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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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Atheists are caught in a trap.
They say they hate it when the religious "force their agenda on us" but they do also?
Many atheists wish to force everyone(those who did nothing) to follow their own agenda.They pride themselves and it blinds them.
"Many atheists wish to force everyone(those who did nothing) to follow their own agenda."
You're right, to a point... The atheist agenda is asking others to think for themselves... Are you implying that's a bad thing??
Agreed, many atheists are bigger hypocrites than they allege religious believers to be because they refuse any form of dialogue and just dismiss those who don't think like they do.
Oh, the irony.
Dude, are you high? What has atheism got to do with this. If anything, this would make a republican have fits. Religion is trying to influence the one true religion: capitalism. You can't let god interfere with the free market!
I don't want you to force your religion on me. You don't want me to stop you from forcing your religion on me. Is that the same?
America is all about freedom.
So...which My Little Pony is your favorite? C'mon, it's ok to admit you love ponies, it's cool these days.
"trap" LOL. Religion fears atheism because we advocate thinking for ourselves
Yes, when i went to atheist site – they fight each other – they mocked John w Loftus (ex-minister become atheist) cause he has different opinion from the other atheist
I'm sorry you have exceed the trolling limit for this board. Please come up with a new name and try again.
No. You're free to practice your delusions in the privacy of your own home, and sacrifice to your angry gods in your own back yard.
If a person speaks about their faith ut! It offends the atheists and want the gov't to make a law saying they can't.
I fear nothing and most atheists don't use the type of logic of they boast about.Its a scam to attack the "Theist".'
How about what others while many believers don't do? Atheists want to silence anybody but their big delusion is that..every believer is the same.
Even atheists try and force atheistic views into gov't ignoring "freedom of religion" that we all have.
Don't like it? Ahhh go cry now..
How about this.... Atheist are just humans like the rest of us. Almost always declaring that peace and tolerance first starts when opposing views are silenced.
If the hotels put Bibles in the night stands and po'rn on the tubes, notice it is only those at the extremes who ever have issues with either of these.
Keep it to yourself... Too bad you hold that lie that Christians don't think for ourselves near and dear to your heart. Fact is, we do. We just have one thing in common, that being Jesus. What do the atheists have in common? Oh, yes, they whine and complain when they don't get their way ... aka melt down, they swear and berate others for posting their opinion.
"If a person speaks about their faith ut! It offends the atheists and want the gov't to make a law saying they can't."
Wrong, you can't pass a law to make people have common sense and develop critical thinking. And by the way, I'm an atheist and I support capitalism and the free market. Capitalism is the logical outcome of individual freedom.
"Oh, yes, they whine and complain when they don't get their way ... aka melt down, they swear and berate others for posting their opinion."
that log in your eye is huge! What a hypocrite.
I should keep it to myself and only do it at home?
Take your own advice.
"The atheist agenda is asking others to think for themselves..."
After many years of discussing and debating with religionists (I am an ex-Christian myself but I graduated to Gnosticism), I found that there is one characteristic they almost universally share: A complete and utter inability/unwillingness to think for themselves.
That's why they are religionists. They either can't or don't want to think for themselves but would rather have the industrialized orthodoxy do their thinking for them.
If you religious nutjobs don't like watching p0rnography just close your eyes, plug your ears, and think of Jesus just like you did back in high school during science class.
We have an off switch – use it
Can you also tell the Evangelical Atheist to just keep the drawer with the Bibles closed as well, while you are off on your tangent.
Who cares what a bunch of religious freaks think?
About as much as what atheistic freaks think.
People clearly care when the actions of 'religious freaks' materially impacts the lives of others.
CARNAL
For phony heavensent to be hijacking my handle means I must have twisted your illogical statement again while you were using one of your numerous dummy handles. Explain again why you are just making fun of me and has nothing to do with you can dish it out, but, you can't take it when I prove your logic to be flawed in one ridiculous post after another. I would call that excuses, excuses.
And by the way, yes, this is carnal.
Amen.
Yes, indeed phony is miffed because I answered another one of her dummy handles and didn't like my response. Talk about temper tantrums.
This is still very carnal.
real heavenspent
you have never PROVEN anyones logic to be faulty. You don't know what logic is.
was this before they watched or after . ha ha
Another attempt to make our country a theocracy. We have freedom of (and from) religion so stop trying to push your archaic bigoted views on us and just go away. All you seem to want to do lately is criticize others and take away freedoms and rights. America is getting tired of it.
Nothing Archaic or bigoted about it.
Yeah, just like Obamacare. Zealots are forcing me to have health insurance.
judy, religion is both, archaic and bigoted.
@steelerguin – you're right. You shouldn't have to buy insurance, or pay a fine for not having it.
As long as you agree that if you get sick or injured, and can't afford to pay for your treatment, in full, in advance, that you have the decency to go die in your home. And it means you have the balls to look your kid in the eye when they have acute appendicitis, and tell them that they are going to die a horrible painful death because daddy was too cheap to buy into the insurance market.
Sound fair to you?
I will argue for conservative values such as being fiscally responsible till I'm blue in the face, but this has to be the dumbest thing ever! It's my right to give into temptation or to avoid it! Leave consenting adults alone!
Hmmm....if you want to ban adult fare from the hotels in the name of your religion, then I should be free to demand they ban the bibles that keep showing up in the rooms too.
Here's a thought....keep your religion out of my hotel room, and I'll refrain from banning any and all tax advantages your religion enjoys. Just wondering, which of your 10 commandments forbids hotel adult fare? Which teachings of your prophet did he utter that says no adult viewing in hotel rooms?
Adultery.
Yet Christians cheat on each other all the time.....go figure.
Christians cheating on each other, doesn't suddenly make it right. It isn't about what Christians think is right, it is about what fundamentally is right. Truth is not relative.
@Judy,
Agreed, but which is worse: a married man on the road watching p0rn, or the same man bringing a ho-oker back to his hotel room because the p0rn was taken away?
Good post. these people are outrageous
Having the bib le in every hotel's nightstand does more harm than people watching skin flicks. Incest, murder, exploitation, slavery, racism is all featured as acceptable in that book.
That's not true, God punished Moses' siblings for holding it against him that he took a black wife.
@Tim,
really? An inert book of fiction lying in a drawer does harm? How do you reason that exactly?
"It sounds good and all, but it isn’t going to happen.”
That about sums it up. The hotels make WAY too much money on them, so, forget it.....
Someone should tell these "religious" fascists that there is an on/off switch on the tv and lo and behold you can even turn the channel.
They know that the believers are the (mostly) the ones watching the p0rn. They know that the believers are incapable of reaching for the off switch.
I'd rather hotels burn all the Bibles in every dresser. I'd like an intolerance free-room when I travel
@Paul,
how deliciously ironic. 'Let me demonstrate my tolerance by burning bibles.'
If you want to rail against intolerance, demonstrate tolerance.
Religious people are selfish. Force me to think like you do by banning everything somebody else told you was bad. Mind your own business and go away. The only reason you exist is because the media keeps you alive. Religion is dead.
No more selfish than non-believers forcing their agenda. Don't be a hypocrite.
exactly like you are doing right now?!
steelerguin
Where are the atheists forcing themselves on anyone?
Those crazy atheists need to stop knocking on my door and offering me science and logic and shit.
Amen to that. Until someone invents a television set that gets multiple channels and/or can be turned off if you don't feel like watching it, religion is our only line of defense from having to watch p0rnographic movies 24/7 while on vacation.
Seriously! When are they going to make tv's that you can turn the channel if you don't like what's on? Jesus!
I like what you did there.
Ditto, what Blunt said.
I know! When I'm traveling, there's the TV with just one channel of nonstop porn, and all I can do the whole time I'm in the room is hold the bible up in front of my face and yell psalms to block it out.
So let me get this straight – there are people going to bed hungry, unable to afford quality healthcare, unemployed, etc. and these two men are worried about a traveling business person watching an adult movie?
Agreed. The Judeo-Xtian (including Islam which started out as a Xtian sect) "churches" are continually sticking their nose into other folks business. As a religious NPO they are forbidden to interfere as a "church" in politics. Yet they continually spread their crap outside the church doors.
What is needed is a monitoring system that can pull the NPO status of any religious body caught engaging in in political discussion including attempts to influence legislation or the election process. The laws are already there. What is needed in enforcement of that law..
Why isn't that guy in the picture bopping his baloney? Maybe the movie is no good?
Yea, must that new Octomom one.
Have you ever seen "Who's Nailin' Pailin?" Great flick.
A classic.
i love it! keep trying to force your archaic beliefs on society - and then wonder why the pews are empty on sunday. good bye, religion. LOL!
So the objectification of of your fellow human beings is okay by your standard? Nice
Religious Scholars? Army Intelligence? Jumbo Shrimp?
Compassionate conservative... Fox News... Christian Science...
Religious right.... moral majority.... republican think tank.... hot water heater.
Two words BIGOTED IDIOTS!
Bigoted? LOL..Why, because they're telling you that your pron habit is unhealthy? Spoken like a true addict!
When I was alive, the first thing I did after checking into my hotel room, was throw Gideon's bibble into the hallway with the other leftover food trays.
If the real Christopher Hitchens did that I would be very surprised.
I very much doubt he was afraid of a work of fiction lying in a drawer.
has more to do with good taste than fear.
Christopher would have said "Oh I've read that."
So if you wanted to have a conversation about it you religious dolts would get your b-u-t-t-s handed back to you.
@Bootyfunk No it doesn't. If that were the case they would simply ignore it rather than ban it so that others are forced to be like them. It's irrational and super selfish.
He probably played the "Hide the bible" game like I do. Check out hidethebible.com.
I don't want to look where you hid that.