# Athiests why do you need the bible to be removed from your hotel room? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 31, 2016, 6:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588 "2016-08-31T18:49:45Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/21 "2016-08-31T19:18:01Z")
> [@JcWoman](#): > > I ignore them also. But I do think we should give “equal time” to all religions. I’m already familiar with the bible so I’d continue to ignore it, but I would be very likely to pick up and read a Koran or a Torah. If some Muslim or Jewish group wanted to put the Koran or the Torah in every hotel room in America, then it would be up to the hotel owner if they wanted to accept them. Nobody is making hotel owners accept these Bibles, they do it because it’s free and doesn’t cause people any problems. If you don’t want to rent a hotel room with a Bible in it, feel free to toss the copy in your room in the trash. And please, who are these mysterious atheists who are so freaked out by a random book in the desk drawer? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Borgia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_borgia/32/156_2.png) [@Larry\_Borgia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Borgia)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/22 "2016-08-31T19:19:43Z")
It burns when I touch it. A real pain when I’m reaching to the nightstand for my glass of water and I accidentally brush the thing. ---
**Author:** ![Ravenman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ravenman/32/2929_2.png) [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/23 "2016-08-31T19:20:38Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > The problem with the equal time is that the Gideon’s are paying money to have those bibles printed and placed. If another religion or even atheists want to put a book in the room that’s fine, they just have to pay for it. I think we know that a lot of Americans would lose their shit if a Koran (or a Richard Dawkins book) were to be placed in their hotel room. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/24 "2016-08-31T19:21:00Z")
> [@Lemur866](#): > > And please, who are these mysterious atheists who are so freaked out by a random book in the desk drawer? Practically none. It’s a private business, not a government entity. I’ve been in hotels that have the Book of Mormon, saying from The Buddha and teachings from the Koran in them. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/25 "2016-08-31T19:22:09Z")
Doesn’t bother me. I have an old, very thick family bible published in 1860 that sits in a safe drawer. I don’t look at that one, either. I give the Gideons a pass ever since one of them jump-started my car in the wilds of Canada. After he was nice enough to do that, he walked over and told us that he was a Gideon and offered us a pocket-sized bible. I figured what the hell and accepted it. It’s probably still around here somewhere. ---
**Author:** ![leahcim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/b4bc9f/32.png) [@leahcim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/leahcim)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/26 "2016-08-31T19:24:16Z")
I have not heard of any Atheist groups petitioning anyone to remove Gideon bibles from hotel rooms. Perhaps the OP can provide a cite for whatever he has recently read. ---
**Author:** ![drewder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/57b2e6/32.png) [@drewder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drewder)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/27 "2016-08-31T19:25:08Z")
[http://www.deseretnewsservice.com/hotel-reportedly-removes-bibles-from-rooms-after-atheist-complaint-433198](http://www.deseretnewsservice.com/hotel-reportedly-removes-bibles-from-rooms-after-atheist-complaint-433198) ---
**Author:** ![D\_Odds](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/d_odds/32/2882_2.png) [@D\_Odds](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D_Odds)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/28 "2016-08-31T19:25:59Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > Nonsense. You understood that? My head hurt trying to make sense of it. Otherwise, I learn something new about my “religion” everyday. Now I need the bible to be removed from my hotel room. How come I never got the memo? Do I have to perform atheist penance, saying 10,000 Hail Dawkins, to atone for having never done this? ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Krupe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ebca7d/32.png) [@Leo\_Krupe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Krupe)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/29 "2016-08-31T19:29:27Z")
I’m not bothered by it. I’m more bothered by the advertising magazines featuring local attractions that I have no interest in. Like, 0% bothered by the bible, and 2% bothered by the magazines. Neither are important enough to me to be as bothered as say, the price of the hotel room. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/30 "2016-08-31T19:30:22Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > I never have. Nor have I had any problem with a Koran, which I’ve actually had in my room, or the mark designated which way for Muslims to pray. I wouldn’t even care if there was a copy of a book by Richard Dawkins. Books can’t hurt me. Doesn’t make any difference. If a Christian somewhere objected to a satanic tract, then it is only fair to assume all of them would do that. Right? ---
**Author:** ![Duke\_of\_Rat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Duke\_of\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duke_of_Rat)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/31 "2016-08-31T19:33:25Z")
> [@Leo\_Krupe](#): > > I’m not bothered by it. I’m more bothered by the advertising magazines featuring local attractions that I have no interest in. Like, 0% bothered by the bible, and 2% bothered by the magazines. Neither are important enough to me to be as bothered as say, the price of the hotel room. Not me, I found a killer strip club just a block from my hotel thanks to one of those local mags. And I’d definitely steal a Satanic Bible. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/32 "2016-08-31T19:33:53Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > [http://www.deseretnewsservice.com/hotel-reportedly-removes-bibles-from-rooms-after-atheist-complaint-433198](http://www.deseretnewsservice.com/hotel-reportedly-removes-bibles-from-rooms-after-atheist-complaint-433198) According to the story from the religiously based news service you linked to, they _asked_ for the Bibles to be removed because of the hotel’s direct relationship with a publically funded university. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/33 "2016-08-31T19:34:07Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > Recently read about Atheist groups trying to get hotels to remove the Gideon bibles from all the hotel’s rooms. I have to wonder in what way are they being injured by having that bible there? In every hotel I’ve been in it is unobtrusively placed in a drawer. It can’t hurt you. The hotel doesn’t pay for the Bible so it’s not like they up your bill. I just can’t understand this level of religiophobia and it strikes me as just another opportunity to act like an Asshole. Look at it as an opportunity for some to check their Christian privileges. ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/34 "2016-08-31T19:35:43Z")
Never bothered me either. Sometimes I’ll even flip through it and read a little. Out loud if I want to annoy my wife who is atheister than me. ---
**Author:** ![Jophiel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jophiel/32/66_2.png) [@Jophiel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jophiel)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/35 "2016-08-31T19:36:25Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > Christians - Why do you ask for the Satanist tract in your hotel room to be removed? It isn’t harming anyone. I’ve never seen one. I have had hotel rooms with the Koran and/or Book of Mormon and never saw need to raise a fuss. If I saw a Satanic tract, I’d likely read it out of plain curiosity. It’s just a book, no need to act as though it’ll bite you. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/36 "2016-08-31T19:38:38Z")
> [@drewder](#): > > [http://www.deseretnewsservice.com/hotel-reportedly-removes-bibles-from-rooms-after-atheist-complaint-433198](http://www.deseretnewsservice.com/hotel-reportedly-removes-bibles-from-rooms-after-atheist-complaint-433198) Note a very specific point in this article: > [@](#): > > With the hotel standing on public land and having an affiliation with the college, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter dated March 4, 2016, to Allen J. Morrison, CEO and director general of Thunderbird school, urging the removal of the Bibles. > > “If a state-run university has a policy of providing a Christian religious text to guests, that policy facilitates illegal endorsement of Christianity over other religions and over nonreligion,” the letter read. “State-run colleges have a constitutional obligation to remain neutral toward religion.” This particular fight isn’t about “Bibles in hotel rooms”; it’s about “Bibles in state-run university facilities.” The article also notes that the atheist group (Freedom From Religion Foundation) has attempted to get private hoteliers to remove the Bibles, as well, though it doesn’t sound like they’ve gotten any success there. Also, for the record: Deseret News Service is an arm of the LDS Church, so it may not be entirely unbiased in its own reporting. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/37 "2016-08-31T19:42:16Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > NM > So, where did you hear about this, and why would you associate it with atheists in general? Note the thread title: It’s only the athiest of atheists who would do this. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/38 "2016-08-31T19:45:32Z")
You’re right. It does sound like something that only extremely athy people would do. ---
**Author:** ![VinylTurnip](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b2d939/32.png) [@VinylTurnip](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VinylTurnip)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 8:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/39 "2016-08-31T20:05:17Z")
I’m grateful for them. It’s a hassle to call the front desk when you run out of toilet paper. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2016, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588/40 "2016-08-31T20:08:34Z")
One can only assume, based on OP’s participation, that this thread isn’t going quite the way he imagined it would. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/athiests-why-do-you-need-the-bible-to-be-removed-from-your-hotel-room/764588.md?page=3)