America's super conservative Southern Baptist Convention has recalled tens of thousands of pink Bibles it sold after some of the money went to an abortion clinic.
The 'Here's Hope Breast Cancer Bible' was meant to raise money for research into breast cancer, with money donated to the Dallas-based Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation.
But, in a shock discovery, it was revealed that at least $25,000 was given to the charity's local affiliate, Planned Parenthood, the largest abortion clinic in the country.
'The sign might as well read, 'Buy a Bible and support abortion!', wrote Susan Tyrrell of the Bound4Life blog.An embarrassed Thomas Rainer, president of LifeWay, called the project a mistake.
'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,' Rainer said in a statement.
James W Sedlak, vice president of the American Life League, said LifeWay made the right decision to recall them.
While Komen does good work, that work is tainted, he said.
'For the sale of Bibles to benefit the largest abortion provider in the nation is atrocious,' he said.
The Komen foundation issued a statement of its own, and said some funds had gone to Planned Parenthood, an organisation which also conducted breast cancer screenings.
It said funding to Planned Parenthood paid for 139,000 breast exams and about 5,000 mammograms, detecting 177 cases of cancer in the past five years.
It said LifeWay's decision was disappointing and that all funds from the Bible sales would go to breast cancer programs.
Marty King, director of communications for LifeWay, said any money raised so far will go to the foundation for breast screenings only. He said LifeWay had received about three dozen complaints related to the Planned Parenthood issue.
The Bible had been in stores since October. Controversy over it began last week after anti-abortion websites such as Bound4Life.com and Lifenews.com began to complain.
The Bibles will be reused after they are recalled. King said that LifeWay is looking at its options for repackaging them.
Darlene Jacobs of Mt. Juliet, a supporter of the foundation, said the LifeWay decision was shameful.
She said she has raised money for the charity ever since a friend was diagnosed with cancer seven or eight years ago and that Komen does great work.