Don't conform!
Posted on 01/29/2017 12:56:55 PM PST by Chickensoup
For the past 2¼ years, whenever my wife and I traveled, we made our house available for short-term rentals through Airbnb. We rented out the house to men and women of many races, religions, national origins, ethnicities, and ages. We made money; Airbnb made money; the city of Austin and the state of Texas made money (15 percent of our gross revenue).
Airbnb even designated Susan a Superhost, which she well deserved: She had a five-star (out of five) rating from 37 groups of guests. The New York Times reported last month that “only 7 percent of hosts are Superhosts.” Guesty.com commented, “Ahh, Superhost status—the badge of honor.”
That’s the macro side of the story. Here’s the micro side: Susan ironed sheets and pillowcases and made sure everything was spotless. She delegated me to do the little I was capable of: I wouldn’t notice dust unless it choked me, but I stocked every bathroom with toilet paper, soap, shampoo, fluffy white towels, and gray facecloths. (We originally had white but all too often they ended up with dark makeup streaks.)
On Jan. 13 Airbnb sent my wife an email: “Hi Susan. Tax season is almost here, so we wanted to update you on your 2016 earnings. … You’ll find everything to report your gross earnings and file your taxes in your 2016 Airbnb Earnings Summary. … Thanks for being a host—you are what makes Airbnb special.”
Airbnb now requires hosts to police their private thoughts about their guests.
Sweet—but when we pressed the “See Earnings Summary” button, we saw no dollars and cents. Instead, this: “We’re asking all hosts to confirm their commitment to welcoming guests of all backgrounds.” Then this: “I agree to treat everyone in the Airbnb community—regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age—with respect, and without judgment or bias.”
Hmm. We had heard of a new Airbnb policy, but all Airbnb had sent us before was a vague statement about treating everyone with respect, which we always have done. We probably have had gay and lesbian guests, and maybe transgender guests as well: We haven’t asked. What gave us pause was the last clause: “without judgment or bias.”
Seeking some clarification, I went to Airbnb’s FAQ page and saw this response to inquiries from those with “strong religious beliefs”: “Being an Airbnb host does not require that you endorse all of your guests’ beliefs, but simply that you respect the fact that such differences exist and be inclusive despite the differences.”
I respect that fact, but the pledge Airbnb asked us to sign goes beyond it: “without judgment or bias.” That’s moving from action to thoughtcrime. We have a record of inclusion. Susan and I are sinners. Everyone who stays in our house is a sinner. Jesus treated everyone with respect but said marriage was between a man and a woman. The Apostle Paul treated everyone with respect, since we’re all made in God’s image, yet he called homosexuality “dishonorable” and “debased.”
That’s judgment. That’s bias. It’s not the basis on which we decide whether guests can stay in our home, but Airbnb is going beyond that to require hosts to police their private thoughts about their guests. Taken literally, this is a nonsensical mandate. Even limiting the no-judgment policy to the stated protected categories, is Airbnb requiring a Ukrainian host not to harbor judgmental thoughts about a Russian guest, or an elderly host not to judge the ethos of a millennial guest?
This may not be Airbnb’s intent, but language is important. Airbnb’s expansive statement requires many across the worldview spectrum either to agree to Airbnb’s governance of their personal thoughts and beliefs or leave the platform.
So we said no to Airbnb, and then received this notice: “Declining this commitment means that your Airbnb account will be canceled, and your future reservations will be canceled.” Not only did Airbnb cancel our account, but we cannot even make reservations for ourselves through Airbnb, which we’ve done several times in Florida, Michigan, and California. The Church of Airbnb has now excommunicated us.
Ironically, another FAQ answer states, “This commitment is an important step towards creating a global community where everyone can truly belong.” Truly belong, I suppose, as long as we don’t read the company policy, thoughtfully consider its implications, and answer honestly.
Airbnb even designated Susan a Superhost, which she well deserved: She had a five-star (out of five) rating from 37 groups of guests. The New York Times reported last month that “only 7 percent of hosts are Superhosts.” Guesty.com commented, “Ahh, Superhost status—the badge of honor.”
That’s the macro side of the story. Here’s the micro side: Susan ironed sheets and pillowcases and made sure everything was spotless. She delegated me to do the little I was capable of: I wouldn’t notice dust unless it choked me, but I stocked every bathroom with toilet paper, soap, shampoo, fluffy white towels, and gray facecloths. (We originally had white but all too often they ended up with dark makeup streaks.)
On Jan. 13 Airbnb sent my wife an email: “Hi Susan. Tax season is almost here, so we wanted to update you on your 2016 earnings. … You’ll find everything to report your gross earnings and file your taxes in your 2016 Airbnb Earnings Summary. … Thanks for being a host—you are what makes Airbnb special.”
Airbnb now requires hosts to police their private thoughts about their guests.
Sweet—but when we pressed the “See Earnings Summary” button, we saw no dollars and cents. Instead, this: “We’re asking all hosts to confirm their commitment to welcoming guests of all backgrounds.” Then this: “I agree to treat everyone in the Airbnb community—regardless of their race, religion, national origin, ethnicity, disability, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, or age—with respect, and without judgment or bias.”
Hmm. We had heard of a new Airbnb policy, but all Airbnb had sent us before was a vague statement about treating everyone with respect, which we always have done. We probably have had gay and lesbian guests, and maybe transgender guests as well: We haven’t asked. What gave us pause was the last clause: “without judgment or bias.”
Seeking some clarification, I went to Airbnb’s FAQ page and saw this response to inquiries from those with “strong religious beliefs”: “Being an Airbnb host does not require that you endorse all of your guests’ beliefs, but simply that you respect the fact that such differences exist and be inclusive despite the differences.”
I respect that fact, but the pledge Airbnb asked us to sign goes beyond it: “without judgment or bias.” That’s moving from action to thoughtcrime. We have a record of inclusion. Susan and I are sinners. Everyone who stays in our house is a sinner. Jesus treated everyone with respect but said marriage was between a man and a woman. The Apostle Paul treated everyone with respect, since we’re all made in God’s image, yet he called homosexuality “dishonorable” and “debased.”
That’s judgment. That’s bias. It’s not the basis on which we decide whether guests can stay in our home, but Airbnb is going beyond that to require hosts to police their private thoughts about their guests. Taken literally, this is a nonsensical mandate. Even limiting the no-judgment policy to the stated protected categories, is Airbnb requiring a Ukrainian host not to harbor judgmental thoughts about a Russian guest, or an elderly host not to judge the ethos of a millennial guest?
This may not be Airbnb’s intent, but language is important. Airbnb’s expansive statement requires many across the worldview spectrum either to agree to Airbnb’s governance of their personal thoughts and beliefs or leave the platform.
So we said no to Airbnb, and then received this notice: “Declining this commitment means that your Airbnb account will be canceled, and your future reservations will be canceled.” Not only did Airbnb cancel our account, but we cannot even make reservations for ourselves through Airbnb, which we’ve done several times in Florida, Michigan, and California. The Church of Airbnb has now excommunicated us.
Ironically, another FAQ answer states, “This commitment is an important step towards creating a global community where everyone can truly belong.” Truly belong, I suppose, as long as we don’t read the company policy, thoughtfully consider its implications, and answer honestly.
Additional followup to the story:
More Airbnb purging of Christians
Travel | The short-term rental organization’s intolerance in the name of tolerance
https://world.wng.org/2017/01/more_airbnb_purging_of_christians
As I read elsewhere, it’s not their intention, but they would slit your throats if they could.
“Being an Airbnb host does not require that you endorse all of your guests’ beliefs, but simply that you respect the fact that such differences exist and be inclusive despite the differences.”
IOW, if someone is sacrificing a goat in my rental home, or assaulting children - look the other way!
Yikes.
I don’t understand why more CEO’s of more companies cannot understand that politics is bad for business. Seriously. You are selling a product - that does not give you the right to impose your views on others. In fact, I am pretty confident that you would sell more product if you left your focus on business.
Just a little “too community” for me. Who knows what clandestine activities were launched from your home that are just seeing fruition around the country now. “As for me and my house we will serve the Lord” probably was not allowed on the walls.
That's Marvin Olasky, the great Christian pro-life, pro-civilization writer.
The story is of course well-written and shocking. But of course the small-mindedness of geek-based technology companies is . . . unsurprising. (What do they know of the macro world?)
You need to sue Airbub for discriminating against the Christian religion—otherwise this insanity will increase. True “Rights” are “Natural Rights” and based on Christian Ethics only—that which created the Age of Reason, common sense, Modern Science, and the US Constitution.
They got the Marxist irrational, evil, unnatural “gender theory” forced into our classrooms by the 70s and the APA was forced to make “Evil” into “Normal” by a Marxist takeover of psychology in 1970s for that Satanic worldview of the Marxist homosexual Harry Hays, a person raped by a sailor when he was a boy (and he liked it).
The “normalization” of homosexuality, to make a vile, dehumanizing act which used to be a felony in all sane, moral countries, is being promoted in all of media and skools. IOW, abuse of children is “Good” and vile, irrational acts are taught and normalized in our little boys—grooming them for the old, evil, psychopathic sodomites, like Harry Hays who desired the little boys. John Maynard Keynes and the Leftists wanted to “normalize” pederasty, since the destruction of the Natural Family along with the concept of mother and father is crucial to Marxism.
Natural instincts and Natural Law (science/biology/God’s Laws) can’t be conceived in children raised in artificial, inhumane systems of indoctrination, where agency is destroyed. Individualism and emotional health and understanding of Natural Law (reason and science) only comes from living in a culture with a mother and father paradigm, basis of civilization. Otherwise, children will be too warped and incapable of understanding Truth (God) and Reality. For the NWO, children have to be incapable of “thinking for self” (totally dehumanized/Reason impossible); they are just programmed “bots” for the State and corporations for life with no ability to have agency or virtue (snowflakes (useful idiots) for life). Individualism and agency come from living in family units where biology can be understood, trust and love embedded (humanization), and “group-think” is not possible (without a TV/screen).
Forcing virtue out of our “Justice” (virtue) system to promote vile, irrational, evil behaviors is unconstitutional. Justice is the Queen of Virtue and all “Just Laws” have to promote “public virtue” as Justice Marshall and Nuremberg Trials stated and MLK, Jr Sexual Orientation has to be removed since pederasty and bestiality and sodomy should never be tolerated in a moral, rational society, ever. They are the Rites of Lucifereans and Ba’al worshippers (an evil, irrational religion is being forced on us—one incompatible with Christianity and our “Justice” system.
Airbub is now promoting a bunch of faiths and literally BANS CHRISTIANITY AT THE SAME TIME. They BAN the only rational, constitutional “faith”-—Christianity. That one based on “the laws of nature and nature’s God”. LOL
Only Satanism/Marxism/Atheism/Talmud/Koran; are being promoted with abortion and homosexual “marriage”-—both vile, evil irrational uses of the human body and a “sin” in Christianity.
So, they are outlawing Religious Freedom for Christians and our Constitution, people who can NEVER accept and turn their backs on evil, vile, irrational, dehumanizing human behaviors like sodomy and baby-killing.
Out Constitution, in the USA, does not condone slave ideologies where you can use others in irrational, evil, dehumanizing ways-—as a Means to an End (Marxism).
It sounds like a Christian Airbnb would be a good business opportunity.
Until you're sued by a homosexual who wants to either be a renter or a host...
You clearly know nothing about the Talmud, which forbids both abortion and homosexuality.
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