Gideon Bible placement in hotel rooms is declining.
In part, this is due to a recognition that we are not an exclusively Christian nation:
Unlike traditional hotels, the 10-year-old boutique [Soho Grand Hotel] has never put Bibles in its guest rooms, because "society evolves," says hotel spokeswoman Lori DeBlois. Providing Bibles would mean the hotel "would have to take care of every guest's belief."This isn't just a "blue state" New York City development:
Since 2001 the number of luxury hotels with religious materials in the rooms has dropped by 18 percent, according to the American Hotel and Lodging Association.What has been added to hotel rooms recently:
Edgier chains like the W provide "intimacy kits" with condoms in the minibar, while New York's Mercer Hotel supplies a free condom in each bathroom. Neither has Bibles. Since its recent renovation, the Sofitel L.A. offers a tantalizing lovers' dice game: roll one die for the action to be performed (for example, "kiss," "lick") and the other for the associated body part. The hotel's "mile high" kit, sold in the revamped gift shop, includes a condom, a mini vibrator, a feather tickler and lubricant. The new Indigo hotel in Scottsdale, Ariz., a "branded boutique" launched by InterContinental, also has no Bibles, but it does offer a "One Night Stand" package for guests seeking VIP treatment at local nightclubs and late checkout for the hazy morning after.[Hat tip to the Friendly Atheist Blog for this article.]
3 comments:
Very interesting, thanks. I think it's great that hotels are acknowledging the religious pluralism in America.
However, there's not necessarily a correlation between the decline of bible placement and the increase in the placement of sex-related products in hotel rooms (and increase that may not be backed up by data).
I stayed at a cool hotel last weekend. In addition to the Gideon bible, they had "Sayings of the Buddha."
After returning from Jordan where women have few rights, men can have up to four wives and the Muslim religion rules... it seems more Americans should experience this world to see what is coming to the US. When Islam becomes the dominant religion in the US - Christianity will seem pale in comparison.
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