Holiday rental and religion

[Whattodowithaminute]

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?

That sort of decor would put me off completely op. DH would love it despite being an atheist as he'd wander around the place shouting "JEEEEEE-SUS" (in a Southern preacher accent) every time he saw something religious we'd also probably end up referring to it as the House of the Lord in future when reminiscing.

So on reflection it might be better all around if the decor remained quietly neutral!!

Our hotel room in Alton Towers had a bible in the drawer .

I think I'd have enjoyed ripping the piss out of the Praying Wife book.

YABU- certain areas of France are still religious, especially in the south. It's just part of that country's culture. That's why we travel isn't it? To experience something a bit different.

"That's why we travel isn't it? To experience something a bit different."

The praying wife is hardly traditional French culture! And the children's bible and the psalms were in English...........

"Clearly, religion in schools isn't increasing the congregation size in churches. Is it?"

I agree. Try getting the Christians to give it up, though!

It doesn't matter, that's what they believe in their culture. I wouldn't go to Saudi Arabia and start criticising their local religion, I didn't do it in India when we visited Hindu houses... I accepted what they believed locally.

"Clearly, religion in schools isn't increasing the congregation size in churches. Is it?"

However the traditional building churches are decreasing, in London - like chicken shops, there is a packed out garage/warehouse on every corner of worshippers

I am guessing most of the people on this thread who think a bit of religion doesn't hurt have had little contact with its more extreme manifestations.

I am a born and raised atheist and pretty laid back. DH was raised Methodist. His grandparents were lay preachers who held closed Bible circles at home. His parents took BIL to a faith healer when he was ill as a child. DH had to attend regular church and Sunday school and faced a massive wall of disapproval when he stopped going as a teen. He was alienated from much of his family. His one non religious relative died when he was a teen and his aunt made a "prophecy" that this man was not really dead as he had never converted and would rise again at his own funeral and be restored to them as a Christian ( yes really). DH grandparents rejected his mother as "Jezebel" because she worked for a time when pregnant. Several of the women in that family are surrendered wife types. Until recently, DH grandparents wrote him letters telling him he was going to hell.

He gets really pissed off with religious propaganda because he has seen the real damage it does.

Mogulfield: people in the north and east of France tend to be more religious. In the south we may have the historical trappings but actually we aren't religious at all.

"It doesn't matter, that's what they believe in their culture."
The French? The praying wife? English psalms and children's bibles? Give me strength!

He gets really pissed off with religious propaganda because he has seen the real damage it does. exactly

I have always been an atheist but grew up in a community that was overwhelmingly Christian. There was certainly a feeling in the air that it was only possible to be a good person if you were Christian and if you weren’t you’d be flailing around haplessly from one opportunity for worldly excess to the next – and Hell was the inevitable final destination for you.

At one point I started a relationship with a fellow atheist but after a while the evangelisers got him and he converted. The church elders persuaded him that I was a bad influence and immoral. There was a horrible long drawn out break up and I was left feeling that I was besmirched and worthless. I’m not sure I’ve ever quite shaken it off. (Unlike Taylor Swift!)

To this day religious imagery opens a portal to those murky feelings from the past.

Outwith I don't think anyone actually cares how damaged some of us are because of religion. Unfortunately it doesn't fit with their 'chill out' diagnosis.

It's certainly on poor taste but no more so than a red kitchen.

It's certainly on poor taste but no more so than a red kitchen.

Did you RTFT or just have zero empathy?

It is very sad when people are damaged by religion.

Being American most people I know are religious to a degree, so I suppose when I see extremely religious cruel people I see it as something wrong with the person themselves, rather than in a belief in a god.

When did we all get so easily offended?

Can't you just shove it in a drawer?

I once stayed in a hotel in Rome where there was a mural of Jesus on the cross on the bedroom ceiling.....now that was freaky!

I'm just glad was there on my own with work rather than a romantic weekend away with DH.....I can't think of a more effective mood killer than a picture of a man being tortured to death looming over the bed!

A religious book in a drawer, children's bible in the second bedroom and a psalm on the welcome book? I'm missing the enforced evangelism here.

Private rentals are real people's homes (or near as dammit). They have weird shit from the owners or previous visitors and some of that will reflect religious, political, cultural or ethical view points. Last month we had a full shelf of Dawkins and Hitchens, only a few days before we had crystal healing tomes & dream catchers. Both alongside more standard religious texts/decorations.

Like a PP we used to make up stories about the owners, enjoy browsing some of the odder books. My siblings and I have a religious tat collection (photos only sadly), augmented significantly from private rental holidays.

I spend less nights per year in my own bed than others' so anything which isn't another beige hotel room is a welcome change, even if just for amusement value.

"It is very sad when people are damaged by religion.

Being American most people I know are religious to a degree, so I suppose when I see extremely religious cruel people I see it as something wrong with the person themselves, rather than in a belief in a god."

I agree with this CheerfulYank. So many people give religion a bad name. Yet I know loads of religious people who are lovely, kind and generous people and not in the least bit evangelistic.

I had no idea that some posters on here were so badly affected by enforced religion. I haven't had this kind of experience, and to my knowledge I don't think anyone I know has, hence me being a little surprised that seeing a bible in a holiday rental is so offensive to some people.

I'm as atheist as they come, but that level of stuff I wouldn't have a problem with. I might feel the urge to replace the praying wife book with a random one off the bookshelves and stick it at the back of the bookcase, but really all of that wouldn't register on my radar.

I did spent half an hour in our last holiday house sorting out the books so child-friendly ones were on the bottom three shelves, ones aimed at adults but not offensive or scary above that, and the generous piles of erotic novels and misery lit were hidden on the top shelf behind dated cookbooks. Happy to have them provided, just don't want nightmares from the children.

I wouldn't be impressed. I think if it's a normal holiday rental house it needs to be pretty neutral. You would give a bit of a raised eyebrow if the décor (posters, ornaments, etc) was overtly political in any direction, no? (though WTF a political ornament would look like is anyone's guess! ) So why would you not view in a similar way, overt and overbearing religious décor?

I think for me, it would come down to the degree of religiosity (and probably, the brand of religion on offer). The odd 'praying hands' relief on the wall, or some books in the bookcase - fine. I'd be ok about old master repros too, though possibly only because of my art history background. If it's everywhere in every room, I'd be pretty pissed off. If you're renting out your house commercially to people you don't know, it's not polite or even good business to be overtly political or religious. Borrowing someone's house would, of course, be a different matter.

Don't get me started on bloody Gideon bibles ...