Casino commandment: Thou shalt not have Bibles

World Net Daily ^ | Apr 30,2003 | WorldNetDaily

[microgood]

"Thou shalt not place Bibles in our casino hotel rooms."

Such is the commandment from the flashy, new Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, home of the Borgata Babe cocktail waitress and shower-stall-for-two.

Borgata Casino in Atlantic City, N.J.

The Press of Atlantic City reports the $1.1 billion resort opening this summer is breaking ranks with all other casinos, and is refusing to allow the Gideons to place a Bible in any of its 2,002 hotel rooms.

"What we've found is there's such a diversity of gaming customers that visit Atlantic City, by putting one generic publication in there you're not fulfilling the needs of everybody," Borgata spokesman Michael Facenda told the paper.

"You could do the Mormon Bible, the Koran, the Old Testament, the New Testament, the Greek New Testament. ... Where we ended up is we're not going to put anything in there," he said.

There's no talk of preventing any casino patron from bringing his or her own Bible – the hotel is just not letting the Gideons place its free Scripture in the rooms. That would be a first in the city's 25-year history of gambling, according to Jim Werner, Bible scriptures secretary for the Gideons' Atlantic County chapter.

"A lot of times the casino hotels have taken their time to make a decision – sometimes a month or two. It seems like they don't have a policy because of the so-called controversial nature of the matter," he told the Press.

But Werner has faith that Borgata eventually will see the light.

"I'm sure it's lower on the list of decision-making. I'm sure they have more important things on their mind than 'shall we put Bibles in the rooms?'" he said.

Gideons Bibles permeate most hotels

Based in Nashville, Gideons International distributes over a million Bibles each week in 176 countries and 80 languages. Most are found in hotels and motels, overnight health-care facilities, schools, prisons and places with military and public-safety personnel.

All other casino hotel rooms in Atlantic City have a Gideons Bible, and even the Las Vegas hotels owned by Borgata's parent companies – Boyd Gaming and MGM Mirage – have Bibles in their rooms.

"The small percentage that we talked to who do have an interest in having [a Bible] available brought their own anyway," Facenda said.

Werner says having words of comfort in each room could be a life-saver during a personal crisis, such as catastrophic gambling loss.

"For the casino, it's good for them if it saves one or two lives a year," Werner said. "If nothing else, it's a lot less negative publicity for them and it doesn't cost them a nickel because they're free.

"All they have to do is put in their room something that's an attractive book. It's got a nice cover. It looks classy."

Robert L. Boughner

Borgata, which means "little village" in Italian, is the first new casino to open in Atlantic City in 13 years.

Its chief executive, Robert L. Boughner, has been publicly critical of competing resorts, complaining they smell due to inadequate ventilation.

"Many of the other places are just reincarnated old hotels," Boughner told the New York Times, "and they just don't have the technology and the amenities to keep up with us."

[goldstategop]

PC Diversity Alert!!!

[Diverdogz]

Its private property. The Gideons have no right to place anything in the hotel rooms without permission. If you are offended that they don't have the bibles there, either bring your own or stay somewhere else.

[scooter2]

Just gives me one more reason not to ever go to Atlantic City, as if I needed another one.

[HeadOn]

Easy, there.

The Gideons are not an "in your face" type, insist-on-their-rights bunch of Gay/Lesbian liberal activists. They are an organization of businessmen, not associated with any particular denomination. They donate their time to spread the Gospel by giving away Bibles.

It's not news because they are upset and demanding anything. It's news because it's never happened before. If the answer is "no", nobody's going to go to court.

[Phantom Lord]

A large portion of the casino business is the attraction of foreign customers. They do everything they can to avoid even the slightest thing that will upset them. You should see what the Vegas hotels do to attract and keep foreign gamblers. Remember the giant lion at the entrance to the MGM Grand? Gone. Reason, many asians wouldnt visit the MGM Grand because they refused to walk through the door because of the Lion entrance.

Many of the "whale" suites will have an 5 chairs at the bar or tables because the number 4 is bad luck in some asian cultures. Other suites will have no books at all in them because they are seen as bad luck by some of their big customers.

You couldnt even begin to make up some of the reality in these suites to accomidate their visitors. If refusing the Gideons request helps keep their customers happy, then refuse the Gideons.

[Diverdogz]

I guess I'm suprised it is even news.
So, I had to inject the private property, business decision statement in before those inclined to incensed hysteria start whining about being persecuted and unfairly discriminated against.

[HeadOn]

Understood. Have a great day.

[bmwcyle]

The Bibles are FREE. What makes you so frighten of them? Could it be Godaphobia?

[Anitius Severinus Boethius]

If you can remove your pre-conceptions and read the article, you will see that the Gideons are not "upset" or "whining". They aren't bringing a lawsuit or organizing protests.

They were told no and they say, Ok, that's fine, we hope they will change their mind in the future.

If that is what you think is being unreasonable... well, I guess a lot of the polite world is unreasonable to you.

[ppaul]

"What we've found is there's such a diversity of gaming customers that visit Atlantic City, by putting one generic publication in there you're not fulfilling the needs of everybody".....

Yeah.
We'll provide 'em with child porn and $250 outcall escort service BJ's, but HORRORS, we can't let'em see a Gideon's Bible in their nightstand drawer!

[microgood]

You couldnt even begin to make up some of the reality in these suites to accomidate their visitors.

I don't think this is a make or break issue for the customer. In Japan they have the Teachings of Buddha in all the hotels. It's just another milestone in the road to cultural destruction in this country.

[goldstategop]

Pshaw. In most hotels you can see porn on cable TV service for an extra charge that leaves nothing to your imagination. The Gideon Bibles are so old fashioned...

[Guillermo]

I don't think that's the point...Um, actually, it isn't the point. The Gideons are not demanding a "right" to place their Bibles there.

The question I have is...the hotel said it was "controversial" to place them there. Who was it who raised a fuss?

[Mr. Mojo]

I've been to Vegas around 20 times, staying in a different hotel practically every time, and I've yet to see a bible anywhere near the place.

[Mr. Mojo]

Pshaw. In most hotels you can see porn on cable TV service for an extra charge that leaves nothing to your imagination

Especially in Utah.

[fishtank]

The Gideons should use a more "picture/study Bible" format for what they place in the rooms.

Having said that, one of the things the Gideons tell hotel manageers is that a Gideon Bible reduces the rate of hotel room suicides. It seems to help convince the mamagers to let them place the Bibles.

[ppaul]

I've been to Vegas around 20 times, staying in a different hotel practically every time, and I've yet to see a bible anywhere near the place.

Not surprising.
Usually, they're tucked away in a drawer somewhere, out of sight.

[Mr. Mojo]

No, I look in the drawers. No bibles, anywhere.

[ppaul]

The Gideons should use a more "picture/study Bible" format for what they place in the rooms.....

It's not pictures that prevent suicides.