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Why don't other religions pass out their religious texts?

molten_dragon

molten_dragon

Anti-Hypocrite
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I'm on a business trip at the moment, which got me thinking about this.

The hotel I'm staying at has a bible placed by the Gideons in the room, just like virtually every other hotel room I've ever stayed in.

I've never seen any other religious texts placed anywhere like that though.

Anyone know why other religions don't pass out their texts? Is it just that Christians are more into converting non-believers than other religions?
 
Don't know the answer to your main question, but you can very easily obtain a Book of Mormon by several methods, including staying at a Marriott. :D
 
The Bible is all you need.
 
molten_dragon said:
I'm on a business trip at the moment, which got me thinking about this.

The hotel I'm staying at has a bible placed by the Gideons in the room, just like virtually every other hotel room I've ever stayed in.

I've never seen any other religious texts placed anywhere like that though.

Anyone know why other religions don't pass out their texts? Is it just that Christians are more into converting non-believers than other religions?
Click to expand...


The Gideons are a non-denominational Christian organization

A Lasting Mission

Have you considered or forgotten the evangelical fervor Islam pursues? Beheadings, stoning, and other pleasantries that in comparison make the most fervent Christian practices look mild.

A New Testament in the drawer seems better than a Islamic dagger.

Success to you on your trip

Sometimes "being on the cutting edge" is not a good thing :mrgreen:

Thom Paine
 
molten_dragon said:
I'm on a business trip at the moment, which got me thinking about this.

The hotel I'm staying at has a bible placed by the Gideons in the room, just like virtually every other hotel room I've ever stayed in.

I've never seen any other religious texts placed anywhere like that though.

Anyone know why other religions don't pass out their texts? Is it just that Christians are more into converting non-believers than other religions?
Click to expand...

The probable reason some hotels do carry the Bible is because some 77% - 80% of Americans identify themselves as Christians, and no doubt might choose other lodging or complain if a religious work like the Koran were ubiquitous in hotels.
 
Seanette said:
Don't know the answer to your main question, but you can very easily obtain a Book of Mormon by several methods, including staying at a Marriott. :D
Click to expand...

That might have something to do with it. My company tends to book Hilton or Hyatt brand hotels. I guess the mormons do go door to door.
 
molten_dragon said:
I'm on a business trip at the moment, which got me thinking about this.

The hotel I'm staying at has a bible placed by the Gideons in the room, just like virtually every other hotel room I've ever stayed in.

I've never seen any other religious texts placed anywhere like that though.

Anyone know why other religions don't pass out their texts? Is it just that Christians are more into converting non-believers than other religions?
Click to expand...

Have you ever traveled overseas? Other texts are out there as well. The Bible is common in hotels because a majority of patrons that read religious texts regularly in this country are protestant Christians. No conspiracy here I think, just good business.
 
molten_dragon said:
That might have something to do with it. My company tends to book Hilton or Hyatt brand hotels. I guess the mormons do go door to door.
Click to expand...

Among other methods. There's also a web site, probably an 800 number, your friendly local Mormon coworker/neighbor/friend/relative, etc. :D
 
molten_dragon said:
I'm on a business trip at the moment, which got me thinking about this.

The hotel I'm staying at has a bible placed by the Gideons in the room, just like virtually every other hotel room I've ever stayed in.

I've never seen any other religious texts placed anywhere like that though.

Anyone know why other religions don't pass out their texts? Is it just that Christians are more into converting non-believers than other religions?
Click to expand...

I stayed for a couple months at a motel that had 'the Watchtower' in a rack at the front desk and now and then one'd show up on my coffee table. Are J-W's Christians? Never saw a reference to Christ when flipping through the pages but I wasn't looking very close.
Christianity must be the most evangelical of all the major religions. Some, I've read, don't even accept converts.
 
Logicman said:
The probable reason some hotels do carry the Bible is because some 77% - 80% of Americans identify themselves as Christians, and no doubt might choose other lodging or complain if a religious work like the Koran were ubiquitous in hotels.
Click to expand...

You could just have nothing or a novel.
 
I find bibles are very good for propping open hotel windows.
 
Ray410 said:
The Bible is all you need.
Click to expand...

Is this based on experience? You have read the Torah? You have read the Qur'an?

Or is your statement based in ignorance?

Just curious - but I bet I know the answer.
 
molten_dragon said:
I'm on a business trip at the moment, which got me thinking about this.

The hotel I'm staying at has a bible placed by the Gideons in the room, just like virtually every other hotel room I've ever stayed in.

I've never seen any other religious texts placed anywhere like that though.

Anyone know why other religions don't pass out their texts? Is it just that Christians are more into converting non-believers than other religions?
Click to expand...

Not every religion is evangelizing. If you travel in the Muslim world you will often come across Qurans in hotels, tourist sites, and travel lounges. But in India you aren't nearly as likely (I can't say its impossible) to run into a copy of the Bhagavad Gita.
 
Sherman123 said:
Not every religion is evangelizing. If you travel in the Muslim world you will often come across Qurans in hotels, tourist sites, and travel lounges. But in India you aren't nearly as likely (I can't say its impossible) to run into a copy of the Bhagavad Gita.
Click to expand...

Do you speak of experience when mentioning "Muslim world" or assume that they have such books in those sites?

Why is Gita off the menu?
 
DDD said:
Do you speak of experience when mentioning "Muslim world" or assume that they have such books in those sites?

Why is Gita off the menu?
Click to expand...

Yes I'm speaking from experience. The Gita is off the menu because I've never seen it in any hotels in India nor have I ever heard of anyone seeing it. I do not think it is common practice. Whereas access to the Quran and basic Islamic information is common in many Muslim countries in hotels and at other locales. It isn't a uniform rule it's just common.
 
Sherman123 said:
Yes I'm speaking from experience. The Gita is off the menu because I've never seen it in any hotels in India nor have I ever heard of anyone seeing it. I do not think it is common practice. Whereas access to the Quran and basic Islamic information is common in many Muslim countries in hotels and at other locales. It isn't a uniform rule it's just common.
Click to expand...

Thank you Sherman. See I thought the OP's original question was whether other religious books are passed out at other countries also. Hence you would answer that question.

But reading a few posts back I see that it is about passing non-Christian religious books along with the Bible in hotels back at the West. My position is that it should not be bothered with any books at all and keep it non-religious as it is.

But having the Bible, Kur'an, as well as other big religions such as Gita, everywhere in the world sounds like an exciting idea! It may promote tolerance and civility.
 
Thom Paine said:
The Gideons are a non-denominational Christian organization

A Lasting Mission

Have you considered or forgotten the evangelical fervor Islam pursues? Beheadings, stoning, and other pleasantries that in comparison make the most fervent Christian practices look mild.

A New Testament in the drawer seems better than a Islamic dagger.

Success to you on your trip

Sometimes "being on the cutting edge" is not a good thing :mrgreen:

Thom Paine
Click to expand...

The Gideons should be thanked for all the times that people staying in motels needing to roll a joint.
 
Logicman said:
The probable reason some hotels do carry the Bible is because some 77% - 80% of Americans identify themselves as Christians, and no doubt might choose other lodging or complain if a religious work like the Koran were ubiquitous in hotels.
Click to expand...

This reminds of a story. I work in a hotel. This didn't happen to me but it happened to a co-worker. There was a family staying at the hotel that had recently converted to Judaism. The kids started going ape s*** because they had a Bible in their room. The mom called the front desk and ask my co-worker to remove the Bible from their room because she wasn't sure what her kids might do to it. This made me giggle but he was really disturbed by this lady's request. He removed the Bible from the room. The Gideons do come to our hotel about once a year to replenish missing or damaged Bibles.

I have to agree that a Koran, Bhagavad Gita, Book of Mormon or the Gospel of the Flying Spaghetti Monster might offend guest on a wider scale than the one offended Jewish family that I just described. Hotels wouldn't put another Holy Book in their rooms for business purposes. The Bible has a place of respect in our culture that has been earned over hundreds of years even non-Christians. It's a tradition that even pre-dates America in our mother country of England where it was mandatory for several centuries to pledge yourself as a Christian or be burned at the stake. Most choose to pledge theirselves as Christians. Well, at least our ancestors anyways. <------(Very funny joke if you think about it.)

Other religions don't waste their time soliciting hotels because they know they will be refused.
 
SBu said:
Have you ever traveled overseas? Other texts are out there as well.
Click to expand...

I have, but never to any countries that weren't also a majority Christian (Germany, The Bahamas, and other countries in the Caribbean)

SBu said:
The Bible is common in hotels because a majority of patrons that read religious texts regularly in this country are protestant Christians. No conspiracy here I think, just good business.
Click to expand...

I'm not trying to say it's some kind of conspiracy against other religions. I assumed it was simply that other religions didn't pass their holy texts out like The Gideons do with the bible. You think it's that the hotels don't allow it instead?
 
Carjosse said:
I find bibles are very good for propping open hotel windows.
Click to expand...

So Canadian hotels have windows that open? That's very interesting.
 
DDD said:
But reading a few posts back I see that it is about passing non-Christian religious books along with the Bible in hotels back at the West. My position is that it should not be bothered with any books at all and keep it non-religious as it is.
Click to expand...
Hotels are private entities; they can put whatever books they want into their rooms, much in the same way they can offer whatever TV channels they want.
 
Visbek said:
Hotels are private entities; they can put whatever books they want into their rooms, much in the same way they can offer whatever TV channels they want.
Click to expand...

You do not say? What is your position on using all religious books (instead of just one) from these private entities then?
 
I've never really thought much about it. We have them here and i'm fine with it. 60% of Australians identify as Christians. Gideons bibles are usually on the table or the desk in any Motel i've ever stayed at in Oz. There's no obligation to use it, much like there's no obligation to drink the complimentary tea/coffee, eat the biscuits or use any of the toiletry complimentary items. I just figure if you want to use them they are there, if you don't then you don't. No obligations.

Let's hope we don't get to the stage where they ask "would you like your room religious or non"? That would be a little ridiculous.
 
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