Hotel Rooms and Toxic Waste (Bibles, BoM, etc)

[Fromper]

So just for kicks, I did a quick Google search and found the FAQ on the Gideons International page about the Bibles in hotel rooms. It doesn't say if they mind people "stealing" them. So I emailed them at the address on that FAQ page:

I know that your organization is responsible for placing most of the Bibles found in hotel rooms, and I had a question about that. Are those intended just for people to read while they're staying in that hotel room, or do you expect them to be taken by hotel patrons, and you replace them regularly? I wouldn't want to steal the Bible from a hotel if you only intend for it to be read there, but if you don't mind people taking them, I know someone who would like to "steal" one from their hotel.

Needless to say, I used my "backup" email address that I use for spam collection, rather than my real email addy for everyday use. I don't want to be on their mailing list.

In case anyone cares, here's their answer:

We place them in the hotel rooms free of charge to the hotel, so it is more than okay if the hotel patrons want to take them. Usually the hotels (probably housekeeping) have more on hand and can replace the one in the room with another one if it gets taken or damaged. And the hotels can always call us or their local Gideons for more Bibles if they need more. We don’t consider it stealing, though. We want them to be enjoyed and used, and if you need it, then it is okay to take it with you.

So if you want to remove the Bible from the room, it's not theft. Go ahead and "remove" them all you want - just don't set off the fire detector in the room when you do it. (Burn them outside)