By Sharyn Jackson
Rooms at Iowa State University’s Hotel Memorial Union will no longer contain Gideon bibles, after a guest complained to a watchdog group about “unwelcome religious propaganda in the bedside table.”
The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a national group with around 150 Iowa members, wrote a letter Jan. 29 to Richard S. Reynolds, director of the union requesting removal of the Bibles.
“If a state-run university has a policy of providing a Christian religious text to guests, that policy facilitates illegal endorsement of Christianity over other religions and over nonreligion,” wrote Patrick Elliott, the organization’s staff attorney.
Reynolds responded to the letter on Thursday, notifying the organization that the Bibles would be removed by March 1.
The Memorial Union building and the 52-room hotel within was run by an outside non-profit organization before it became a part of Iowa State University in 2003. Bibles in the guest rooms predated the transfer of ownership to the university, said John McCarroll, director of university relations.
Read more at http://blogs.desmoinesregister.com/dmr/index.php/2014/02/14/bibles-to-be-removed-from-iowa-state-hotel-rooms/article
1 Comment. Leave new
So sad that a nation such as ours gives in to such an organization. They call themselves “freedom from religion” – someday they will answer.
People should have the right to be free to make a choice to read or not to read. These people are taking that freedom from the people.
Bibles should remain in the hotel room. As Christisns we should stand for our rights too. We have rights. This organization is taking our rights away.