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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Holiday rental and religion

248 replies

Whattodowithaminute · 02/09/2017 19:17

Have just returned from a lovely week in France, holiday rental marketed as being very child friendly and true to their word the property/gardens are. What wasn't mentioned is the clear following of religion from the owners which was evident throughout the property; psalms on the welcome book, 'power of a praying wife in the bedside drawer' children's bible in the children's room to name a few bits. I know I don't need to read any of this if it isn't to my taste (which you may have gathered it isn't) however AIBU thinking a holiday rental should be more neutral territory and that these items shouldn't be on open display?

OP posts:

SkylarFalls · 03/09/2017 21:59

I wouldn't be impressed. I think if it's a normal holiday rental house it needs to be pretty neutral

BIeugh not everyone wants neutral and bare, I love a bit of kitch and quirky from a holiday rental!

OutwiththeOutCrowd · 03/09/2017 22:07

I don’t think ‘offended’ would be quite the way I would personally describe my feelings if I were to happen upon religious pamphlets, bibles, pictures or whatever in a holiday let. It would be more a feeling of unease/discomfort because I would know that memories of unpleasant encounters with religion/religious people could easily resurface.

I do understand that if your dealings with religion have not been fraught with emotion, it might be hard to imagine how a few religious books and pictures could trigger a negative response.

But in general terms, religion has the potential to evoke strong emotions one way or the other, either of belonging or of alienation, in some people. (Of course others won’t be bothered either way.) Weighing it up, I feel a property owner should err on the side of caution and either make it clear that they are offering an environment that would appeal to the religiously-inclined or offer accommodation that is a complete religion-free zone. It doesn’t have to be bland as a consequence!

LEELULUMPKIN · 04/09/2017 01:57

We stay at Rick Stein's rentals in Padstow and they are crammed with his recipe books. I hate and can't cook but I couldn't give two tosses if they were there or not. I just cannot bring myself to be outraged on being told how to boil a kipper! YABU.

LoniceraJaponica · 04/09/2017 07:45

I don't believe anyone who says they can't cook. You just don't want to learn

IDoDaChaCha · 04/09/2017 08:59

LoniceraJaponica now you know has it given you empathy towards people who don't want religious paraphernalia in their holiday let?

IDoDaChaCha · 04/09/2017 09:04

It doesn’t have to be bland as a consequence!

^^ This

'Bland' is a ridiculous description of a place without religious effigies.

Kailoer · 04/09/2017 11:29

i would appreciate it being noted on Trip Advisor, OP, btw - i would steer clear of anything so blatent and would book elsewhere(and give you a thanks for flagging it).

Yayitsfriday · 04/09/2017 11:36

Is it a Air B&B rental? Or did you have the feeling that it was once somebody's house and they started renting it out during the holidays? That might explain why.

To me, books and the freedom to read and access to literature of any kind is a fundamental part of freedom of speech. I would never, ever take my books out of a house to please someone else.

I rent my house on Air B&B and yes, we have Bibles, other religious books about different faiths, a copy of the Koran, history books, fiction, non fiction books all over the house. There is no way that I would take down books because I have guests in our house.

What do you do if you go past a Church? or a Hindu temple? shut your eyes?

I think if you were a bit more secure in your own choices this wouldn't be an issue.

Kailoer · 04/09/2017 11:43

Yayitsfriday "I think if you were a bit more secure in your own choices this wouldn't be an issue"

where to even begin.

IDoDaChaCha · 04/09/2017 12:57

I think if you were a bit more secure in your own choices this wouldn't be an issue. either not RTFT or couldn't give a fuck about people's feelings...

Branleuse · 04/09/2017 13:03

France is overwhelmingly a strongly catholic country. I would not be particularly surprised nor offended by this

varvara · 04/09/2017 13:25

Sorry, I think we're on dangerous ground when we start to think that people should be protected from ideas and ideologies that they have issues with.

I understand that there are people who have had bad experiences with religion, and I'm truly sorry that that happened to you. But, and I really do mean this kindly, if the sight of a Bible or a Biblical quote or a slightly twee American religious book triggers you then that is quite an extreme reaction and it's an issue YOU need to deal with; you can't expect it to dictate other people's behaviour.

Of course if people know you have these issues then it's reasonable to expect them to mindful of them - but you can't expect strangers to moderate their behaviour on the off chance that someone could have suffered a traumatic experience in the past. Otherwise, where would it end?

missyB1 · 04/09/2017 13:59

I think we are on dangerous ground when we start to think that people should be protected from ideas and ideologies that they have issues with

Totally agree. Just because some people find Religion distasteful / offensive/ annoying is not a good enough reason to dictate what holiday let owners should / shouldn't be allowed to keep in their own properties!

OP next time I suggest you get on with enjoying your holiday rather than obsessing about the personal possessions of the property owner

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 04/09/2017 14:11

I wouldnt mind bibles or stuff on the wall...as long as it wasnt one of those huge really painful looking crucifixes

I would object to something left on the bedside table or on the bed as that woukd feel 'targeted'

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 04/09/2017 14:13

When we want to france we were surprised at all the times the shops were shut for religious holidays even though they are on paper a secular country

Having said that i would take any days off work I possibly could

Fresh8008 · 04/09/2017 14:46

I dont think anyone is saying you shouldn't have a religious bent in a holiday let but if you do simply put a note on the website warning everyone.

If you dont most people would assume its a neutral space. There is a difference between a book in a bookcase and liberally sprinkling religion around, specifically to target the customer.

The people I know that rent out homes tidy up and put things back in their place (maybe tucking away a few of the more 'extreme' ornaments before a customer stays, not the other way around.

Original poster

Whattodowithaminute · 04/09/2017 15:18

I didn't obsess over it for the whole holiday! I think these other factors will have contributed to not expecting such a personal home environment;
It is a business and have sites in the U.K. And France so run it as a profession
There was more than one cottage on the site where we were staying which therefore felt as though the house had been 'dressed' to include religious details which did feel too much

From a business perspective I think most people aren't offended which is great, some are and therefore I would create a more neutral space-they didn't that's their decision.

OP posts:

IDoDaChaCha · 04/09/2017 15:18

I dont think anyone is saying you shouldn't have a religious bent in a holiday let but if you do simply put a note on the website warning everyone.

If you dont most people would assume its a neutral space. There is a difference between a book in a bookcase and liberally sprinkling religion around, specifically to target the customer.

The people I know that rent out homes tidy up and put things back in their place (maybe tucking away a few of the more 'extreme' ornaments before a customer stays, not the other way around.

At last somebody who makes sense.

TheVanguardSix · 04/09/2017 15:22

Choose not to care. Shrug your shoulders and move on. Did anyone die? No. Did you have a great time? Yes. A priest didn't show up for an exorcism or even a blessing for the guests, so I would give this little to no thought. You're sounding a little bit like the Chair of the Spare Time Committee.

Original poster

Whattodowithaminute · 04/09/2017 15:41

vanguard I have very little to occupy my child ridden brain I would welcome and do seek some more stimulation... also prone to overthinking I'm quite sure a combination of anxiety and post natal depression leads me to overthinking small details reality is Im bored stupid with my life and have little motivation to do anything about it and this crystallises exactly that...

OP posts:

Rufustherenegadereindeer1 · 04/09/2017 16:09

what

It could be worse

We recently stayed in a cottage in the middle of no where

It had a notice board with leaflets and maps of what to do on it

As we were leaving i was browsing the board

Every person had their eyes poked out

Ill take a bible over that any day

Elphame · 04/09/2017 16:11

Out of curiosity I googled christian holiday lets - seems it's quite a "thing". Other major religions though don't seem to need to define themselves like this.

MargaretTwatyer · 04/09/2017 16:29

I think this is floating dangerously close to religious intolerance. Nobody should be forced to hide or effectively deny their religion because it offends someone else.

Honestly, it's no better than people who get offended by hijabs because it's not what 'we' do so 'they' shouldn't do it either. It comes from exactly the same type of thinking.

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