhattan Declaration doesn’t strike me as particularly hate-mongering; sure, these Christians have diametrically opposed viewpoints to the conscious lifestyles of a lot of people, but they’re being civil about their discourse, which I think is the main thing. Like the petition says, “disagreement is not hate”.
I understand that this is an awkward position for Apple to be in, but considering how many gay apps they’ve let through up to now, I don’t think they can be branded as homophobic by allowing the Manhattan Declaration in too. Why not offer an app for everybody? If you don’t like it, don’t download it. Have you ever heard the phrase, “I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it”? Of course that sentiment only goes so far; Amazon defending their sale of “The Pedophile’s Guide to Love & Pleasure” is another situation altogether.
Slightly less-curated app stores, like the Android Market, may gain a distinct advantage by being more open to software supporting opposing viewpoints. That might create a more volatile and controversial environment, but deep-seeded political, religious, and social motivations can churn out quite a few apps and plenty of downloads, especially when there’s opposition present. And let’s face it, active app development and downloading is exactly what cell phone manufacturers should want.
Anyway, this is what you might call a sticky situation. I’m curious to hear everyone’s take on this mess in the comments.
[via Newser]