Christians Shut Down "Dress-Up Jesus" Site
Thursday April 1, 2004
Do you remember the "Dress-Up Jesus" I reported on a few days ago? Well, Urban Outfitters gave in to public pressure and stopped carrying it. Even worse, though, is that a conservative Christian protest group (LaptopLobbyist.com) has gotten the web site taken down as well.
The Washington Times reports:
Members of LaptopLobbyist.com, which describes itself as "America's first and foremost online conservative community," sent thousands of faxes denouncing the "Jesus Dress Up" site, according to Chris Carmouche, executive director of LaptopLobbyist.com. ... Mr. Carmouche said his organization's members sent faxes denouncing the Jesus Dress Up site and magnets to the corporate parent of the site's host, as well as to the chief executive at trendy retailer Urban Outfitters Inc., which sells the magnets.
Charles Wheelus, president of Pick Internet Solutions Inc., the Boca Raton, Fla., parent company of the business that hosted the Jesus Dress Up site, said he was unaware that such content existed on his network until LaptopLobbyist.com notified him. "I am as appalled as you. I find the content of these sites to be obscene and offending," Mr. Wheelus wrote in a letter to LaptopLobbyist.com.
The site was being hosted for free, so there isn't much that can be done. I do hope that "Normal Bob Smith" manages to find a new hosting company - one with a bit more backbone and a bit more respect for the existence of different points of view. If blasphemous sites can be taken down that easily, then this site won't last long.
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Comments
Try to keep your opinion out of the article
. The site was a horrible, horrible thing. Good thing it was taken down!
Why?
Why?
It wasn’t taken down permanently.
@ #1…
You’re not that bright. That Bill of Rights protects even people who don’t agree with you. Normal Bob Smith is allow to operate a site that ridicules religions all he wants. Start censuring the internet and all those religious sites need to go to, so you don’t offend the people smart enough not to far for that crap. Oh and I visit the site on a regular and it could not have been down very long cause I’m still able to get to it. The owner of normalbobsmith.com could effectively sue and win in court against a company impeding on his first amendment rights, especially if there is nothing in the terms prohibiting such a site.
Hi,
My name is Charles Wheelus and yes, I am the person who had the site taken down. For those who haven’t taken the time to understand what really happened; there is no free speech or censorship issue here. This was a site not being paid for and I choose to have it removed.
If anyone one wants to express his opinions, they have every right to do so (in the U.S.A. anyway).
As a owner of a private business, wholly owned by ME I can choose to serve or deny any customer, for any reason or no reason whatsoever…..the freedom goes both ways.
I respect others rights to speak what they wish and to reap the benefits or consequences of what they say.
Others must also respect my right not to associate in any way with them if I so choose.
“Normal Bob Smith” would have no cause of action against me in court. Your statement that “could effective sue and win in court” is simply not correct.
We had no agreement.
He never paid me.
He had no legal right to be hosted on my network.
-Charles
the site that was taken down is back up agian and so it should be. it is a hilarious site. keep up the great work.