Hotel Bibles Replaced with Intimacy Kits

Despairing of life, a man checks into a hotel at the end of a depressing day. Due to corporate layoffs, he has lost his job, and is unable to pay his mortgage, car payment, or child support. Reaching into a corner of his luggage, he uncovers a loaded revolver. With trembling hands he places the barrel next to his temple. Just as he is about to pull the trigger, he thinks of his last hope.

He needs to read a passage from the Scriptures, longing for anything that will encourage him not to give up. He fumbles with the bedside table drawers, looking for a Gideon Bible. Knowing that every hotel and motel room has one, he continues his frantic search. It must be here somewhere...But instead of the Bible, he finds a "One Night Stand" package, and an "Intimacy Kit" with free condoms. In disbelief, he picks up the gun, puts it to his head, and slowly pulls the trigger.

Today's hotels have every amenity known to man, from flat screen TVs, Jacuzzis, mini-bars, high speed Internet connections, iPod docking stations, robes and slippers, to complimentary goldfish. Goldfish? Manhattan's Soho Grand Hotel even supplies goldfish for your room upon request. They also offer digital cable, DVD players, in room CD selection, wireless high speed Internet connection, gourmet mini-bar, bathrobes, Bose wave radio/CD player, flat screen TVs, and toiletries from famous beauty lines.

But you will not find a Bible in the drawer of the bedside table. They have never put Bibles in the rooms because, according to hotel spokeswoman, Lori DeBlois, "Society evolves." She explained that if they supplied Bibles, then the hotel "would have to take care of every guest's belief."

This is not just the attitude of trendy, uptown exclusive hotels. All over the United States, motels and hotels are saying goodbye to Bibles, according to a Newsweek Web Exclusive, by Roya Wolverson. Leisure travel has overtaken business travel, and today's new generation is more interested in the new "boutique" style hotels, that offer sexual "lifestyle products" instead of Scriptures.

Mercer Hotel, in New York, provides a free condom in their bathrooms, while the modern Indigo hotel in Scottsdale, Arizona, offers a "One Night Stand" kit. (That package also offers a late check out time of 1:00 p.m.) If this isn't scandalous enough for you, perhaps a tempting lovers dice game offered by the Sofitel L. A. would interest you.

A roll of the dice tells you the action to take and the body part. (Such as "Bite" and "Ear") Okay, that was as wild as I wanted to document here. Daniel Entenberg, the hotel's "Romance Concierge" was hired at the L. A. location to give the company's image a new direction.

Bibles were once available in all guest rooms, but the corporate office in Dallas ordered them removed when guests questioned why other religious writings were not available as well. Perhaps they won't be missed among the glass enclosed rainfall showers, high definition TV, WiFi Internet, and French bath amenities.

Wolverson, in her Newsweek Web article, suggests a new slogan for the hotel chains, "Sleep with us. Leave the values at home."

The Marriott Chain is also debating whether to include Bibles in its new boutique hotel chain. John Wolf, spokesman for the Marriott describes the new chain idea as "less values oriented", "more urban", and "cutting edge".

Many Americans are protesting the removal of the Bibles, in response to an American Family Association email alert. The alert admonished, "Now is the time to let the motel chains know that you want them to keep the Gideon Bibles...Without action now, it is simply a matter of time before other chains remove the Bibles." (At the time of this writing, the petition had generated 120,874 responses, with a goal of 500,000.)

The next time you are suffering from depression or suicidal tendencies, while staying in one of today's luxury hotels, don't look for encouragement from the Scriptures, in your bedside drawer. To your surprise, you may find a condom instead.

Sources: http://www.afa.net/newsweekgideons.htm
http://wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58707