Gideons Bibles

I actually stayed in a hotel room recently that had a gideon-like copy of "The Teachings of the Buddha".

I was very impressed.

Occasionally, I've thrown one of the gideon's into the garbage if I was feeling irritable, but normally I ignore them.

As for getting a copy of the bible, I think it's worth researching which version of the bible you want. I recently bought a (somewhat rare) copy of the Revised Standard Version from 1952. This was supposed to be the most accurate translation using all sorts of newly recovered ancient manuscripts. Interestingly, several "key" passages ended up being removed once they cleaned up all the "copying errors". Some interesting mistakes were things like Jesus ascending to heaven - apparently this might not actually have happened!;)
It wasn't too long before a New Revised Standard Version came out in which many of those important sections were magically restored to the text.

More on the topic of this thread, does anyone know of any "Christian boycott" against a hotel that wouldn't accept gideons?
 
Beady said:
Run the numbers. In dollars and cents, how much would it hurt your business? What is the absolute worst the Gideons could or would do? Sounds like it would make an interesting news item, and maybe get national attention: The Ugly Side of the Gideons. My bet, though, is that you're afraid of the monsters under your bed; the Gideons will not boycott and, if they do, there will either be no noticable effect or you'll get free publicity.

BTW, what indications have you had that a boycott is a possiblity? Is there any evidence, or are you postulating a boogeyman? Have there been any expressed or implied threats? Could it be that, if you firmly but politely say "No," that they will just go away? I've refused plenty of Jehovah's Witnesses, and all they do is keep coming back every six months or so.
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I guess you're right. I've never heard of christian boycott that ever had any real effect

But it's not the loss of busininess I'm so worried about. Running a small business in a small town requires a lot of social interaction. When I lived in LA, I had a yellow-pages full of services. I don't have that here. As an example, there is only ONE appliance repair person on the peninsula. He has a fish on his car. How long do you think you can run an hotel with a washer or dryer not working? There are only two roofers in the entire county, two plumbers, and one locksmith. For every need I have, the list of people I can call on for help is very short. A business like mine absoloutly needs services like these in order to keep it's doors open.

One of the guideons guys is the owner of one of the auto parts stores (luckily,we have two in town) and I'm sure the other guys are somehow connected to other merchants and services I need. It's easy to piss off everyone in a small town because you don't have to cross too many people to do it.

I guess my biggest concern over the guideons is that I live in a gossipy small town.

Edit: I don't want to give the impression that my town is full of bible thumpers or christian fundys. We have our fair share , but no more than any other place I've ever lived.
 
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joesixpack said:
I guess my biggest concern over the guideons is that I live in a gossipy small town.
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That's more on the order of a personal problem. But, if it's a small, gossipy town, how many people already know your feelings? How many think you're a wuss for caving in without even voicing your objections?

For the rest, my original questions still apply.

And here are some more: We're talking about a motel, right? Your business comes from outsiders, not locals, right? How much local business would you lose? How many non-local Christians are going to come to your small town expressly so they won't stay in your motel? How many non-Christian non-locals are going to be deterred by a local Christian boycott?

And then there's this: How many locals, Christian or non, who stay in your motel, do so for reasons that have nothing to do with the Bible, and would just as soon that one wasn't present?

The more I think about it, the less sense it makes.
 
Do you have a welcome sheet or pack for the guests detailing services emergency instructions etc ?

If so you could simply add a line saying.


  • We respect peoples religious freedom and therefore do not place religious texts in every room, however the Gideons have provided us with a stock of bibles which are available from reception on request or

  • Bibles and other works of fiction are available in the private porches
or you could simply add the availabilty to a line of text already there say;

  • If you need replacement toilet paper please ask at reception where Bibles are available.
 
Beady said:
That's more on the order of a personal problem. But, if it's a small, gossipy town, how many people already know your feelings? How many think you're a wuss for caving in without even voicing your objections?

For the rest, my original questions still apply.

And here are some more: We're talking about a motel, right? Your business comes from outsiders, not locals, right? How much local business would you lose? How many non-local Christians are going to come to your small town expressly so they won't stay in your motel? How many non-Christian non-locals are going to be deterred by a local Christian boycott?

And then there's this: How many locals, Christian or non, who stay in your motel, do so for reasons that have nothing to do with the Bible, and would just as soon that one wasn't present?

The more I think about it, the less sense it makes.
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I'm sorry, but it seems like you didn't read my last post at all.

I agree that a boycott won't cost me many or even ANY bookings, my concern is that a person I need services from won't return my call.

I'll probably have them leave me a half doz bibles at my desk and just take lothians and Diablos advice. I just won't let 'em into my rooms unless they want to pay the nightly rate.
 
Lothian said:
Do you have a welcome sheet or pack for the guests detailing services emergency instructions etc ?

If so you could simply add a line saying.


  • We respect peoples religious freedom and therefore do not place religious texts in every room, however the Gideons have provided us with a stock of bibles which are available from reception on request or ...
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Seeing as placing religious texts in every room would not in any way infringe upon anyone's religious freedom, I would stick to the second part only (about how the Bibles are available upon request). In fact, on second thought, requiring guests to request a Bible from the front desk might strike some guests as indiscreet compared to simply leaving a copy unobtrusively in the nightstand.
 
joesixpack said:
I agree that a boycott won't cost me many or even ANY bookings, my concern is that a person I need services from won't return my call.
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I'm sorry, but that sounds even more paranoid. You are postulating a community-wide conspiracy, before it happens and without presenting any evidence at all that such a thing is possible. Are you really saying that you think the entire populace of your community is in league with, or is otherwise completely dominated by, some sort of monolithic religious Inquisition?

Do you have any evidence, be it direct, indirect, anecdotal, or otherwise, that such a thing is possible? Forget "probable," is it even possible?
 
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