I was wondering what would be the best course of action for me to follow in the present situation. You see. I am right now enjoying a wonderful vacation in the Canadian Rockies with my same-sex spouse, to whom I have been legally married here in Canada for two years and with whom I have lived for 32 years. We saved our money to rent a beautiful room with a magnificent view of the mountains.
This suite costs a lot, but we are paying it with out hard-earned money. But guess what? In the drawer of my the night-table next to my bed, I found a book placed there by an organization called the Gideons that says that my spouse and I should be murdered! In one of its chapters, entitled “Leviticus” it says that my spouse and I should be put to death and that our “bloodguilt” will be upon us. That presumably means that anyone is allowed to murder us without criminal liability.
There are a number of very homophobic references of this kind, including some from a guy named Paul to seems very sexist as well as homophobic.
The same book also speaks approvingly of genocide that wipes out every member of a society down to the animals.
What should I do with this highly offensive and revolting book? Should I demand that the hotel take it out of our room, which we are paying good money for? Should I leave it in the hallway and let the cleaning staff take it away? Should I just throw it in the trash and let the Hotel get the message?
After all, I never asked them to put it into my room, now did I?
Are you angry there is a Gideons bible in your room? It’s not personal against you or your spouse, everyone get’s them. I usually don’t open the drawer next to the bed, so I don’t have to acknowledge it’s there.
Part of me hopes you are playing on the fact that there is a bible in your room, and not some hate message on a pamphlet placed in your room by imposters. I’d post a link to why Gideon’s are in hotel rooms, but you probably already know.
Er, maybe he’s inviting us to debate the cultural hiccup that allows one particular organization to proselytize (however gently) in every hotel room on the continent? Or is this just one of those “traditions” that needs to be overlooked until we start opening the bedside drawer to a library of competing religious and atheist tomes?
As I’m sure you know, many, many hotel and motel chains allow the Gideons to place Bibles in their rooms. They’re always in a drawer, not out in sight at first view.
Did you ask beforehand if the hotel allowed placement of Bibles? Did you ask if a Bible would be in your room? Seems to me as if it’s kind of the same thing as having a non-smoking facility.
Being upfront about this, it sounds to me as if you are looking for something to be offended about. Given how long you and your spouse have been together, you must be at least close to my age(early 50’s) and hardly unaware of how common Gideon Bibles are.
Maybe it’s high time we protested this blanket acceptance of a mystical cult and petitioned the hotel chains to either:[ol][]Remove all such material, or[]Replace all Bibles with Korans, the way Allah commands.[/ol]Atheists and non-Christians have been silent for far too long.
No, you didn’t. I suppose you could ask for them to be removed, however.
Do you live in a cold climate? Do you travel often? They make excellent fire starters. You could just collect them and take them home. I doubt anyone would complain.
Sure, the OP was written with a snarky attitude, but maybe, as W.C. Fields would say, it’s time to grab the bull by the tail and look the situation squarely in the face.
But they would be replaced. You haven’t solved the problem, just increased the hassle for a dedicated cult. There is no shortage of Bideon Gibles.
For the places that do allow the Gideon bibles to be placed in a room, they have the right to put any bible they want in there, it’s not a government facility. You have the right to say you don’t want it in there and suggest they refrain. You shouldn’t be snotty about it either. I don’t know why you’re reading it in the first place, since you know it contains stuff you don’t agree on. The bibles are there in the hopes that the guest will read it and take it home. Throw it in the garbage if it makes you feel better. I don’t read them or take them, because I have no interest in them. You seem to be having an out of proportion reaction to a book in a drawer. This in no way should be such a horrible occurrence that you feel it ruins the vacation.
Imagine, however, the uproar that would ensue if hotel rooms became filled with Korans and/or copies of Dawkins’ “The God Delusion.” Why should **Valteron **take the Bible in his hotel room in stride, when many of those who agree with its placement there would often vehemently disagree to find an equivalent (from a different point of view) book in their hotel room?
I always take the Gideon bibles and dog ear and yellow-highlight the juicy parts of Solomon’s Song. Hey, they leave their message of fire and brimstone and I find the silver lining.
I read somewhere that Sir Ian McKellen tears out the Leviticus page from hotel room Bibles that whenever he travels.
Now, I’m not suggesting you do that. Instead I recommend leaving the book alone. Or if you feel strongly about this, perhaps you can find some alternative literature to leave next to the Bible.
I have, several times, found a five or ten dollar bill in the Gideon bible. I think the logic goes something like this. If someone is reading a hotel bible, they’re likely having some trouble and maybe a few dollars will give them hope. Then again, I’ve also found bills tucked into hotel room phone books. Don’t have an explanation for that.
I do think the O.P.'s reaction to Gideon bibles in hotel rooms is an overreaction, just ignore it.