Hotels Get Smart, Remove Bibles
 

http://www.luxist.com/2007/11/18/lux...ose-the-bible/

Some of the comments with this article are gold.

Shit, people are strange. The room sleeps the same with or without the book in the drawer -- they'll get over it. It's not like these same people that feel this uncomfortable about a room without a bible in it (gasp!) don't have their own they carry with them when they travel.

But, dammit, where am I supposed to hide my cash during hotel stays, now? Next thing you know, they'll be removing the hidden stash of booze business travelers leave in the toilet tank on checkout.

I don't see the point in removing it. It does no harm being there and can come in useful either as a spiritual guide for those who walk that path, or as a handy supply of emergency paper for the rest of us.

Anything else that is... donated... by a passer-through is removed.

And I don't think that "remove" is really the right word. I don't think most Gideon Bibles are actually left behind after a stay anymore; a better way to put it is "stop helping the Gideons distribute them".

People who can't sleep without a Bible nearby probably have one already; Gideon Bibles are a form of prostelyzation.

But the kids won't understand the lyrics to Rocky Raccoon any more if they are removed.

the debbil will enter through their ears in their sleep if there's no bible in there.

I don't read anyway when in a hotel room so....

As long as you feel the same say about LaVey's Satanic Bible.

I've noticed over the past few years that many hotels have been ditching the minibars, and even the minifridges altogether. Now that's a real shame. Not only do I not get to pop open a beer or champagne split immediately upon entering my room, I also have nowhere to put my leftover delivery pizza.

When I lived in Leicester my parents stayed at the Holiday Inn - ludicrous prices, but they had Clubcard points from supermarket shopping so it was free.

There was a notice in the minibar that said any drink removed would be charged unless the occupent could prove it was later replaced. It's a pressure sensitive automatic billing system. My Mum - very respectful of authority - wanted to phone up Reception and ask if they culd use the fridge anyway. I said, "God, no Mum - they'll only feed you some line because it's more trouble for them! Just take all the stuff out like you usually do and pretend you didn't see the sign. They'll be plenty of idiots who genuinely didn't, they must have a way to process it!"

So they put their supermarket lunch fixings and alcohol in the fridge as usual and didn't consume anything provided by the hotel. Sure nuff it wasn't a problem. Although if I know Mum she would really have hammed it up at the desk :smack:

sure, why not? no one can force you to read what is sitting in a drawer. if some group wants to raise the money needed and build the infrastructure to donate the texts i have no problem with them sitting in a drawer waiting for someone who is interested in reading them. i don't see it as any different than all the little flyers you find in a hotel lobby area showing local attractions.

i honestly don't see what the big deal is either way. if a hotel owner wants to put them there, cool. if not, cool. i book my hotels based on the quality of the property, proximity to my reason for visiting, and price - in that order. the contents of the nightstand drawer don't enter into the equation.

I've stayed in Marriott's a couple of times in recent years. Their drawers contain a Gideon Bible (KJV), a Book of Mormon, and The Book of Marriott.

I feel...
Much, much better now.

Someone lemme know if he gets less annoying, 'kay?

Chickenshit #2
He announced it... LOL!!! what a baby.

Looks like a good read. I liked the Home Depot one.

The hotel does not put them there, the Gideons do so as a proselytizing method.
I think they have the right to allow it, just think it is sad.
A non-stalk/insult post *has heart-attack*.

gideons don't literally go room to room replacing every bible. hotel employees do. gideons provide the bibles free of charge and have asked the hotel owners and management to place them there.

I was out of town for a funeral of a dear family member. While staying in the hotel I found comfort in reading some passages in the Bible. I also referenced things from it for my memorial speech. Why is that such a problem for you? If you don't want to read it - don't. Same as some of your posts, or mine, or anyones for that matter.

Good point. Seems kinda familiar . . .

This whole thing is a non-issue -- the Bibles are still available at the front desk upon request at these hotels and no one should really care if the books actually are placed in the drawers.

maybe they put bibles in hotel rooms for all the people who decide to get loaded then do themselves over in them. Maybe some people think they should be there for those people who might find some solace in the book which they'd never ask for if it weren't there.

Personally, if you don't want to read it, then don't. I agree with kitsune here. It's a non-issue.

It is not a problem beyond that I find religious proselytizing to be a low/deceitful practice and enjoy seeing anything that gets in its way.

[on rant]Well I see your bashing of religion, any religion, something you choose to not believe in or are incapable of believing in, to be equally offensive. You seem to have a heck of a negative attitude. Why don't you try something more positive like love or caring? I have read many, many of your posts about you family and so on. Why is it so hard for you to treat others with that same love and respect? Oh thats right - you don't believe.....nevermind - as you were. [off rant]

Whoa, whoa, whoa. Don't blame rage's neuroses and general dickishness on his atheism. I'm very much an atheist, but you don't see me being a bitch about everything, do you?
Don't confuse cause, effect, and coincidence.

It's hard to be a little bit atheist. ;)

Not at all; what do you think agnosticism is?

Agnostics admit they don't have a clue. Atheists believe there is no god, no way. Big difference.

Maybe I shoulda put a :sarcasm: smiley in there...

nah - just admit your mistake and move on - She got ya and you know it. ;)

No, agnostics believe it is impossible to know. Atheists lack belief in gods. You can be one, the other, both, or neither. Some atheists have afirmative belief in the nonexistence of gods, but most simply lack belief.

Or we could get into semantics wars over what was supposed to be a joke, something that tickled me...eh. :)

I'm trying to see how you can be both, but if I was wrong I stand corrected.

and what is the official title once vitriolic hate and condescension are mixed in?

eek I looked it up in wikipedia. There are a thousand types of atheism/agnosticism and levels and now my head spins. You were right, Ibby, I was wrong (no, the world is not ending.) :blush:

Wiki will be the end of true definitions.

Given the usual definitions of the supernatural, I'd say that both would be the default logical position.

Agnostic is default because the supernatural can always skip one step ahead of science. You can never state with certainty that something wasn't done supernaturally, but in such a way that it just looks natural.

Atheist is default, because absence of belief is the most reasonable course in the absence of evidence.

Re: Wiki...It's a quick reference, to me. Though it may not be all correct, I got the info I wanted without wading through theological websites; it was all on one page. Theism is all theory anyway. Before I catch it for that one, I am using the word theory in the usage that refers to "conjecture or speculation" NOT the usage of real science theory.

Disclaimers are fun!

Definitions are conventions; wikipedia is as good a place as any (perhaps better) to collect all the myriad conventions in a convenient place.

What Happy Monkey said. ;)

I agree to some extent.

Define "extent." :lol2:

Classicman, just messing. I crack myself up, if no one else. ;)

I think you crack up a lot of people - more than you know! Just not all in a good way :D

Yeah, that's the problem. I have discernation inefficiency.

I think wehat is happening there or better yet, can happen with wiki, is that incorrect perceptions perpetuate and slowly become "facts" even though incorrect. Then again, maybe changing reality to perception is a good thing.

Wow. Someone just posted "You were right and I was wrong."

Wow.

The world may not be ending but for me it just gave a quick backflip.

In no way did I bash religion, sock, I simply bashed a tactic.
No reading comprehension?
There are classes for that.

Atheism:
A-non, theist-believer in a god.
Agnostics are atheists, they just don't like the word.
Most Buddhists, many Wiccans, agnostics, Brights, non-theists, undecideds, all of them... if they don't actively believe in a god they are an atheist.
Sam Harris has been a whiny little bitch about the word lately... it is just an accurate description.

I have been at a hotel when the Gideons came and place the bibles in the rooms.
Play again.

The weed you're smokin must be affecting your memory - you have taken plenty of shots at religion.

I have taken shots at tactics of organized religion, not belief.
I have stated many times that I do not care what an individual believes, just what they do with it. I am married to a theist.
I have not smoked for a long time and it is irrelevant to this, ad hominem as usual.

I wish I didn't have a life and could just pull up and cite them for you - Political reference about the elections, schools teachings.... please.

All about organized religion, abuse of authority, hypocrisy of the org in authority harming those it purports to help and those using their beliefs to breech the separation of church and state.
None about individual belief.
Play again.

so what you are saying is that every gideon bible placed in every hotel room across america is placed there by a gideon?

and, out of curiousity, did the gideon bitchslap you, tie you to your chair, and force you to read the bible?

I had gideon sex

didn't we have a thread about gideon sex? oh wait, that was "giddyup" sex. *still queasy at thought of LJ with feather duster hanging from ass*:thepain:

Nothing I posted even implied anything you stated in any way.
Normal for you, as ever.

let's go back.
you stated that gideons put the bibles in the rooms. i stated that gideons provided them but they don't go room to room replacing each one as needed. your response was that you had seen it happen thereby implying that they do in fact go room to room. (funny how you have personally done or witnessed every freaking thing to ever occur:right: )

i have not been in every hotel in america so i can't say that it is this way everywhere, but my two clients who own hotels do have their employees replace the ones missing when the clean the rooms. and i have seen them on the cleaning carts in other hotels so i would take that to mean that hotel staff is prepared to replace them as needed at the direction of the owners.

Yes, either they do it themselves, room-to-room which I have personally seen, I never stated I know how often this occurs but do know it does or they get staff to.
You chose to assume I meant they always do with nothing to support it.
I implied nothing.

The hotel manager gave them universal room keys?

Not sure. They knocked on my door and they were entering the other, unoccupied rooms. They had a cart with bibles, I asked if they were gideons and talked with one for a while.

i hope you didn't try to proselytize them. that would be rude.

but if i was a hotel manager/owner i'd have a hard time handing over a universal room key to someone just because they have a cart of bibles. i think the liability would be pretty high there.