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 Hotels' in-room movie selections should not include porn, according to two religious scholars.
July 12th, 2012
11:03 AM ET
Strange religious bedfellows unite for letter against hotel pornBy Dan Merica, CNN (CNN) – A letter penned by two notable scholars - a Christian and a Muslim - and sent to a number of different hotel industry executives has asked those hotels to remove pornography from their company’s in-room movie selections. Robert P. George, a professor at Princeton University and the past chairman of the conservative National Organization for Marriage, and Shaykh Hamza Yusuf, co-founder of Zaytuna College, a Muslim school, wrote the letter to urge hotels “to do what is right as a matter of conscience.” “We are, respectively, a Christian and a Muslim, but we appeal to you not on the basis of truths revealed in our scriptures but on the basis of a commitment that should be shared by all people of reason and goodwill: a commitment to human dignity and the common good,” reads the letter. The letter marks the joining of two unique men with two distinctly different faiths. Yusuf says they were able to put aside their disagreement on other issues because of their commitment to this cause. “We need to see that those things that are threatening our society today are much graver than anything that may divide us,” he told CNN. CNN's Belief Blog: the faith angles behind the big stories Reaction to the letter from some adult film stars - and even from some advocates for removing porn from hotels - was negative. Craig Gross, a pastor and the founder of XXXchurch.com, says the letter is an empty gesture with no power behind it. “It has got to be one of the dumbest letters I have ever read,” Gross said. “It is like asking the Internet to stop selling porn. It sounds good and all, but it isn’t going to happen.” But the letter’s authors argue that the Internet and hotels are different, with hotel owners directly profiting off the temptation of porn. “We urge you to do away with pornography in your hotels because it is morally wrong to seek to profit from the suffering, degradation, or corruption of others,” states the letter. “You are placing temptation in their path - temptation for the sake of profit. That is unjust. Moreover, the fact that something is chosen freely does not make it right.” Yusuf continued to use this argument in an interview with CNN. “Just because we are able to do something doesn’t mean it is what we should be doing. And just because you can sell these things doesn’t mean it is something you should be selling,” he said. In Gross’ opinion, this logic is a slippery slope. When planes offer access to WiFi, is that placing temptation in the path of those who may view porn on the Web? When hotels offer room service, he asks, are they tempting dieters? Gross has a long history of helping those with porn addictions, and his website is dedicated to getting people help. According to him, removing porn from hotels is a futile endeavor because of the "unfettered availability of porn on the Web. “ According to a 2005 report on the state of the adult entertainment by Adult Video News, a trade journal on the adult-film industry, 55% of hotel movie rentals are porn movie rentals. The average revenue from movie rentals, according to LodgeNet, a company that provides in-room entertainment services, was $16.51 per room per month in 2008. In the third quarter of 2009, LodgeNet brought in $64.8 million. This, however, included more family-friendly options as well. A 2011 report by Robert Mandelbaum at Colliers PKF Hospitality Research found that from 2000 to 2009, movie rental revenue for hotels in general decreased 39%. Even with the reported slip, Gross and other critics acknowledged there is a demand for adult entertainment. “This is supply and demand,” Gross said. “We spin our wheels doing all the wrong things. The issue is not that it is available; the issue is that people buy it.” Prior to this letter, however, some hotels had already pledged to remove pornography from their programming or had removed it. In 2011, Marriott International - a company founded by a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints that continues deep Mormon ties - pledged to phase out adult content from all hotel rooms. The move came after groups like Focus on the Family met with Marriott officials to urge them to remove adult movies. The church of porn and football “Adult content will be off the menu for virtually all of our newly built hotels,” read the Marriott statement. “Over the next few years, this will be the policy across our system.” Marriott is not the first hotel group to do this, though. Omni Hotels, a Dallas-based luxury hotel chain, removed all adult films from its in-room systems in 1999. According to other reports, adult-free programming is helping the Omni differentiate itself in the hotel market. Websites like cleanhotels.com look to help porn-free hotels by compiling a list of hotels that do not offer adult entertainment and leading people to them. Cleanhotels.com says it does so because its supporters want to know they are “supporting a facility that cares enough about the wellbeing of its customers not to make harmful pornographic movies available.” The American Hotel & Lodging Association, however, defends the right of hotels to choose what services to offer in their rooms. Follow the CNN Belief Blog on Twitter “In-room offerings such as this are made available based on market demand, are not offered in all hotels, and are subject to the same legal review all hotel operations are subject to,” read a statement from Kathryn Potter, senior vice president of marketing and communications for the association. Ron Jeremy, an adult-film star who has been in over 2,000 porn films, according to the Internet Adult Film Database, sees efforts to remove porn from hotels as attacks on freedom of speech. “What they have to understand is that freedom of speech works for all of us, not just for them,” Jeremy said about those who want to get porn out of hotel rooms. “This is a country that is secular; you have freedom from religion and freedom of religion. Give me a break.” While Jeremy said he is all for making sure kids in hotel rooms can’t get to porn - “I think that is marvelous” - he said he doesn’t see why adults shouldn’t watch “consenting adults have consenting sex.” "If a guy has a hard day at work or is at a convention and wants to sit down in his hotel room and puts on an adult film and plays spank the monkey, why can’t he do that?" soundoff (1,415 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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You mean take out the gidion bibles?
I'd like to thank "Mike" for all his posts here this morning. Mike is a perfect example why folks see these fundiots as the fucktards they really are.
That is because of your perversion.
What perversion is that Mike? Seriously – please tell us all what my perversion is. Be specific. Give actual evidence. Support that with actual facts.
Mikey-mike, what do you know of our "perversions"? You do not know us in real life. So, I suppose this is my way of suggesting you extract that pious burr which has no doubt been shoved up your rectum for quite some time
Professor George: What consenting adults chose to do in their bedrooms—or hotel rooms, for that matter—is none of your damned business. Get out and stay out.
It's funny how leaders of religions that have been killing each other for centuries would have the balls to tell me what I "should" be doing.
If it isn't conservative government trying to peep into your bedroom...its religion! MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!
Um.. ‘conservative government’… are the religious types. They only support separation when it benefits them.
So they have no problem with all the movies and TV shows that show humans being shot, burned alive, tortured, blown up, dismembered and mutilated. They just don't want you to watch two human beings (or more) enjoying their bodies.
"urge hotels “to do what is right as a matter of conscience.”
Never practice what you preach and always be a hypocrite.
Just "urge" others to be moral so you don't have to be and can still have a clear "conscience"
Dear American Hotels,
Please remove anything that is degrading to women from your rooms. I suggest you start with the bible.
Thanks,
state school
Well said.
I need to get a bible. Would that be under S & M or H0mo er0tica?
It’s under the: How to section.
Cult for dummies
What will it take for these morons on perpetual God-trips to understand that they DO NOT CONTROL THE REST OF US???? Nor will they ever. Give it up, already, other adults' gonads and what they choose to do with them and what they choose to watch on hotel PAY TV is THEIR business, NOT yours. Go do something that Yahweh/Jesus/Allah/Whoever might smile over, liiiiike...feeding the hungry, maybe?
Flying Spaghetti Monster doesn't care what movies you watch.
I you read closely you will actually see that it is not the po.rn in and of itself that they object to, it is the "temptation" that they want to remove. As if that would stop anyone from finding a different source
Exactly! Like, say, the gas station across the street with nice, cold, adult beverages & nice, hot, adult magazines & perfectly accepted, legal, tobacco products. Lest we forget the offensively overpriced can of soda & chips next the ice machine back in the hotel/motel... Well why don't they have fresh fruit and veggie stands in the hallways or yogurt & vitamin bars instead of a saloon? Oh, the horror of having to make such choices without supervision!
Anything to remove the joy from people's lives. That's the strength of organized religon. Reminds me of a famous exchange:
RC PRIEST: I want to thank you for all the joy you've brought into this world.
GROUCHO: And I want to thank you for all the joy you've taken out of this world.
RC PRIEST: Can I use that in my next sermon?
GROUCHO: Yes you can, but you'll have to give the William Morris Agency ten percent.
How about ordering your congregations not to order/watch it? Why should I be delivered from your temptation?
Lead me not into temptation. I can find it myself.
What is so strange between Christian and Islam. Nothing. Thru both came from an Abrahamic religion . Evil as usual.
Fine then, take the Bible's out too.
There must be a yearning deep in the human heart to stop other people from doing as they please. Rules, laws — always for other fellow ... it's always something they hate to see neighbors doing, so they endeavour to stop them 'for their own good'. Notice it's seldom because the speaker speaker claims to be harmed by it.
That is the basis of religion. Old men trying to control women. How disgusting is that?
"I have stopped purchasing products from companies I know publicly support a gay lifestyle; I would rather pay more than support people who want to destroy the family and G-dliness of people."
How's that working out? Religion is so ridiculas. Po.rn is a multi-billion dollar industry (not Hollywood btw) My guess is that most of the consumers are your neighbors and fellow christians.
Your guess is correct Lucifer's Evil Twin™. A recent study looked at porn purchased online from some of the largest suppliers. The purchasees were scrubbed of identifiers except for location. Eight of the top ten states for p purchases were red states. And the number 1 state? Utah!
Apparently they never heard of an off button on the remote control.
religion is means of livelihood for priest. They are just protecting their turf..
STOP trying to control human nature you stupid fundamentalist freaks. If you want to live in a cave, go ahead and do it but leave the rest of us alone.
If people begin to think of their choices and decide to spend their money on things that support the self esteem and worth of human beings, the garbage in society would be removed. The Hollywood sickos survive because they sell movies, if the movies of those sick stars are not purchased or watched at movie theaters, they will be starved of finances.
I have stopped purchasing products from companies I know publicly support a gay lifestyle; I would rather pay more than support people who want to destroy the family and G-dliness of people.
Nonsense.
Your post is loaded with judgments, how very "Godly" of you. According to your faith, there is only 1 judge, and it is not you.
Well gee aren't you the picture of modern bigotry. And what do you mean "lifestyle"?? At what point did YOU decide to pursue the het'ero'se'xu'al lifestyle?
Are you saying you're okay with straight pron?
How exactly do other people's relationships affect your marriage?
My neighbour is a divorced mother of 2. I guess that means I should sire another kid and then leave my family since the precedent has been set.
"destroy the family and godlliness of people"?
you are a bigot.
also, liz, how does ho-mo-se-xual-ity destroy the family OR the "godliness of people"?
can you support your bigotry, liz, or do you just extoll your pious mental diarrhea on the net and leave?
"'publicly support a gay lifestyle"
Liz, you are a remarkable dunce.
here is no such thing as a "gay lifestyle".
"Gay" is a se xua l orientation, not a lifestyle. Gay, straight, bi, whatever, they are all orientation. Lifestyle is something completely different.
When you call it a "gay lifestyle", please understand that you look like a complete and total retard to people who bother to use correct terms and who have an IQ over 70.
"... companies I know publicly support a gay lifestyle..."
I can't remember exactly, but isn't that any company complying with EEOC non-discrimination laws?
Good for you Liz! Enjoy living your live the way you want...afterall it is YOUR live. But, while you're enjoying your freedom to do that...respect everyone elses to do as they decide. It's really non of your business to judge anyone as "unGodly"...he/she/it will make that decision if such a he/she/it exists....not you.
Liz, I guess your list of places to shop will continue to shrink. Most places I shop support the GLBT community and won't be bullied by the likes of you. And just how are gays and lesbians going to destroy the family unit? Haven't figured this out yet, have you?????
liz48, you're talking with the perverts that are laughing all the way to hell. They will cry out and no one will care to hear them for ever.
L: Does the idea of perverts suffering in hell give you wood?