Thinking Anglicans

CartoonChurch and the owner of the former SPCK bookshops

Dave Walker of CartoonChurch fame has on several occasions reported on the saga of the former SPCK bookshops, subsequently owned by SSG.

Today he has removed all his blog entries on the subject after receiving a ‘cease and desist’ notice from the owner Mark Brewer. He writes:

I have therefore removed all of the SPCK/SSG posts on this blog, as, although I believe I have not done anything wrong I do not have the money to face a legal battle. The removal of these posts is in no way an admission of guilt.

Read all about it at Cartoon Church. [This post has also now been removed from Dave’s blog.]

Update

Matt Wardman has posted an article about this, see Lambeth Conference Cartoonist in Residence threatened with Legal Action over blog

Wednesday morning update

Bishop Alan Wilson has posted this: SPCK Bookshops — Gags & Gimcrack.

Wednesday midday update

Matt Wardman again with a roundup of other links: My Name is Dave Walker: People posting about Mark Brewer’s Cease and Desist Notice.

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Treebeard
Treebeard
16 years ago

The behaviour of Christian bodies and organizations (and Churches) is more and more convicing me of the truth of Christianity — Not.

3MinuteTheologian (Justin Lewis-Anthony)
16 years ago

Well done Treebeard, another example of the heresy of the unpleasant bus driver.

As for Dave, I think it is another example of the high-handed and destructive behaviour of… well whom?

Is there a UK media lawyer in TA’s readership who fancies some well-deserved pro bono work?

Doug Chaplin
16 years ago

I’ve added my observations about this misuse of the libel laws.

Merseymike
Merseymike
16 years ago

Given that they are very likely to go belly-up before too long, I am sure that they will be able to return to pride of place before too long

Treebeard
Treebeard
16 years ago

I’ve no idea what you’re talking about. Do you ?The non-witness of all these corporate ‘Christian bodies’ is turning more and more of us away from your versions of Churchianity.

I wouldnt use a disreputable or unreliable or unsafe bus company or restaurant either.

‘Well done Treebeard, another example of the heresy of the unpleasant bus driver.’

Posted by: 3MinuteTheologian (Justin Lewis-Anthony) on Tuesday, 22 July 2008

john
john
16 years ago

I was standing this morning scanning the NT commentaries and other secondary works on the NT in the Durham SPCK (inside the Cathedral) when I fell into conversation with a fellow Irishman, who observed – knowing nothing of SPCK’s recent travails – that it all seemed a bit ‘thinner’ than it used to. It does, and this is very serious. Less and less knowledge – more and more ignorance.

Tom Allen
16 years ago

What Mark Brewer/SSG have not bargained with is that all the “removed posts” are readily available on Google over which David Walker has no control – so people interested in free speech and the future of SPCK and Christian bookshops in the UK should make them widely known see this link for details:
http://theconnexion.net/wp/?p=3815. One presumes that the threat of legal action is not going to concern Google too much!

Mark Bennet
Mark Bennet
16 years ago

I think Dave Walker has done the Christian community a great service as this story has developed, and I am not going to stop saying so.

Keith Kimber
Keith Kimber
16 years ago

Sued for telling the truth? SSG makes a fool of law by abusing it. The truth will out. Remembering how subversive the ‘Fake Steve Jobs’ blog was when cloaked with anonymity, it’ll only be a matter of time before some holy geek pieces together saved pages containing the deleted posts into a hard-to-trace ‘Not-Dave-Walker blog’ – followed by several more ‘fakes’ distributed across cyber space. They can’t sue the whole internet can they?

Jonathan
Jonathan
16 years ago
susan hedges
susan hedges
16 years ago

So the entry you linked to on Dave’s Cartoon Blog has been removed and comments are closed to all entries.

This sucks!

JCF
JCF
16 years ago

[Expert Googlers: could you direct me to the cache for Dave’s removed post on the subject?]

I know that your Vindicator liveth, Dave: hang in there!

Nom de Plume
Nom de Plume
16 years ago

What a mess! I am told that, during the Raj, it was common for individuals in India to have printed on their cards “B.A. Oxford, failed” for it was better to have been admitted to Oxford and failed than not even to have tried. Personally, I would prefer such a line over the claim trumpted on Mark Brewer’s website that he has a degree from Oral Roberts University. Yup, about as dodgy an academic claim as one can make. Oh, yes, he also claims as one of his specialties employment law. I suppose, from the comments of ex-staffers, that this… Read more »

Robert Ian Williams
Robert Ian Williams
16 years ago

I’m very pleased they have gone bankrupt..as I visited the former book store in Chester and it was full of “Orthodox “books condemning the Papal claims and the Catholic Church. One was written by an ex -Southern baptist convert to Orthodoxy!

The heads that should roll are those in SPCK who sold the shops.

spckwatch
spckwatch
16 years ago

SSG may not be going bankrupt as efforts are underway to get the case thrown out under US law. More details to follow.

Erika Baker
Erika Baker
16 years ago

JCF
Mad Priest has the text on his blog
http://revjph.blogspot.com/

Mark
Mark
16 years ago

All Dave has done is report what the Brewers want to hide… their motives, their incompetence etc. etc. unfortunately their cowardly use of a “cease and desist” notice is using Dave’s inability to fund a legal battle he would undoubtedly win to enable them to censor the truth. Disgraceful!

KC
KC
16 years ago

This blog has a complete list of google cache links: http://voiceofiyov.blogspot.com/

Note that google cache is not permenant. This information may be available for as little as 3 days, depending on a variety of factors which I chose not to elucidate. So if you want it to be preserved for posterity, download the pages and archive them.

counterlight
16 years ago

When persuasion fails, there’s always force.

More evidence that the “orthodox” are no friends to wage earners or to freedom of speech.

Treebeard
Treebeard
16 years ago

Christianity in action on the ground !

Göran Koch-Swahne
16 years ago

Dreadful behaviour.

Matt Wardman
Matt Wardman
16 years ago

Note: I’ve just updated the Dave Walker post list – there are now 27 and some more to come later.

http://www.tinyurl.com/davewalker

Facebook Group:
http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=40107747008

Friendfeed (keep you up date a combined feed)
http://friendfeed.com/rooms/dave-walker-spck

JCF
JCF
16 years ago

A minor point in their attack on free speech rights that the SSG is attempting, but re

“”Orthodox” books condemning the Papal claims”

And the problem with that would be? I could write similar condemnations, and be at least as *orthodox* as… well, as YOU are, RIW. ;-/

Mouse
Mouse
16 years ago

All Dave’s original posts have been reposted here: http://opendebatenotlibelthreats.blogspot.com/

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