By Rusty Pugh
April 2, 2001

(AgapePress) - The mayor of an Alabama town says he wants to make it clear: Christians do not want a store that sells pornography to come to their community.

Movie Gallery has recently come under fire from the American Family Association and other pro-family groups for their practice of renting and selling hard-core pornography in many of its stores. The nation's third-largest video retailer is set to open a new store in Fayette, Alabama, later this month. But Mayor Ray Nelson says if the company comes to town, he wants them to know that he is making the pornography a number-one priority.

"As the mayor of the City of Fayette and as a Christian, we are opposed to any business coming into our city with hard-core pornography. We have high moral values in our community [and] in Fayette County, and we have a [grass roots] effort going here in our city ... our pastors and churches ... that are opposed to this type of immorality. We're going to stand up against it and we're going to do everything we can to keep this out of our city."

Nelson says area churches are united in protesting the store's arrival. He reports that pastors and church members are already involved in a write-in campaign to Movie Gallery officials, stating hard- and soft-core pornography are not going to be allowed in their city.

The Christian Coalition of Alabama has joined AFA in a national boycott of Movie Gallery. The video retailer's national headquarters are located in Dothan, Alabama.

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