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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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thnks for you
FACT: I mas-terbate when I see the pope with small children when I think of all the fun he has had over the years playing with their p p's.
I prayed, and my priest m0lests me. Nothing like God giving me a big d0ng in the 4ss to make it bleed. Praise Jesus!
As previously noted:
Googling "free po-rn". About 83,200,000 results. Yahooing "free po-rn" , 143,000,000 results. Binging "free po-rn", – 146,000,000 results. And they want to remove a few movie channels??????????????????
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
EEEXActly!!!!
To be honest, i enver understood why anyone would watch the overpriced stuff on a hotel when you can literally see anything you want by getting on the internet, which many hotels provide for free, or at a reasonable rate.
Prayer changes things .
Just Sayin' and Heavensent spam again!! lol
The Templeton Foundation's own prayer study proved that prayed not only doesn't work, it actually caused those who believed they were receiving intercessory prayers to have a HIGHER rate of post surgical complications. So yes, I guess prayer changed things at least for some patients it made them worse lol ... proven!!
Pray means that, while others are actually doing something to improve a situation, you are on your knees pretending to do something and accomplishing nothing but you own self-glorification.
The philosopher, Bertrand Russell, used to tell the following example of the harm prayer can do:
When pestilence first appeared in Europe in the Middle Ages, the clergymen urged people from far and wide to assemble to pray for deliverance. By thus drawing the healthy with the already-infected into crowded churches and cathedrals, they brought about the condition for the fastest and farthest spread of the contagion and the greatest number of deaths. Apparently, God does not forgive ignorance.
Three word vocabulary dude strikes again!!!
Shrug. Everyone has the right to speak their mind. I once told the local grocer that she shouldn't sell cigarettes. May be true, but I didnt expect it to happen.
To go a step further, once censorship starts it takes up a life of its own. If we allow books, movies or any other form of legal entertainment to be banned simply because a minority of the population doesn't like it, pretty soon there would be nothing left-it's a fact that everyone dislikes or is offended by something. In fact, censorship runs counter to the "keep government out of my life" rhetoric often used by GOP candidates.
Censorship is wrong, period. If you don't like it, don't watch it but none of us have any right to deny access of legal entertainment to others. However, I am glad to see that Christians and Muslims can find common ground, even if it is for a misguided goal.
No ones suggesting denying access to adult entertainment. They are simply requesting that hotels not offer it. Anyone who is that desperate€ to watch p© rn can still do so in this modern world of technology via smartphone, tablet, or laptop. Or simply wait until they get home. Religion© n aside, it is in poor taste to offer such tr@sh in an otherwise tasteful family environment.
If you are in the privacy of your home or in the privacy of a hotel room YOU pay for, it's YOUR environment. Whether YOUR room is family friendly or not is YOUR choice as long as you are paying for it. No one has to order adult TV, but these people are almost holding a gun to the hoteliers' heads to make them NOT offer it. This is just another atempt of religious atti'tude trying to legislate secular businesses. It's all quite simple... don;t want it, don't order/pay for it!!! DUH!!!! So simple even a bible thu'm'per can do it. Oh wait .. that's "caveman" isn't it? Oh well, same difference. The two terms are interchangeable. The mentality is the same.
How are they almost holding a gun to someones head?? It is a request not a court order! When you pay for a hotel you are paying for a place to test and relax. Not offering p© rn won't change that. As I previously stated, in todays technology world this entertainment is a click away.
Yes it is true, it is only a click away. But it's still a requet from a strictly religious point of view for a secular business to not make a dollar from a potential (and 100% legal) source. How would YOU like it if you ran a business, religious zealots came into YOUR store and said "We don't like your inventory, you need to change it."? Would you tell them "no", or would you bow to what THEY want, even if they had no say at all in the control or running of your business?
Actually my dad owned a business, and customers do make requests and suggestions. We value them and their opinions. We always at least consider the request and value the feedback. Its an opportunity in our opininion to improve our value in our community. Our store does not offer adult entertainment material not to we offer lottery tickets. It has had no effect on my fathers business. And the fact that we don't offer it has been a reason why we have so many repeat customers. They know where we stand and if they want this material there are many many avenues to obtain it.
But, was that decision made from a business point of view, or was it made by someone else's "morals" as to how HIS business should run? If it was your father's choice, that's one thing.. it's HIS business to run. But to have someone else come in and say "I don't want you to sell lottery tickets or cigarettes because my religious views object to it." is a whole different story.
The thing is any business should value the opinions of their customers period. If we decide its not in our business best interest to change something than so be it but, at the very least we appreciate the feedback, positive or not. Religi© us zelot or not, we value all our customers opinions. And even if we can't or won't change some items we sell, they appreciate the fact that their opinion matters to us. Mostly that's all it takes, to show respect and appreciation for their request.
http://www.HolyFaux.com
Why don't we start with removing Bibles from hotel rooms? I am anti-religious and if you deprive me of a choice to watch whatever I want while being on my vacation staying in a hotel, then please remove Bibles as well.
No, Bibles are a great addition to hotels. I use them to splooge in after I watch hotel pr0n. Then I sometimes use them to wipe my b hind with too! Praise the Lord!
Removing the degr@ding material is not denying the same. There are many avenues to still be able to view adult entertainment in ones room. Ever heard of wifi?? Take out the religi© us aspect and your still left with a nice family oriented environment offering tr@shy entertainment. As for the previous comment, that such shows a lack of maturity on your part.
The hotel industry needs to stop insulting the intelligence of its customers by blocking access to p o r n
Hilton are ya listening? shame on ya!
If we eliminate all sinful temptations where's free will? God(s) will have nothing to judge us on .. if we don't have the choice to sin God(s) really won't know who we are. For that matter, WE won't know who we really are ... but if we don't know who we are and never find out, does it even matter?
We are already exposed to temptation, the moment we pick up our smartphones, or open a laptop, or turn on a television, or walk in a store that sells this material, or drive down a street where it and many other temptations abound. Its everywhere all the time!! It would be nice to have a place to stay that took that aspect out of the picture for a change. Of course you would still most likely have that smartphone.
sounds like people are using religion to create a world where this is no choices no wonder america has gone down hill this country was founded on the right to choose what you would like to worship where do christians and mulsim think they they get the right to force their beliefs on us
1.) What people do in the privacy in their own rooms is their business.
2.) Who orders that in a hotel when you can watch it for free on your computer?
"Religious scholars". There's an interesting phrase.
Remind me to never stay at a Marriott.
They are trying to protect their flock, not take it away from you. I have been a high level manager at a prominent US hotel chain. It is industry knowledge that whenever a Christion convention is held at a hotel, p orn sale explode 800-1200%. Most hotels add extra movies in advance to cover the demand. Obviously, if you deny who and what you are it will manifest itself somewhere in your life. Case in point.
I decided long ago to ditch religion. Now I am spiritual. I am so happy now. No guilt. No shame. I am who God made me to be. I love everybody and I don't judge anymore. And for the record, I have not watched p orn in years. No desire to.
Godspeed.
Christians fundamentalists keep proving to the world that they're no different than muslim fundamentalists, and they'll keep trying to force their beliefs on the rest of us until we band together and stop them. I'm glad you found a way of living that works for you, but you have ABSOLUTELY NO RIGHT to force that lifestyle on me. Adults should be able to make their own decisions.
AMEN!
How is hotel p0rn different from those Via-gra or Cia-lis adds we are subjected to ad nauseum on in-home television? Or those half-hour infomercials selling various drugs to increase everything from size to libido? These people are worried about seldom seen p0rn in hotels, while our kids are lambasted constantly with enhancement drugs and toys on regular TV? Yeah... that makes sense...
Belief is based off of opinion, it can either be true or false. Atheist and some scientist believe there is no Creator (God), but creation created itself. Christians know that there is a God due to the evidence all around us. There is a difference between believing and knowing. Scientist cannot give solid physical evidence proving that love exists. Yet doesnt pretty much everyone know it exist? There is less evidence that love exist then there is evidence that God exist. There are physical things all around us proving God's existence. What evidence can anyone prove that love exist? So who is blind Christians or atheist? The answer is crystal clear. Just a reminder John 8:47-"He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God." John 15:19-"If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you."
Love is entirely provable. There are physical changes in the body. Pupils widen, the skin has galvanic response etc. There are also changes in the brain and brain chemistry clearly visible on fMris.
Where as your imganary friend has about as much evidenace as Zeus, Tana, Vismrama, or the FSM.
Please thinking that your fairy tale is better then anybody else, some of us have chosen reason. Once you understand how it is that you can so easily reject all the other gods that have come before yours and currently exist you will then understand how I can so easily reject yours as well.
Jesus is no more real than Santa Claus, the Easter Bunny, and the Tooth Fairy. God is simply a fabrication by and for weak minds, for those who are incapable of facing the fact that there is no super-father to take care of them, that they are in fact responsible for their owns actions and the results thereof.
The bible is simply a story told to try to calm those who live in fear of living.
I don't fear living. I enjoy life. I don't fear death. I know when I leave this body, I will be back with the Lord.
Got it all figured out, do you? Now, go read Matthew 6 and take heed. Please...
the "evidence all around us"? Seriously? I hear and see those statements all the time, but just what is that evidence? You don't mention any of it. Faith by definition does not rely on evidence, where science does. The evidence you refer to, whatever it may be, is strictly your interpretation of something or other. Nothing that would would hold up in court or in the scientific process exists as evidence of God. Only in your and other believer's minds, and likely hearts. I do believe you do believe, but don't confuse that with evidence.
Jesus is a Myth promulgated by the Greedy and Control Freaks (Fact)
um not so true there is some history in the Myth of Christ Jesus how we know I'm in the bible is actually a mix of four individuals
Barabbas = Jesus the Liberal helped the poor through charity
Mithras = Jesus the Rebel, lead a rebellion against Rome, by teaching the lower class
Yeshuwa = the peace bringer, stopped the Jews from revolting against the Romans, by destroying family ties, give unto Caesar what is Caesar
Jesus = the Myth, walked on water and sh!t
Shut up you gibbering retard.
While you're preening your feathers you're missing one fact. Atheists don't hate you, we just think your beliefs are silly. I personally don't know you or care about you one way or the other. My only concern with you faith is it's effect on the ability of everyone else to go about their lives. You're free to get on your knees to which ever fantasy blows your skirts up. I really don't care, fill your boots.