Campaign accuses Steve Jobs of 'Big Brother' bigotry

CUPERTINO, CA - OCTOBER 20: Apple CEO Steve Jobs speaks during an Apple special event at the company's headquarters on October 20, 2010 in Cupertino, California. Apple is expected to announce a new operating system for its Mac computers. (Photo by Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

Apple Computer co-founder Steve Jobs is being accused of turning into the very "Big Brother" dictator he and his company built their reputations challenging over his decision to banish from his iTunes store an application that allowed Christians to promote the pro-life and traditional marriage positions.

"What is offensive is that Steve Jobs has targeted Christians for discrimination and religious bigotry, censoring our basic right to speech. Steve Jobs has become Big Brother and we call on Christians across America to contact Jobs to express their outrage at his unfair, discriminatory decision," said Brian Brown, president of the National Organization for Marriage.

"Apple should immediately restore the Manhattan Declaration app and apologize to all Christians for their actions," he said.

The issue erupted recently over the application that facilitates those who want to sign the Manhattan Declaration, a "Call of Christian Conscience" that enjoys the support of prominent Christian clergy, ministers and scholars. The document promotes both the pro-life and pro-traditional marriage positions in today's hot political wars.

The application had been approved by Apple reviewers and rated 4-plus, which evidenced that it contained no offensive content, according to spokesmen for the some 500,000 people who have signed the declaration, which was launched in 2009.

The campaign to publicize Jobs' decision also has gone to YouTube:

However, the product was removed from the iTunes store following a petition from about 7,000 people who objected to the message, which conflicted with their beliefs about abortion and same-sex "marriage."

PinkNews reported on the removal, criticizing the declaration as a "manifesto … which rails against the 'erosion' of marriage."

The report said, "The app asked users whether they agree with four statements on abortion and same-sex marriage and those who answer that they are pro-choice and pro-gay marriage are told that they are incorrect."

The National Organization for Marriage said its campaign to reach out and generate opposition to Jobs' action is being delivered to hundreds of thousands of supporters.

Apple staff did not respond to a WND request for comment. The company earlier issued a statement that the app was being removed after it successfully had gone through the company's own inspection process, because "it violates our developer guidelines by being offensive to large groups of people."

"Steve Jobs built his reputation as an iconic marketer in the famous 1984 commercial for the MacIntosh computer in which Apple promises to take on 'Big Brother,'" Brown said. "Jobs has made billions taking on 'Big Brother' yet the irony is that in refusing to allow citizens to support pro-life and traditional marriage positions he's become the very 'Big Brother' he has decried."

He said, "Apple happily allows all kinds of apps for pro-abortion and pro-gay marriage groups, yet when Christians develop an app to support traditional marriage and life, it is called offensive and is pulled from the iTunes store."

The organization supporting traditional marriage earlier wrote to Jobs, calling on him to reinstate the application.

"NOM's members are also Apple's customers. We are demanding that Apple restore the Manhattan Declaration app, and call on Americans to make their dissatisfaction with this kind of mindless thought control crystal clear to Apple and its board of directors," Brown has said.

"Apple lets you download an app for a movie that attacks a religious minority for supporting Prop 8, but a judicious statement of principle by major religious leader is banned? It's an outrage. That's one bad Apple," said Brown.

He was referring to the statement titled "8: The Mormon Proposition," about California's war over Proposition 8, through which voters defined marriage as being only between one man and one woman. The measure has been in the courts ever since voters approved it.

Apple officials donated large amounts of money to defeat Proposition 8.