Outraged Over 'Grand Theft Auto' Ban, Aussie Gamers Petition to Ban the Bible

"This misogynistic book makes a game of horrific violence against women," reads the online petition

Australian gamers, furious about the decision by two large retailers to ban a popular violent video game, have started a petition to ban the Bible.

The petition, posted Dec. 4 on Change.org, has already attracted more than 20,000 signatures. In an obvious parody of arguments in favor of banning video games, the petition claims the Bible “encourages readers to murder women for entertainment” by “commit(ting) sexual violence against women, then abuse or kill them to proceed or get 'god' points.” It calls on Australian retailers, including Target, to pull the Bible from their shelves.

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The petition is the latest in a series of satiric attacks by gamers Down Under designed to protest the ban by retailers Target and Kmart, who have refused to stock Grand Theft Auto V. The Australian retailers banned GTA 5 in response to an online petition posted this week calling for the move. Nearly 50,000 people have signed the anti-GTA 5 petition, which calls the game “misogynistic” and responsible for “fueling the epidemic of violence experienced by so many girls and women in Australia.”

Australian gamers have countered that the popular video game carries a R18+ rating, meaning it cannot be sold to minors, and that it has been on sale for more than a year, apparently without incident.

Grand Theft Auto V is the best-selling video game in history. The title racked up more than $800 million in sales within 24 hours of its launch last year and has since grossed close to $2 billion for game maker Take Two Interactive.

Twitter:@sroxborough