Gideon Bibles

[Rose2020]

Do you like or object to Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms?
I love the story behind them and think they are a wonderful way to spread the Good News of the gospels to many a weary traveler.

[Difflugia]

Do you like or object to Gideon Bibles in hotel rooms?

Neither/nor. I've no objection to anybody's "outreach" programs that aren't targeting children or some other vulnerable population. To be sure, the Gideons do have those, but the motel Bible placement isn't one of the bad ones.

I just wish they'd pick a few different translations. It's boring to see the King James every time. I have one Gideons NASB New Testament from a truck stop, but that's the only one I've ever seen.

I love the story behind them and think they are a wonderful way to spread the Good News of the gospels to many a weary traveler.

I've yet to see a hotel copy of a Gideons Bible that looked like it had even been opened.

[Miles]

.

I know they're good for squishing bugs and spiders, and propping up desk/table legs.

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[Rose2020]

I read them, I'm sure plenty others do too. No doubt they have provided a lifeline and comfort to many and shall continue to do so. Bringing light into a world of spiritual darkness.

[Miles]

Personally, I find any hotel/motel that foists a religion on their guests to be offensive. Would you like it if every time you secured a room, laid down, and opened the nightstand drawer you always found a copy of Dianetics, or The Satanic Bible, or the Quran, instead of a Bible? My guess is that you would not.




How much less offensive if, instead of finding a promotion for Christianity, one found menus from local restaurants.


.

[Difflugia]

Personally, I find any hotel/motel that foists a religion on their guests to be offensive. Would you like it if every time you secured a room, laid down, and opened the nightstand drawer you always found a copy of Dianetics, or The Satanic Bible, or the Quran, instead of a Bible? My guess is that you would not.

Not motels, but during the early 2000s, the Church of Scientology launched this massive program to get members to sponsor the donations of sets of their books to libraries. At my local library, at least, they ended up in the annual book sale. I ended up with a giant set of something like 20 hardcover books, corresponding "study guides," and a set of L. Ron's lectures on DVD, all still shrinkwrapped for $10. Apparently, I looked too excited and the librarian was having second thoughts about selling them to me. She started trying to gently explain about how it's a scam until I told her that I collect weird religious stuff. She just looked at me for a second, started to laugh and told me to enjoy my books. They don't list the same set on their website anymore, but I looked it up at the time and some poor Scientologist had paid something like $700 for my $10 set of books.

[Tcg]

I've yet to see a hotel copy of a Gideons Bible that looked like it had even been opened.

Years ago, a Gideon came to our church and gave a report on how many Bibles had been placed in hotels during the last year. I don't remember the total, but the congregation was full of "amens" and "praise the Lords." There were of course no reports on how many got read or what, if any, impact they had. The goal was nothing more than to get them out there. I agree with you that I've never seen one that looked like it had been read. Obviously, there are some glaring exceptions, but I suspect this is the same fate many Bibles suffer.

ETA: On a similar note, as a kid I remember one pastor who encouraged the youth of the church to carry their Bibles to church. Most of us did. Many even had special covers to protect them from the weather. We weren't encouraged to read them and as far as I could tell, very few did.


Tcg

[Tcg]

[Replying to Miles in post #5]

Or perhaps a book like this:



Now this would be a benefit to weary travelers.


Tcg

[amortalman]

[Replying to Miles in post #5]

I've never even seen a satanic bible much less read one. What does it say? Hate your neighbor as yourself?

[Difflugia]

[Replying to Miles in post #5]

I've never even seen a satanic bible much less read one. What does it say? Hate your neighbor as yourself?

The opposition to Christianity is presented as the opposition to its hypocrisy. Rather than "love your neighbor as yourself," it would be more something like, "love your neighbor or hate your neighbor, but don't pretend to love your neighbor if you don't."

The core of it is self-indulgent hedonism as opposed to a self-denying austerity. It's definitely a product of its time (late 60s) and its critiques of Christianity are occasionally insightful, but it's otherwise pretty facile. Modern Satanists have reshaped Satanism into a form of humanism, but LaVey himself wasn't really much of a humanist. I put it in the category of things like Atlas Shrugged in that it's worth reading once, but the paperback is only worth $10 if you want it next to the Bible on your bookshelf so nobody gets the wrong idea.

There's a copy available for checkout at archive.org.