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Costco apologizes for labeling Bibles as fiction

Costco has apologized to the public after a California pastor revealed its controversial labelling of the Bible — as fiction.

Caleb Kaltenbach, a pastor at the non-denominational Christian Discovery Church in Simi Valley, Calif., tweeted a photo on Friday of the Holy Bible with a white sticker on its upper-right corner that said "$14.99 Fiction."

The story has gained traction online, particularly with Fox News, which called it a "shocking discovery." Kaltenbach told CBSLA he received many responses to his tweet, some from people who were upset and others from those who didn't see a problem.

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"It's caused a lot of controversy. It's caused a lot of conversation, which I think conversation is good," he told the broadcaster.

He also tweeted that he wasn't angry about the fiction label; only intrigued.

Nonetheless, Costco issued a statement apologizing for not removing the fiction label, saying one of its distributors had applied it, according to the South Florida Sun-Sentinel.

Kaltenbach tweeted that he believed the retailer, and he told CBSLA he would shop there again.

Others have posted photos showing the Bible in the fiction section on occasion, including this image from a Walmart and this one from a Barnes & Noble, which shows a combined section for Bibles and Christian fiction.