Gideons Getting the Cold Shoulder In Many Hotels

It would seem that many hotels are giving the Gideons a taste of the religious discrimination displayed by Target Corporation against the Salvation Army.

According to an article that I read today HERE on the Presidential Prayer Team website:

(A) growing number of hotels are opting not to allow the placement of Gideon Bibles, according to an article in Newsweek magazine.

"In the rooms of Manhattan's trendy Soho Grand Hotel guests can enjoy an eclectic selection of underground music, iPod docking stations, flat-screen TVs and even the living company of a complimentary goldfish. But, alas, the word of God is nowhere to be found," the article begins.

Such hotels say society is evolving and a younger, hipper generation has no interest in the Bible. They also say they would have to cater to a variety of belief systems and could not single out Christianity.

Does anyone else smell horse manure? Or is it bull? Maybe it is chicken.... Come on, people, can you not come up with a better excuse than that?

I hope that if these "younger, hipper" guests have no interest in the Bible they have the good sense not to read it. And from what I have been reading, the clientèle isn't getting any younger.

And it isn't like these Bibles are costing the hotels anything. The Gideons put them there for free. Perhaps if the representatives of the other belief systems feel left out they might be willing to pony up some free literature like the Gideons do. The Mormons do it in the Marriott Hotels. And it isn't like there are all that many other belief systems out there with holy writings. You can double up the Jews and Christians - you wouldn't even need an extra book. That only leaves the Muslims, the Hindus and the Buddhists.

The hotels can't claim that there isn't enough room either. I have never been in a hotel room that didn't have an overabundance of drawers.

Sad to say it, but this is probably the best way to handle this situation: The next time that you are staying in a hotel, check to see if there is a Gideon Bible. If there isn't, call the front desk and ask to speak to the manager. Tell them you cannot find the Gideon Bible in your room. If they say that they don't allow that, then tell them that you will need to check out immediately and will expect a full refund because they are not respecting your needs as a guest. Conversely, if there is a Gideon Bible present, make sure to contact the manager and let him know just how much you appreciate them allowing the Gideons to place a Bible there. Make a really big deal out of it. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.

I have heard dozens of stories about lives that were saved by Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms. It is short-sighted at best to prevent their placement. Why is it that everyone is threatened by a Bible? If you don't pick it up, it certainly has no chance of changing you. If you read it and don't believe it, it is merely words. And it isn't like lost folks would be giving anything up by believing the Bible anyway, because the basic message of the Bible is, "Hey, buddy, you're holding on to a sack of dog crap. Put that down so you can have a real treasure beyond your wildest dreams." Too often people prefer their bag of dog crap.