Washington D.C., Feb 22, 2021 / 01:00 pm (CNA).- One scholar’s critical book on the transgender movement has reportedly been removed from Amazon.com.
On Sunday afternoon, Ryan Anderson—the current president of the Ethics and Public Policy Center (EPPC)—reported that his book When Harry Became Sally: Responding to the Transgender Moment was no longer listed for purchase on the online retail giant Amazon.com. The book was released three years ago, on Feb. 20, 2018.
Anderson told CNA on Monday morning that he was alerted to the situation as “people trying to buy it told me it was gone.”
“And not just like it’s out of stock. The pages are down. You can’t buy a used copy. You can’t buy the kindle. You can’t get the Audible version,” Anderson told CNA. He said that his book’s publisher asked for an explanation from Amazon as to why it was not being listed online, but had not yet received an explanation.
As of Monday afternoon, the book was not listed on Amazon for purchase, but was still available for purchase at the book retailer Barnes and Noble.
A spokesperson for Amazon declined to comment on Anderson’s claims on Monday.
Among content that is prohibited under Amazon’s guidelines is that which “we determine is hate speech,” along with “other material we deem inappropriate or offensive.”
Amazon states that “providing access to the written word is important, including content that may be considered objectionable.” The company states that it may withdraw content if “we determine it creates a poor customer experience.”
In addition, Amazon states that if it pulls content, its policy is to inform the “author, publisher, or selling partner” of the de-listing and to allow them an appeal.
“If we remove a title, we let the author, publisher, or selling partner know and they can appeal our decision,” the company stated.
However, Anderson told CNA that as of Monday afternoon he had not heard any explanation from the company for his book not being listed online.
When Harry Became Sally is Anderson’s critical look into the transgender movement, exploring the biological, psychological, and philosophical areas of the transgender debate. He has been outspoken on topics such as the concept of gender fluidity, purported psychological benefits of gender-transition surgery for those with gender dysphoria, and the implications of “transgender mandates”—that public spaces such as single-sex bathrooms and locker rooms be available to people based on their gender identity.
Anderson’s book was commended by professors of psychiatry, psychology, and medical ethics at universities such as Johns Hopkins, Boston University, New York University, and Columbia University.
Despite the acclaim from scholars, he said it was still de-listed at Amazon. “It’s not about how you say it, it’s not about how rigorously you argue it, it’s not about how charitably you present it. It’s about whether you dissent from a new orthodoxy,” he said.
On Friday, legislation was introduced in the House of Representatives to recognize sexual orientation and gender identity as protected legal classes. The proposed “Equality Act” would create broad protections in civil rights law for those identifying as transgender, non-binary, or gay or lesbian.
Critics such as Anderson have argued that the legislation would erode religious freedom protections and would require women to share sensitive spaces such as bathrooms, shelters, or locker rooms, with biological men identifying as transgender women.
“Make no mistake, both Big Government and Big Tech can undermine human dignity and liberty, human flourishing and the common good,” Anderson stated on Monday.
Recently, the Twitter account of Catholic World Report was suspended after the outlet tweeted a CNA article including language referring to a Biden administration nominee as “a biological man who identifies as a transgender woman.”
After the outlet was informed of its Twitter suspension on Jan. 24, its appeal was initially denied due to its “violations of the Twitter Rules.” As of Feb. 1, CWR’s account was unlocked, and a Twitter spokesperson on Feb. 2 said that “[t]he enforcement action was taken in error and has been reversed.”
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The Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition cover the altar, just dedicated by the cardinal. The covering of the altar signifies that it is both the place of the Eucharistic sacrifice and the Lord’s table. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
Jerusalem, Sep 12, 2024 / 07:00 am (CNA).
On Aug. 31, exactly 100 years after its dedication, the Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant was reopened for worship on the hill of Kiryat Yearim, nine miles from Jerusalem.
The church, which was closed for four years for restoration work, stands atop the hill overlooking the (Muslim) village of Abu Gosh. From the top, visitors can see Jerusalem.
A view from the hill of Kiryat Yearim, where the Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant stands. At the foot of the hill lies the Muslim village of Abu Gosh, with Jerusalem visible in the background, a little more than nine miles away. The place, mentioned in the Bible as “Kiriath-Jearim,” held an important role in the history of the Jewish people, as it was here that the Ark of the Covenant rested for about 20 years until King David brought it to Jerusalem. Credit: Marinella Bandini
The place, mentioned in the Bible as “Kiriath-Jearim,” has held an important role in the history of the Jewish people as it was here that the Ark of the Covenant rested after being recovered from the Philistines (see 1 Samuel 6).
The ark contained the two stone tablets on which the Ten Commandments — God’s covenant with the Jewish people — were inscribed and was the sign of God’s presence among his people.
According to the Bible, it was hosted in the house of Abinadab, where it remained for about 20 years (see 1 Samuel 7:1-2) until King David brought it to Jerusalem.
For this reason, even today, the site is visited by many groups of Jews.
A Byzantine basilica was built on the top hill around the fifth century. The current church, the foundation stone of which was laid in 1920, stands on the remains of that building. It was consecrated in 1924 by the then-Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, Luigi Barlassina, and dedicated to Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant.
The Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant in Kiryat Yearim (exterior). The church is dedicated to the Virgin Mary, whom Christians also honor with the title of “Ark of the Covenant.” “The covenant of God with his people finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is no longer just the sign of God’s presence but God himself among us. Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant because she carried Christ himself in her womb,” said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, in his homily. Credit: Marinella Bandini
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the current Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, recently came to the basilica to dedicate its new altar on the occasion of the reopening of the church.
“This reopening is a moment of trust in the future, a desire to start anew, and this is what we need most at this time, when everything around us speaks of death and endings,” he told CNA after the celebration on Aug. 31.
The opening of the doors of the Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant in Kiryat Yearim on Aug. 31, 2024, for the solemn celebration with the rite of dedication of the altar, presided over by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem
“Climbing this mountain, blessed by the presence of the Lord,” he added, “invites us to have a broad and farsighted perspective on events and not to close ourselves off in the dramatic present moment.”
Hosting the event were the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, a French congregation founded in 1832 by Mother Emilie De Vialar, which owns and operates the church and surrounding property.
The complete details of how the land came to be acquired by the sisters are lost to history, but it centers on one of the order’s sisters who died in 1927. Sister Josephine Rumèbe, who is buried in the church, was reportedly endowed with special mystical gifts and managed to acquire the land on behalf of the sisters. The story goes that she had 5,000 francs at her disposal and sought the help of a clergyman for the purchase. To prevent a competing buyer from acquiring it, the cleric secured the entire hill for 20,372 francs. Miraculously, when Sister Josephine counted the gold coins hidden in her room, the amount matched exactly what she needed.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, pours the chrism oil on the new altar of the Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant in Kiryat Yearim. On Aug. 31, 2024, he presided over the solemn Mass with the rite of dedication of the altar, marking the reopening of the church after four years of restoration and maintenance work. Credit: Marinella Bandini
The dedication of the new altar in the basilica took place after the recitation of the creed and chanting of the litanies. The cardinal placed relics in the altar, including that of Mother Emilie De Vialar, who was canonized a saint in 1951. This was followed by the anointing of the altar with chrism oil, the incensing of the altar, the covering of the altar, and the lighting of the altar.
The relics placed inside the new altar of the Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant in Kiryat Yearim, which was dedicated by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, on Aug. 31, 2024. Among the relics are those of Mother Emilie De Vialar, founder of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition, the order who owns the church and surrounding property. Credit: Marinella Bandini
“The covenant of God with his people finds its fulfillment in Jesus Christ, who is no longer just the sign of God’s presence but God himself among us. Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant because she carried Christ himself in her womb,” said the cardinal in his homily, inviting the faithful, following the example of the Virgin Mary, to renew their trust in God as the Lord of history and active within history.
Upon entering the church — whose iconographic elements were created by artists from the Ave Center of the Focolare Movement — the eye is drawn to the golden flame emanating from the center of the apse.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, celebrates the Eucharistic liturgy on the altar he dedicated in the Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant in Kiryat Yearim on Aug. 31, 2024. Credit: Marinella Bandini
A special decoration that, on one hand, evokes the biblical significance of fire, symbolizing the presence of God, and on the other, is connected to the history of this place and particularly to Sister Josephine’s vision of a “mountain of fire,” holds significance here.
When she was still a young postulant in France, during Eucharistic adoration, Sister Josephine had a vision of flames forming a mountain with Jesus above them instead of the host. The vision then vanished, and only 50 years later, at the time of laying the foundation stone of the church, it was revealed to her that the “mountain of fire” was indeed Kiryat Yearim, which she used to call “the Holy Mountain.”
Sister Valentina Sala, the current provincial of the congregation for the Holy Land, immediately felt a strong connection to this place. She recounted to CNA: “The first time I came here for a few weeks, a sister took me to Kiryat Yearim. I knelt at Sister Josephine’s tomb and prayed to return if that was God’s will.”
Sister Valentina Sala, the current provincial of the congregation of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition for the Holy Land, prays at the tomb of Sister Josephine Rumèbe, founder of the convent and the church in Kiryat Yearim. “The first time I came here for a few weeks, a sister took me to Kiryat Yearim. I knelt at Sister Josephine’s tomb and prayed to return if that was God’s will,” she recounted to CNA. Credit: Marinella Bandini
On the centenary of the church’s dedication, Sister Valentina also emphasized the significance of this place for her congregation, whose charism is to serve the needs of people through works of charity.
“What is charity work? What people need today is not just health care or education; there is a hunger and thirst for God. We must be able to recognize this need, helping those who come here to listen to his voice. We need places where people can pause and rest with God,” she said.
When the construction of the church was nearly complete, Sister Josephine had a vision of the Virgin Mary, at the top of the church, facing Jerusalem with outstretched arms in a gesture of dispensing grace. A statue now stands above the church to recall that vision, facing away from those entering and directed toward Jerusalem.
“This place, which evokes the covenant, invites us to realign ourselves with God and to be under this blessing,” Sister Valentina concluded.
This is also the meaning of the words she addressed to those present — the vast majority of local faithful from Jerusalem as well as from Galilee — at the end of the Mass.
Hundreds of local faithful from Jerusalem and Galilee attend the solemn Mass with the rite of dedication of the altar, marking the reopening of the Church of Our Lady of the Ark of the Covenant in Kiryat Yearim, on Aug. 31, 2024. A hundred years ago, Sister Josephine Rumèbe of the Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition wrote about having seen a vision of “a crowd rushing toward the basilica. I saw priests, sisters of our order, and then men and women of the world who were even more pleasing to God than all the others, holy souls shining like stars.” Credit: Marinella Bandini
“Sister Josephine had already seen you in various visions: ‘I saw a crowd rushing toward the basilica. I saw priests, sisters of our order, and then men and women of the world who were even more pleasing to God than all the others, holy souls shining like stars.’”
She continued: “And what if we are that vision? What if we are that future? Of course, we are! From now on, you will be the ones to bring life to this hill, to this covenant between God and his people. Come, rush, stay, feel at home. There is not only a newly renovated church to see but a Presence to discover: Take the time to dwell with the Lord. What could be more beautiful… Many graces await to be dispensed from here!”
Pope Francis takes a telephone call during the May 17 General Audience. / Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
Vatican City, May 17, 2023 / 09:18 am (CNA).
To the surprise of the crowd gathered in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis briefly interrupted his Wed… […]
27 Comments
A dealer in Maryland that sells through Amazon-owned abebooks.com has five copies as of the moment. Of course, the publisher has inventory, too.
Already, a coalition of U.S. publishers, retailers, and authors have been writing to Congress, demanding that leaders start an anti-trust fight to break up Bezos’s book monopoly. In 2019, they pointed out, Amazon controlled 50 percent of all book distribution. Now, that number is as high as 70-80 percent. Not only does that squash competition, but it’s also — as this controversy proves — squashing viewpoints as well.
In addition to Barnes and Noble, the book is also sold by Walmart online.
I mention this because my wife and I recently cancelled our Amazon accounts after Amazon AWS clamped down on free speech. We were pleasantly surprised to find that Walmart online functions a lot like Amazon – it seems that they sell everything.
What I’d like to know is when someone will develop an online presence that does what Amazon does with regard to publications of all sorts. Call it “1st Amendment Press Online.” I’d buy all my printed books, Kindle-platform and CD/DVD material from them and not Amazon. How about it entrepreneurs?
Deacon Peitler,
You might want to give this idea to Walmart, or possibly to Barnes and Noble or Abebooks. I rarely ever walk into a Walmart store, but I’ve found their online presence to be an excellent substitute for Amazon.
At some point we need to have millions of people, who contest censorship of conservative Christian voices, cancel their Amazon Prime subscriptions and stop shopping on Amazon altogether. But this is unlikely. Why? Because we have become slaves of instant gratification, which Amazon (and Facebook, Twitter, etc.) has used to their advantage to become lords of our lives. We complain about what these wild beasts in the wilderness are doing, yet we continue to feed and sustain them.
I became a customer of amazon back when you were sent gifts for being loyal. Then I heard reports that investors were complaining that while stock value was soaring the company would not pay dividends but kept investing in expansion. In other words growing the bezos fiefdom. I stopped buying from amazon then. When bezos bought the washington post I could see the move to garner as much power as possible and now he wants to buy cnn. This guy is scary.
Our responses to Amazon’s unprecedented censorship action “… will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains. A thing is about to happen here that has not happened since the Elder Days.” (quoting Gandalf).
I just ordered the book from Walmart. We have to show Amazon we will go elsewhere, so they really are just cutting their own dollars. I only use Amazon when I can’t find the item I want someplace else.
Of course Amazon did this! Was it because they fully believe in the ideology? No, they do not want to “offend” anyone and loose business. Remind you of anyone else you know?
They have not the guts to call an ace an ace and a spade a spade, push for the truth and suggest ways to help these poor people find their true humanity. We, as good Catholic need to launch with the help of a Bishop, a boycott of Amazon! Wouldn’t that be something? Bishop Robert Barron and Bishop Strickland of Tyler, Tx come to mind. Forget the USCCB! They would deny that Mary is the Mother of God if there was a movement in America to do so.
Hi Barbara! I too do as you do. I find going directly to the company is very effective and many times you can get free shipping! I like to look on Amazon to see what’s available then purchased it at a brick & morter stores or the company’s website.
I dislike Amazon for the very reason this article was written! God Bless You and Your Family and Happy Easter
As a fan of irony and satire I got your point, even without the Walmart explanation. (I don’t do Walmart either, but when Ignatius Press doesn’t sell it I go to Barnes & Noble.)
“Among content that is prohibited under Amazon’s guidelines is that which “we determine is hate speech,” along with “other material we deem inappropriate or offensive.””
Prohibiting “hate speech” has never passed constitutional muster in court in the US. The label is defamatory and vague, so it shouldn’t be allowed. One ought to avoid loaded language, and point to specifically objectionable facts – not how a work seems (or is alleged) to make a person feel.
Any decision without any justification should be thrown out and ought to be null and void in a court of law. Actually, these censorship decisions shouldn’t be left to the discretion of any non-government entity.
By Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg
Updated Feb. 24, 2021 10:22 pm ET
The good news is at the end:
A longstanding truism in the book business is that the only bad publicity is no publicity, and that appears to be true for Mr. Anderson as well. The print edition is now sold out at BarnesandNoble.com, but on late Wednesday afternoon the ebook ranked No. 3 on the bookseller’s Top 100 list for digital books.
A spokesman for Encounter Books on Wednesday said the publisher has reordered 5,000 paperback copies.
A dealer in Maryland that sells through Amazon-owned abebooks.com has five copies as of the moment. Of course, the publisher has inventory, too.
Amazon Censorship Leaves a Plot to Be Desired
February 22, 2021
Tony Perkins
Excerpt:
Already, a coalition of U.S. publishers, retailers, and authors have been writing to Congress, demanding that leaders start an anti-trust fight to break up Bezos’s book monopoly. In 2019, they pointed out, Amazon controlled 50 percent of all book distribution. Now, that number is as high as 70-80 percent. Not only does that squash competition, but it’s also — as this controversy proves — squashing viewpoints as well.
Read Mein Kampf instead. No hate there.
What a puerile and ignorant comment !
In addition to Barnes and Noble, the book is also sold by Walmart online.
I mention this because my wife and I recently cancelled our Amazon accounts after Amazon AWS clamped down on free speech. We were pleasantly surprised to find that Walmart online functions a lot like Amazon – it seems that they sell everything.
The book in several forms, paperback, nook, etc., is easily available at Barnes & Noble.
What I’d like to know is when someone will develop an online presence that does what Amazon does with regard to publications of all sorts. Call it “1st Amendment Press Online.” I’d buy all my printed books, Kindle-platform and CD/DVD material from them and not Amazon. How about it entrepreneurs?
Deacon Peitler,
You might want to give this idea to Walmart, or possibly to Barnes and Noble or Abebooks. I rarely ever walk into a Walmart store, but I’ve found their online presence to be an excellent substitute for Amazon.
Concur.
At some point we need to have millions of people, who contest censorship of conservative Christian voices, cancel their Amazon Prime subscriptions and stop shopping on Amazon altogether. But this is unlikely. Why? Because we have become slaves of instant gratification, which Amazon (and Facebook, Twitter, etc.) has used to their advantage to become lords of our lives. We complain about what these wild beasts in the wilderness are doing, yet we continue to feed and sustain them.
I became a customer of amazon back when you were sent gifts for being loyal. Then I heard reports that investors were complaining that while stock value was soaring the company would not pay dividends but kept investing in expansion. In other words growing the bezos fiefdom. I stopped buying from amazon then. When bezos bought the washington post I could see the move to garner as much power as possible and now he wants to buy cnn. This guy is scary.
Our responses to Amazon’s unprecedented censorship action “… will be like the falling of small stones that starts an avalanche in the mountains. A thing is about to happen here that has not happened since the Elder Days.” (quoting Gandalf).
Video (4 min. 17 sec.) of author Ryan T. Anderson on The Ingraham Angle, February 22, 2021.
Check your local bookstores as well. Amazon is very bad for smaller bookstores- these businesses need help. Go 3-D instead of Kindle.
I just ordered the book from Walmart. We have to show Amazon we will go elsewhere, so they really are just cutting their own dollars. I only use Amazon when I can’t find the item I want someplace else.
Of course Amazon did this! Was it because they fully believe in the ideology? No, they do not want to “offend” anyone and loose business. Remind you of anyone else you know?
They have not the guts to call an ace an ace and a spade a spade, push for the truth and suggest ways to help these poor people find their true humanity. We, as good Catholic need to launch with the help of a Bishop, a boycott of Amazon! Wouldn’t that be something? Bishop Robert Barron and Bishop Strickland of Tyler, Tx come to mind. Forget the USCCB! They would deny that Mary is the Mother of God if there was a movement in America to do so.
Hi Barbara! I too do as you do. I find going directly to the company is very effective and many times you can get free shipping! I like to look on Amazon to see what’s available then purchased it at a brick & morter stores or the company’s website.
I dislike Amazon for the very reason this article was written! God Bless You and Your Family and Happy Easter
Between this and the Amazon deplatforming of Parler, it would appear that democracy dies in Bezos.
Not sure Australia above got my point. Apparently Amazon chose not to delist Mein Kampf.
As a fan of irony and satire I got your point, even without the Walmart explanation. (I don’t do Walmart either, but when Ignatius Press doesn’t sell it I go to Barnes & Noble.)
P.S. Rod Dreher points out that Ryan T. Anderson has an article in First Things on Amazon’s delisting of his book.
When Amazon Erased My Book
Ryan T. Anderson
February 23, 2021
“Among content that is prohibited under Amazon’s guidelines is that which “we determine is hate speech,” along with “other material we deem inappropriate or offensive.””
Prohibiting “hate speech” has never passed constitutional muster in court in the US. The label is defamatory and vague, so it shouldn’t be allowed. One ought to avoid loaded language, and point to specifically objectionable facts – not how a work seems (or is alleged) to make a person feel.
Any decision without any justification should be thrown out and ought to be null and void in a court of law. Actually, these censorship decisions shouldn’t be left to the discretion of any non-government entity.
Also available at AddAll.com, BookFinder.com and ebay.
Bishop J. Strickland of Tyler, Texas has a Tweet about another bad idea from the Jeff Bezos empire:
This is inhuman…God made us male and female
This story is subscriber content at the Wall Street Journal online:
Amazon Faces Questions Over Removal of Book by Conservative Author
By Jeffrey A. Trachtenberg
Updated Feb. 24, 2021 10:22 pm ET
The good news is at the end:
A longstanding truism in the book business is that the only bad publicity is no publicity, and that appears to be true for Mr. Anderson as well. The print edition is now sold out at BarnesandNoble.com, but on late Wednesday afternoon the ebook ranked No. 3 on the bookseller’s Top 100 list for digital books.
A spokesman for Encounter Books on Wednesday said the publisher has reordered 5,000 paperback copies.
not available on abe.books.com either. sold out? or censored?