Twitter has rejected a pastor’s request to use the social media site’s advertising platform to promote a tweet highlighting his new book advocating for a traditional Christian belief in marriage.
Craig Stellpflug, a former pastor, paid for Twitter Ads to promote a tweet he posted about his new book titled One Man One Woman: God’s Original Design for Marriage, published by WestBow Press. Stellpflug, a retired cancer nutritionist with a pastoral career who now teaches Bible study and Sunday school at Sunrise Baptist Church in Custer, Washington, said he received an email response from Twitter telling him that his tweet “has not been approved for use in your Twitter Ads campaign.”
The tweet in question says, “One Man One Woman is about God’s original design for marriage carried from Adam and Eve in the garden through today.” The tweet also includes a photo of the book and a link to the WestBow Press online bookstore.
The email from Twitter explained that the tweet violated Twitter’s ad policy. “This determination is based on the following Twitter Ads policy: Hate.” Twitter’s policy says that Twitter prohibits “hate content, sensitive topics, and violence globally.” Twitter also lists a number of scenarios in which the policy applies, including “hate speech or advocacy against an individual, organization or protected group based on race, ethnicity, national origin, color, religion, disability, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, veteran status or other protected status.”
“They started promoting it, they took my money,” Stellpflug said. “Then, I get that email that [the] tweet was not approved and that it was determined to be hate.” Stellpflug said that his book is “definitely not an anti-gay book” and that it is “not about lesbian, gay, bisexual and transsexual movement. In fact, I address different issues homosexuality, adultery, divorce, pornography and other like issues,” he said. “I don’t give any special weight to homosexuality. I do give tremendous weight to God’s forgiveness, God’s judgment versus our judgment.”
“I suppose if I named my book ‘One Man and Another Man Together in Marriage,’ it would soar past the critics and actually garner praise as some clarion call for peace and unity,” Stellpflug told CP. “My book is not hate! It highlights conservative Christian marriage values therefore it is ‘hate.’ Have we stooped so low in our country that my freedom of speech is squelched because I promote my Christian beliefs? I’ll tell you where the hate is. It is flaunted against the majority by the few as a tool to promote liberal agendas.”
Stellpflug said he penned another tweet promoting his book and paid Twitter to promote it. Stellpflug did not receive a response to his latest advertising campaign from Twitter administrators before press time. This is not the first time that Twitter has been accused of rejecting an ad campaign promoting a social conservative value. In June, it was reported that Twitter is not allowing pro-life organizations like Live Action and the Susan B. Anthony List to procure ads that warn against abortion, show unborn baby ultrasounds and fact-check claims from the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.
“And they said, Stand back. And they said again, this one fellow came in to sojourn, and he will needs be a judge: now will we deal worse with thee, than with them. And they pressed sore upon the man, even Lot, and came near to break the door.” Genesis 19:9.
“Likewise, also, as it was in the days of Lot…” Luke 17:28.
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Twitter Bans Ad Promotion of ‘One Man One Woman’ Marriage Book, Calls It ‘Hate’