"Are hotel guests more interested in reading "50 Shades of Grey" than the Bible?
One British hotelier thinks so. And that's why, even though he says he's never read E L James' best-selling novel himself, Jonathan Denby has decided to remove all the Gideon Bibles from his hotel's 40 rooms and replace them with the book that's been dubbed "mommy porn."
He made the switch earlier this month at the Damson Dene Hotel in the Lake District of England. Denby writes on his blog, Slow Life: "Tonight millions of women will be curling up in bed with a good book and you can bet your life it won't be the Bible. More likely than not it will be 'Fifty Shades of Grey.' I haven't read the book yet -- I'm not in the target audience -- but I'm told it's a ripping good yarn and everyone who's in the target audience loves it. This made me wonder about the sense of providing a book, the Gideon Bible which no-one reads, and many dislike, in the bedside cabinet of our hotel bedrooms, instead of a book which everyone wants to read, such as 'Fifty Shades of Grey.' "In this secular age it seems distinctly odd that anyone would expect to find a religious book in a hotel bedroom."
So what are guests who are not the book's "target audience" supposed to read on a visit to the Damson Dene Hotel? Denby isn't banishing the Bible altogether. Instead, he plans to keep a few copies behind the reception desk in case someone asks.
That's not enough for some. The Telegraph reported a local vicar has condemned the hotelier's actions, calling it a "gimmick." The Damson Dene was featured on a British reality show, "The Hotel." ABCnews
And what is 50 Shades of Grey?
"Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2011 erotic novel by British author E. L. James. Set largely in Seattle, it is the first instalment in a trilogy that traces the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, sadism/masochism (BDSM).
The second and third volumes are titled Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, respectively. Fifty Shades of Grey has topped best-seller lists in the United Kingdom, United States, and around the world. The series has sold 31 million copies worldwide, with book rights having been sold in 37 countries, and set the record as the fastest-selling paperback of all time, surpassing the Harry Potter series." Wikipedia
One British hotelier thinks so. And that's why, even though he says he's never read E L James' best-selling novel himself, Jonathan Denby has decided to remove all the Gideon Bibles from his hotel's 40 rooms and replace them with the book that's been dubbed "mommy porn."
So what are guests who are not the book's "target audience" supposed to read on a visit to the Damson Dene Hotel? Denby isn't banishing the Bible altogether. Instead, he plans to keep a few copies behind the reception desk in case someone asks.
That's not enough for some. The Telegraph reported a local vicar has condemned the hotelier's actions, calling it a "gimmick." The Damson Dene was featured on a British reality show, "The Hotel." ABCnews
And what is 50 Shades of Grey?
"Fifty Shades of Grey is a 2011 erotic novel by British author E. L. James. Set largely in Seattle, it is the first instalment in a trilogy that traces the deepening relationship between a college graduate, Anastasia Steele, and a young business magnate, Christian Grey. It is notable for its explicitly erotic scenes featuring elements of sexual practices involving bondage/discipline, dominance/submission, sadism/masochism (BDSM).
The second and third volumes are titled Fifty Shades Darker and Fifty Shades Freed, respectively. Fifty Shades of Grey has topped best-seller lists in the United Kingdom, United States, and around the world. The series has sold 31 million copies worldwide, with book rights having been sold in 37 countries, and set the record as the fastest-selling paperback of all time, surpassing the Harry Potter series." Wikipedia
Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not
be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor
homosexuals,* nor sodomites, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall
inherit the kingdom of God.
1 Corinthians 6:9,10 NKJV/KJV
