Church protests downtown adult book store

[RecycleMichael]

This from the Tulsa World...

http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?articleID=20080727_11_Abou041257

Church members protest downtown adult bookstore

By ALTHEA PETERSON World Staff Writer

About thirty to forty members of Real Church, 821 E. First Place, rallied and marched around a downtown city block Sunday afternoon. The block, between Second and Third streets at Elgin and Detroit avenues, houses the New Midtown Adult Supercenter, 319 E. Third St.

Scott Lovett, Real Church pastor, said the group was there to protest things that place people in "bondage," such as alcohol and adult entertainment. Lovett said such things keep the downtown area from being a family environment.

"It needs to be replaced with things that are family friendly," Lovett said. A representative of Midtown declined to comment.

I don't know how long this bookstore has been there. I am curious as to why the church chose to protest it now. I honestly have never been into this bookstore or in that church so I don't know the people involved.

Does having a church protest adult businesses offend some people more than the business itself? Is this protest the type of thing that hurts the efforts to market downtown Tulsa to conventions? Is the role of the church to go out and protest parts of the community they don't want?

Maybe, maybe not. I have a evangelical friend who said the controversy a couple years ago to build a creationist exhibit at the had all her out-of-town friends wanting to see Tulsa. She thought that a religious image for our town was a strength.

The bookstore has spent lots of dollars fixing up their building. I think it is one of the nicest remodeling jobs in that block. In fact, the new building kind of reminds me of a church.

Clearly, porn can have a terrible effect on society. It can also destroy a person's life and objectifies women. It is not the image I want for our downtown. But it is legal and this place seems to be wanting to project an image that says they want to fit in to newly remodeled parts of downtown.

[inteller]

In other news:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25865017/

If you want to protest bondage....go no further than 81st/Lewis....it is the cradle of it all.

I'm glad at least it was the "real church" protesting and not the fake one.


spare me the sermon and pass the porn.

[waterboy]

I know what you're saying ReCycle, and I agree. But the church is simply protesting what most all of us would agree with. We don't need a porn shop in the new downtown revitalization. Even a well remodeled one where the floors aren't sticky.

If some of the big money guys still have any foundation money to flash, perhaps they could buy the building and rent to something more appropriate?

[sgrizzle]

I've never understood Real Church either. They have a bookstore but it's only open one day a month. They have posted on here before.

[JoeMommaBlake]

quote:The bookstore has spent lots of dollars fixing up their building. I think it is one of the nicest remodeling jobs in that block. In fact, the new building kind of reminds me of a church.

It reminds me of El Guapos...

Same paint color, same roof.

For the record, I think El Guapo's had theirs first. I've especially noticed now that we're opening on the same block as El Guapo's (just a couple of blocks north of the porn shop on the same street). When I'm giving people directions to our store, I can't say "we're right next to the yellow building with the red staccato roof." Oddly, that is not specific enough.

[FOTD]

When they pay their share of property taxes and assesments then they get a voice. Otherwise, the devil sez they need to go to hades! !

[cannon_fodder]

If the church feels it is inappropriate in it's current location, perhaps they should pay to relocate it.  If they don't like it all together, then they should bask in the irony of using the 1st Amendment to protest something also protected by the 1st Amendment.

Porn is porn.  No need for psycho analysis on it.    It objectifies women as much as any lu****l thought or action.  99.9% of men objectify women everyday, so what (drive by, wow, she looks good.  )?   Clearly not good if you think or act as if all women are objects, but not necessarily harmful in and of itself.

Anyway, the "bookstore" has been there paying taxes for about as long as any downtown establishment.  They are not right across from a daycare, nor from a tourist destination.  And there they shall remain.  No big deal.

[edit]For some reason I feel the need to disclose that I have never actually been to this store.[/edit]

[TURobY]

I have been to it. It isn't much different than any other sex shop I've been to. Not sure why they singled this one out, as it has been downtown for several years.

[Gold]

I'd rather it not be there and I'm sure a lot of the neighboring businesses feel the same way.  I've never seen anyone too bad hanging around there when I've passed by; I remember that Whittier News, by comparison, used to attract some real winners nearby.

That said, a lot of cities have the sex industry located downtown.  Atlanta and Vancouver have strip clubs downtown (seems like Dallas does, too).

The statement from this group that disturbed me the most was that they were after places that serve alcohol that keep downtown from being family friendly.  Uh . . . it's the bars that are keeping the whole thing going a lot of nights.

[Conan71]

I think I saw this group relaxing over a few pitchers of beer at Arnie's afterwards last night.

[PonderInc]

I personally think that downtown churches, while beautiful, have done much more to hinder downtown revitalization than the Midtown Adult Superstore (which has been there for as long as I can remember).  

All those surface parking lots, destruction of historic buildings, and loss of tax dollars...for a once-a-week use?  Sheesh!  The adult store is open 24/7, 7 days a week.  Name any other downtown retail establishment that can claim that!  

Guess what's going to help with downtown revitalization?  Creating a fun, tolerant, diverse place to be.  South Tulsa can be "family friendly" (read: boring and intolerant) if they want.  I want downtown to be diverse and full of open-minded, creative people...who aren't a bunch of prudes who waste time being terrified that someone might watch porn or buy a dildo.

Go to any big city, and check out their funky shopping districts.  You'll see much more than a discrete adult toy store/movie house.  You'll see the wares proudly displayed for window-shopping and the amusement of passers by.

[carltonplace]

The churches do need to learn how to share their parking with those around them. It is criminal how they have razed our downtown in support of surface parking that gets used once or twice a week. [!]

I walked in a straight line from 7th and Main to 14th and Cheyenne the other day through church and TCC and Blue Cross parking lots. I didn't even have to walk around a car, much less a building. The only detour I made was to walk over the highway.

Leave the porn shop alone. Hearing that a church is mad at this place makes me want to go shop there. Hope my mom doesn't see me on the news crossing the picket line []

[RecycleMichael]

They probably call out your name like the did "Norm" on the TV shows "Cheers".

I can hear all the bookstore customers saying in unison, "Carlton".

[carltonplace]

I saw this porn once...15 minutes ago...

I get my porn like everyone else: on the internet.

[RecycleMichael]

I think the Real Church and the porn store should combine forces.

Real Porn has a strong marketing ring to it.