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

[DramaQueen]

Can you sell it and then give the money to (real) charity?

[JesusHChrist]

If you don't like the bible then don't read it, but destroying someone else's property because you disagree with it seems rather immature.

The removal, destruction or adding warning stickers is the issue I want to explore. My understanding is the bibles are placed there by the gideons with some expectation they will be taken. Same for the book of Mormon. They are given away...

If so, are they not fair game?

As for maturity, I'm in my mid fifties so there is probably little hope for me at this point.

[Cyberman]

Even Blackpool isn't immune. On the other hand, given that it's supposed to be a hotbed of hot beds and immoral depravity - I mean, this is Lancashire we're talking about - perhaps it's a surprise that there's not more of the damn things around.

I have heard that the things are planted in there for people to take; that they actually want you to keep them. How true that is I don't know. Or you could play Hide The Bible and send your photos here: http://hidethebible.tumblr.com/

[Jenny A]

However it got there, it is the property of the hotel. I just rent the room. I don't dispose of the things I don't like in it. If I threw out every piece of useless ugliness in hotel rooms, I suspect the damages charged to my credit card would begin to add up. So throwing it away or defacing it is out.

In reality I just ignore it. But placing a bookmark with warnings inside has it's appeal.

[RobbyPants]

Stickers -- I like the idea of representing an opposing view point and maybe it will trigger someone to think for a moment. Maybe the viewer might look up a fact or two.

About the only benefit I can see is the off chance that someone really on the fence finds it. Even the, it's just as likely to make them think "atheists are jerks". I've talked to people who stayed Christian longer than they otherwise would have because they didn't want to "be like the atheists".

In addition, any believer that sees this will feel attacked and won't actually reexamine their beliefs. This will also add fuel to the fire about Christianity being "under attack".

[JesusHChrist]

About the only benefit I can see is the off chance that someone really on the fence finds it. Even the, it's just as likely to make them think "atheists are jerks". I've talked to people who stayed Christian longer than they otherwise would have because they didn't want to "be like the atheists".

In addition, any believer that sees this will feel attacked and won't actually reexamine their beliefs. This will also add fuel to the fire about Christianity being "under attack".

I pretty much agree with what you say here and maybe this "project" is counterproductive. On the other hand, Christianity is under attack and I see it as a good thing. I don't mind Christians thinking they are under attack as it seems to bring out the nuttiest and worst of the lot.

On another note and at the risk of invoking special pleading, something just feels right about removing religious propaganda. One small benefit is it does increase the operating costs in a very small amount, of whoever the provider might be: Gideons, Mormons, and that is also a good thing.

[Clueless Morgan]

I just looked in the drawers here in my hotel room, and no religious propaganda! Dammit... I was kinda hoping to do something fun with it :p

Odd - usually they have a bible lurking somewhere. Is it a chain or a one-off?

I think it's a one-off. It's a lodge in Tahoe. There are a lot of churches around here too.

The resort/hotel my office has our Christmas parties at never has bibles in the room - anywhere. When I went on a work trip in the spring I stayed at an EcoLodge type chain place and there was no bible. The time before that was a dive that looked like it normally let rooms to hookers and drug addicts, and there was no bible.

Couldn't tell you the last time I stayed in a place with a bible in it.

[rexbeccarox]

I drove cross-country a couple of months ago, and every motel room had a bible of some sort in it.

Incidentally, a lady walked up to my sister and me earlier and offered us each a copy of the New Testament. We politely declined.

[Aoi Magi]

I'd say just ignore it. If you start paying attention to every little religious BS around you, you'd go nuts within weeks.

[bennyboy]

Some people like having a Bible. If there's one placed for their convenience in a drawer somewhere, I see no particular non-dickish reason to remove or dispose of it. It's not like some kid's going to find it and say, "Heyyyy. . . wait a minute? What's this. . . Jesus. . . guy?" and get his little brain corrupted.