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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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next they'll insist hotel owners do not rent room to non-married couples.
They used to do that. They would even refuse a room to a couple if they were from the area (not traveling).
Just because they could write a letter doesn't mean they should write it. Ohh wait they did write the letter and mailed it. Guess they are just as guilty. Most likely they are just upset from their last stay when the hotel wouldn't refund their $200 in video rentals. I find it funny that people rent movies from hotels as it costs $10 to watch a 5 year old Disney film.
I would bet that what the catholics and moohamid worshipers are complaining about is the lack of child pr0n. Put that on the TVs and you would never get them out of the hotel rooms.
Big deal, I'll just have to get it for free off of my laptop in the hotel room.
the story should also provide a dirtyhotel.com so normal, non-god-fearing people can choose to go to a hotel and enjoy a beer and naked ladies on tv after a long day of work.
Typical, holier-than-thou, self-appointed and unwanted guardians of everybody else's "virtue". They need to just mind their own business.
You don't need to be holier than thou – just have enough common sense to know than p or n is harmful and disrupting. Not rocket science atheists, if you used any common sense you would know your illogical philosophy is nothing than a failed agenda against those of faith.
"if you used any common sense you would know your illogical philosophy is nothing than a failed agenda against those of faith."
The atheist agenda is one of thinking and logic... exactly the opposite of what your church lets you do. And common sense?? Like talking snakes, creationism and pregnant virgins?? Geez, you think like a four-year-old.
@TC,
why is atheism such a personal threat to you? If you have accepted a gift of faith – great. Good for you. It means a lot to a lot of people.
Simply because others do not accept that 'gift', so what? Why do you fear them so? Perhaps your faith is not as strong as your bluster and you fear losing it?
After all, fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate leads to suffering.
Extra points if you know the chapter and verse. 😉
Atheism is not a threat to one of faith but a threat to those who would listen to illogical rhetoric.
Here let me give you some advice TC.. post a scripture quote. That will help your case. XD
@TC,
there are arrogant self-indulgent atheists just as there are arrogant, self-indulgent Christians. Not all atheists are arrogant, nor all Christians.
You claim that you don't fear atheism, yet the virulence of your opposition betrays you and you clearly fear it.
Search your feelings, you know it's true.
So are we trying to condemn Christianity for attempting to do the right thing or do we as a society lack integrity by justifying a program we probably feel our own children should not view or know our wives would think we were unbecoming enough to hide? Don't reply, just think about it: do you truly have integrity?
You sound like a barrell of laughs
Your assumption that 'it's the right thing' has no basis in reality... What gives you the right to decide what's right for everyone else?? Do you want others to decide what's right for you?? Mind your own business and stop being such a hypocrite...
Who says it's the "right" thing?
Because there is nothing wrong with pr0n as long as it isnt made by taking advantage of other people. That is the realm of the churches.
@jersey: best words i have ever heard from an entertainer " if you don't like what is on they have two knobs, one changes the channel and one TURNS IT OFF" george carlin.
do you hear atheists or other religious views fussing about bibles being left in every room as if everyone in those rooms are christian? nope, we just deal with the religious BS until you folks make it an issue.
your assumption that we all have children and wives is symptomatic of your narrow worldview. this is why people of faith need to keep their faith to themselves and stop telling the rest of us what to do.
So are you suggesting that adults never do anything that you would not have your child do? I suspect not, so that part of your argument is moot. As far as an activity that you would not want to tell your wife about, many couples watch por.n together and/or do not hide their use of por.n from one another. So no integrity/honesty issue for those people.
Also, bringing honesty and integrity into an argument involving religion brings to mind very large looming glass houses. Hypocrisy (being the general term for a lack of integrity) is pretty much rampant in churchgoing America. So please do not make me laugh to much harder.
Whatsamatter, religious scholars? Is the temptation too great? Who is it that's forcing you to tune into those channels? Could it be....SATAN????
Conservatives - in favor of the free market, unless the free market does something that they don't like.
Remove Bibles from the hotel rooms and I would be ok with this.
While I will admit that I like p.orn (and am not likely to stop watching it)......I think the world would definitely be a better place without it.
The world would be a better place without baggers, birthers and Palins.
The world would be an even better place without rampant superst.itious belief.
I do not believe por.n or religion should be banned though they are both a poor subst.itute for reality. However, the former is at least interesting.
How?
oh no....if the christians and muslims hook up we're all f*****d.
"hook up"? hmmmm
Palintwit is off again today and I'll be filling in.
Eneryone knows adult film is harmful but people love to keep traveleling down a well known but unlit road thinking all will be fine. Morons.
How is it harmful?? And why do you assume you know what's best for everyone else in the world??
I am part of everyone and I don't know p o r n is harmful.
So you started your post with a lie, care to back it up with something substantial?
You sir, are the moron.
Because you don;t care about the future and only enjoying your personal quick satisfaction – it does not surprise anyone that you would think adult films are OK. Educated, sane and observant people know better – so yes you are quite the morons.
You religious dolts love traveling down the road of stupidity. We atheists try to help you out and yet you bite our hand.
We try to help you out of your fears, your misery about life, the useless dogma that is plaguing you and all you want to do is keep on killing your brain cells with that garbage. What a shame.
Remember we hate your belief, not you.
"Educated, sane and observant people know better – so yes you are quite the morons."
That's funny considering the more education a person has, the more likely they are to be an atheist... And don't even start with 'sane'... Religious people prove every day they're the opposite of 'sane'... Talking snakes? Pregnant virgins? Men walking on water? It's about time for you to grow up...
@TC
LOL so instead of providing evidence of harm, you plug your ears and keep up your complete red herring attack of atheism, not to mention non-sequitur.
@ answer – the fact that you Hate is the problem. We don't hate you, we pity you and your arrogant beliefs that you think you can with certainty know there is no spiritual world.
Most atheists educated? As compared to theologians and scientists who have faith, atheists are toddlers in the intellectual world. Your belief and thoughts are illogical and assumptive arrogance.
No TC, it is we 'atheists' who pity you.
You're dying a slow death. And it is funny to watch the process. I for one enjoy that your kind are in misery but I still do try to give you a few crumbs of advice. Now and then that is. XD
TC
I am extensively educated and have an IQ well over 150. I am quite sure you are closer to the definition of moron than I
You think that because YOU think something is immoral , then it IS immoral...typical christian hypocrit.
There is nothing inherently wrong with adult films... If there is , try to intelligently explain it to me.
How is it harmful?
"Most atheists educated? As compared to theologians and scientists who have faith, atheists are toddlers in the intellectual world"
Your delusions about scientists having faith is laughable... Just more proof that you have a complete disconnect with reality. I really feel sorry for you and hope you can get help and attain happiness sometime in your life.
TC: You are a pompous F nut. Now, get back on your knees and wait for Jesus's second coming
TC: As opposed to the arrogant yheists who feel they know the mind of god?
yheists = theists
Study upon study show that p.orn is harmful and addicting. If I were the owner of a hotel, I would not want to be responsible for providing something to my customers that has the potential of being this harmful. I don't think anyone is saying there should be a law against providing this in hotels but hopefully owners will make a choice...their choice to not provide this.
The Christian author was chairman of NOM (National Organization for Marriage) which exists solely to lobby government to maintain limited equality to gays, a class of people Christians hate. Being concerned about what hotels offer is just a veneer to add an illusion of respectability to raw Christian hate.
Study upon study show that salt can be harmful and addicting.
Study upon study show that sugar can be harmful and addicting.
Study upon study show that chocolate can be harmful and addicting.
Study upon study show that drinking to much water can be harmful.
Study upon study show that asprin can be harmful.
Study upon study show that greasy food can be harmful and addicting.
Study upon study show that skydiving can be harmful and addicting.
Study upon study show that driving a car can be harmful and addicting...
Bravo to the hotels that have raised their standards and are not offering TV garbage to their customers.
Most TV is garbage. Now time to remove the garbage in the hotel drawer
At least the book in drawer has some thought put to it unlike atheist agendas. Biggest lie and pile of trash is the arrogance of a people who think they can speak for others' spiritual experiences.
LOl oh yeah the religious dont have an agenda LOL Get a clue. Religious people are continuing to propogate a lie..
Hopefully, they'll start removing the garbage the "gideons" leave in the nightstand drawers.
"Biggest lie and pile of trash is the arrogance of a people who think they can speak for others' spiritual experiences."
Which is exactly what theists are doing, d bag
Ah yes, the non-garbage of Jersey Shore, Real Housewives of Wherever, Teen Mom, Toddlers and Tiaras... need I go on? Yes, there is good programming on TV, but the vast majority is aimed at the "belowest" common denominator, and is unviewable by anyone with a shred of intelligence. I personally have no interest in viewing adult material, but as long as it's no accessible by children, it should be available for adults to view if they wish. It's not as if viewing it were a condition of renting the room.
Just because your book of "truth" doesn't allow for it, doesn't mean that you need to impose your beLIEf on everyone else who stays at the hotel. They are just jealous that their religion doesn't allow it, so they don't want anyone else to be able to watch it.
Religion would be #2. Absence of faith and failure to practice love would be #1
If you don't like it....don't watch it....that simple....
Absence in faith in what, A 2,000 year old book? How is using common sense a problem?
Using common sense? Is that what you call atheism? Its the most illogical set of beliefs on the planet. And if humans had common sense then we would easily recognize that p or n is harmful for us regardless of belief.
Who cares what a muzzy thinks? They should have no say about anything in the US or elsewhere in civilized world until they stop living in the 7th century.
Christians fit that description too... Except it's more like the 4th century for them...
Oh yes Christians in control. They want to fence in gay people until they die, but Christian are humane, after all they'll feed them.
Keep it to yourself, Jesus' truth is the same yesterday, as it is today, as it will be tomorrow. His truth is for eternity (for the carnally minded and spiritually challenged ... all time). Because you've never read His truth, or, if you did, do not comprehend His truth, means you remain ignorant about what He teaches.
@HeavenSent
Scream all you want. That "truth" is the same garbage as it was yesterday. It is just your claim. No proof.
The problem is fundamentalism. Whatever flavor – Christian/Muslim/Scientology/etc. – fundamentalism is the absolute enemy of society because it demands followers surrender their intellects and individuality to join. And all because fundamentalist leaders believe everyone – except the leaders of course – are too stupid to possibly make decisions for themselves.
Ultimately though, fundamentalist leaders always prove themselves to be corrupt, non-creative, ignorant, and lustful of anything walking by, and largely irrelevant except to their followers and whoever the fundamentalist leaders choose to attack with their followers.
This is classic behavior – all fundamentalist gatherings must have an enemy. No creating a more tolerant society or striving to better understand the world. Nope. Fundamentalists have to FIGHT something. In this case it is Hotel po.rn, but in actuality it is anything or anyone not blindly following the angry fundamentalists...
I heard somewhere that the average viewing time for these movies is about 17 minutes.....
12 minutes according to a study published in Time.
50 percent of their guests purchase it, and it accounts for nearly 70 percent of their in-room profits. Translation: it ain't going away.
15 minutes if you have stop pause and rewind capabilities.... otherwise its probably shorter lol
When one person suffers from a delusion, it's called 'insanity'... When many people suffer from a delusion, it's called 'religion'.
When people suffer from arrogance of knowing others' spiritual lives it's called narcissism and atheism.
"When people suffer from arrogance of knowing others' spiritual lives it's called narcissism and atheism."
Narcissism is when people think they're better than others simply because they subscribe to a set of beliefs... even though that set of beliefs has been proven to be mindless fiction... Atheism is the by-product of one's desire and ability to think for oneself... Sorry, you fail on both counts.
Don't think so – atheist agenda is an epic fail – you think you can speak to spiritual experiences. Arrogance and praise to self.
"Don't think so – atheist agenda is an epic fail – you think you can speak to spiritual experiences."
Atheist agenda is one that allows pople to think for themselves rather than accept fictional fairy tales as reality... maybe this is why atheists make more money, are happier, have lower crime rates, lower STD rates, and lower teen-pregnancy rates than believers... Sorry, but organized religion is the epic fail, and every day, more and more people ar realizing it... You're a dinosaur.
TC Sounds like a 7 year old with his posts. "Nuh uh, you fail I don't, Nuh uh, Nuh uh", Kind of funny to watch, but sad to see that this is all he can do.
Hmm looks like TC has a bit of an inferiority complex. Dont worry kiddo you can keep believing in the spaghetti monster. The rest of us who are educated will be here to welcome you when you admit the truth...something you alreday know but cant admit. I know its hard,,but youll come around.
Keep it to yourself... hit the nail on the head.... "organized religion is the epic fail,"
It's not the religion itself, but the organization that relinquishes power to the few and make the many as downtrodden as possible.
Jesus did not abuse others, but the leaders of "his" religion have for centuries.
TC, it must be exhausting to be you. It takes a lot of energy to hold on to that level of willful ignorance.