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AIBU?

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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:
JamOrCreamFirst · 02/09/2017 20:50

It would piss me off and I'd have stuck all the god stuff in a cupboard.

I used to run an (atheist) holiday let and one couple left a bible in the bedside cabinet, a palm cross on the landing shelf and the TV was left tuned in to the God Channel. I was not pleased. Bloody evangelists.

BattleaxeGalactica · 02/09/2017 20:52

Meh.

We've just returned from a hotel mini break and there was a Gideon bible in the drawer. I just closed it. Hadn't even thought about it until this thread.

As a matter of interest the praying wife thing goes for a surprising amount on Amazon. More than I would have thought it might fetch. Must be a lot of 'em about Wink

MrsTerryPratchett · 02/09/2017 20:53

In case people think us objectors are pushing Total Atheism...

Examples I'd be totes cool with; cross over a bed (very normal in Italy), little shrines on the outside (ditto), Islamic writing on a wall painting (Morocco for example), Buddha in the garden.

Examples I'd not like; misogynist scripture in the bedroom, children's rooms with almost anything, evangelising on literature you have to read (like the welcome book).

Religion is like a penis. It's fine to have one and it's fine to be proud of it, but please don't whip it out in public and start waving it around... and PLEASE don't try to shove it down my child's throat.

BabychamSocialist · 02/09/2017 20:57

When we used to go to conferences my friend used to sign bibles in hotel rooms with "All the best - God" Hmm

Maelstrop · 02/09/2017 20:58

YABU.

And for those who aren't aware, despite France being a Catholic country (really, is it? Hardly at all anymore, tbh), state education is strictly secular.

DesignedForLife · 02/09/2017 20:59

What is the power of a praying wife? What can they do?

Pray. Apparently.

My mum has this book. I'm a Christian but I couldn't cope with it. Bit twee. But there is a Power of praying Husband book so maybe I should get that for DH Grin

Mushroomburger17 · 02/09/2017 20:59

Religion is like a penis. It's fine to have one and it's fine to be proud of it, but please don't whip it out in public and start waving it around... and PLEASE don't try to shove it down my child's throat

I'm using this on mil Grin

x2boys · 02/09/2017 21:00

Do what if the owners are religious how does it affect you ? Nobody's saying you have to follow a religion to stay there just ignore it and have a good holiday jeez the things people get offended byHmm

LoniceraJaponica · 02/09/2017 21:00

Kailoer. Do you really class someone leaving a bible lying around as blatant in your face pushiness? Really? Hmm

So someone coming to my house might object to seeing all my cookery books on the shelf in case it encourages them to overeatHmm

So what do you call it when Jehovas Witnesses come calling then?

I'm shocked that so many of you are upset about this. If you don't believe in any god or religion it isn't going to affect you is it? Because it doesn't exist.

You would have hated where we holidayed in Sicily. There were loads of little shrines in the streets of the town, and it was the local saint's festival while we were there.

You are massively overthinking it.

x2boys · 02/09/2017 21:01

So what*

LoniceraJaponica · 02/09/2017 21:04

Incidentally, I'm staying in a London hotel just now, and there is no bible in our room.

budgiegirl · 02/09/2017 21:06

When I'm paying on the open market for a service (holiday let) I don't expect to be evangelised at

So would you not stay in any hotel that has a bible in the drawer, would you phone the hotel before you went to make sure it was removed? You'd have problems in Italy, where lots of hotels have crosses hung on the wall , often above the bed. I've stayed in hotels in the Far East that had buddha statues all around the hotels, why would it bother me?

I don't get why so many people find this offensive. If you don't believe in it, just ignore it. It's like people are scared it might turn them into Christians against their will.

OfaFrenchmind2 · 02/09/2017 21:08

Nah, I would not care. But then, I am not triggered by religious imagery.
I was one day offered a Quran in English in the street of London during Ramadan, and I politely declined saying I would not give it the respect the giver would like it to have. That's it. Put the object in a drawer if you want, problem solved.

supermoon100 · 02/09/2017 21:08

I grew up in a house full of books of all sorts from religion to philosophy to politics to fiction and do you know what, it made me open minded and able to choose my own beliefs which do not lean towards religion. A bible, Koran or torah left in a kids room ain't gonna radicalise them. Chill out.

MrsTerryPratchett · 02/09/2017 21:09

You would have hated where we holidayed in Sicily. There were loads of little shrines in the streets of the town, and it was the local saint's festival while we were there.

As I said in my post; all lovely, fine and culturally appropriate. And I like it. Lived in Italy and thought it was sweet. This is different. It's a rental and should be about the comfort of the guest, not the religious views of the host.

MarcyMercy · 02/09/2017 21:09

I wouldn't care at all. Unless they expected me to attend services or something! Each to their own, and it can be ignored where necessary. Some might engage TBH.

Gideon Bibles have been in every drawer of hotels I have stayed in. Didn't bother me.

SenatorBunghole · 02/09/2017 21:10

Religion is like a penis. It's fine to have one and it's fine to be proud of it, but please don't whip it out in public and start waving it around...

Absolutely, but this wasn't public.

OP you're not BU to think it isn't very professional to do up a holiday let in a way that will piss off lots of potential customers, be that the literature, the décor or anything else. Probably not very smart of them, since Christians will holiday in places that aren't full of Christian literature but non-Christians might not go to theirs again. But YABU to think they shouldn't do it. It's their prerogative. By all means vote with your feet and don't go again. That's NBU.

NotTheQueen · 02/09/2017 21:11

I've worked in several offices in Ireland in the recent past which are medium to large companies where the offices display a statue of the Virgin Mary. After that, a few biblical quotes wouldn't worry me. And I am an atheist

bandito · 02/09/2017 21:11

For me, this sort of thing is the reason I love staying in privately owned holiday cottages. I always go to the bookshelves first to see what's there. I stayed in a cottage full of vampire novels a few years ago, aside from a few Maeve Binchys which I reckon a previous holiday maker must have left. I've stayed in religious ones too. Honestly, your kids will come to no harm spending a week in a room containing a copy of the children's bible and a picture book of the good Samaritan, promise. It's a great opportunity to play 'who are the owners of this house?' and make up some stories together, which can fill up a rainy afternoon (or seven) on a UK week away.

MarcyMercy · 02/09/2017 21:15

@NotTheQueen

I doubt that. Unless the offices were tiny and rural. And even at that I would say Nah.

There is no way these days that companies anywhere would display religious artifacts or whatever. It is frowned upon in these days of multicultural/religious freedoms.

You are either joking or goading.

That is ridiculous.

Ineedmorelemonpledge · 02/09/2017 21:20

Is that all? I was expecting a confessional next to the bidet and compulsory attendance at Mass.

😂😂😂

I'd be even more impressed if the tea towels had JC's face imprinted on them, like the Turin shroud.

StrangeLookingParasite · 02/09/2017 21:21

France is a religious based culture.

Yeah, no, not so much.
Strict separation of church and state.
The biggest hangover from a thousand years of Catholicism is all the weird public holidays (Assomption, Ascension, all that weirdness).
It's a more laïque culture than the UK, in some ways.

BabychamSocialist · 02/09/2017 21:22

I once had to sleep in a bed with a giant motif of Jesus on the quilt when I went to some obscure B&B in Ireland with DH. I say B&B, it was basically Mrs. O'Leary's back bedroom that she'd decided to let out. We started a competition of how many religious things we could spot round the house.

The standouts were a Virgin Mary toilet brush holder, a bust of Jesus with a clock in his chest, and a doorbell that played Ave Maria when you rang it.

Alpacaandgo · 02/09/2017 21:25

I'd have just ignored it. It's France. It's quite a religious country, I mean let's face it. There's churches and those metal bloody Jesus on crosses things everywhere!

If it's any consolation I stayed in a premier inn 3 weeks ago and there was a bible there. My youngest decided to read it (he can't read yet!) and was telling me lovely tales of bumble bees and elephants.

expatinscotland · 02/09/2017 21:29

YABU