HUNTSVILLE, AL - "I believe the Bible is true," Republican gubernatorial candidate Bradley Byrne said here Wednesday. "Every word of it."

Byrne's testimony came as he tried to clarify an earlier statement seized on by his opponents for the GOP nomination.

Byrne had been quoted in the Mobile Press-Register in November as saying, "I believe there are parts of the Bible that are meant to be literally true and parts that are not."

That quote has followed him, including to his appearance at a Piggly Wiggly grocery store in New Hope, where Byrne came to announce his first big endorsement this year, from the Alabama Retail Association.

When notice of the press conference was posted on al.com Wednesday morning, several posters said things similar to this:

"Just got a call from a person at my Church letting me know about this," said uafan1198. "My family will not be shopping at Ragland Piggly Wiggly stores anymore or anything else they own.... I don't shop at places that think it is OK to stand next to people who don't believe the Bible is all true."

Byrne said at Piggly Wiggly that he had been misquoted. The report has been used by his opponents in anonymous attacks since November, Byrne added.

Appearing with Byrne were executives of Ragland Brothers Retail Cos. Inc., which owns Piggly Wiggly stores in North Alabama, including Chief Financial Officer Darrell Bourne, the immediate past chairman of the Alabama Retail Association.

Bourne and retail association Vice President Alison Wingate announced the 4,000-member group's support of Byrne, former head of Alabama's two-year college system.

Byrne supports "the minimum of government intervention" in small business, Wingate said.

Byrne, standing in front of the collard greens in the produce section, thanked the association and praised small and medium-sized businesses such as the 300-employee Ragland group.

He repeated his promise not to raise taxes if elected and voiced support for tax credits to businesses that hire new workers.

"We don't tax our way out of this recession, Byrne said. "We grow our way out."

Byrne also said he would open a small "office for innovation and entrepreneurship" in the governor's office to stimulate new small businesses.

That's an idea he picked up in Huntsville, Byrne said.