An online petition demanding the Australian branch of Target remove the Bible from its stores has ended in some embarrassment for the 50,000 signatories, after Target replied saying they don’t actually stock the book.

The petition was launched by gamers in response to Target’s decision to remove copies of the 'Grand Theft Auto V' video games after a similar petition called for it to be pulled from shelves.

The Bible-bashing call-to-action was one of several anti-Target petitions that became viral hits down under, with its founder comparing the complaints levelled against the violent computer game to attitudes towards women in the Christian text:

It’s a book that encourages readers to murder women for entertainment. The incentive is to commit sexual violence against women, then abuse or kill them to proceed or get ‘god’ points – and now Target are stocking it and promoting it for your Xmas stocking.

This is The Holy Bible. This book means that after various sex acts, readers are given options to kill women by stoning her unconscious, Setting them on fire, cutting off their hands, and killing their children!

One of many fan passages on In The Holy Bible depicts woman being set alight for having sex “And the daughter of any priest, if she profane herself by playing the whore, she profaneth her father: she shall be burnt with fire.” (Leviticus 21:9).

This misogynistic book literally makes a game of bashing, killing and horrific violence against women. It also links sexual arousal and violence.

In just four days, the petition saw more than 50,000 people pledge their name to the cause, entirely needlessly, given that the chain store doesn’t even stock the book in the first place.

Credit where it’s due to Target, its Twitter response manages to be incredibly polite and damning in equal measure:

@DevonCallaway We don't actually sell the bible at Target, that's some pretty impressive numbers though!

— Target Australia (@Targetaus) December 7, 2014