Cereal Maker Backtracks After Including Bible with CD-ROM Offer
By Fred Jackson
AFR News
(AgapePress) – General Mills has issued an apology for including a free software version of the Bible in more than 12 million boxes of its cereals due on store shelves this morning. According to the Detroit Free Press, the $10 million promotion campaign was set to kick off today.
Millions of boxes of cereal such as Cheerios and Chex, with the free CD-ROM, apparently were already on their way to stores before General Mills issued the apology on Friday afternoon. The CD-ROMs contain games, dictionaries–and the New International Version of the Bible supplied by Zondervan Publishing. Apparently there is no mention on the boxes that the CD-ROMs include the Bible.
The Detroit newspaper quotes a press release from General Mills which says the Bible was included on the CD-ROM “without the company’s knowledge or consent.” But the newspaper offered evidence to the contrary. The paper quotes one e-mail written several days ago by General Mills spokeswoman Liv Lane. It says “The fact that there are Bibles and other reference materials on the CD-ROMs should be a great bonus to consumers.”
The Free Press also quotes the founder of the software maker that helped create the CD-ROM. Gregory Swann of Wisconsin-based Rhinosoft Interactive says General Mills knew the Bible was included.
Copyright 2000, Agape Press.