Bible in Hotels, standard facility in Western hotel?

Bible in Hotels, standard facility in Western hotel?
Mar 11, 2007 22:07
MAY001 Points: Join Date: Sep 28, 2005 Status: offline	Read a piece of news at China Daily. Hotels in Beijing should provide Bibles for foreign visitors during the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games, a Chinese political adviser said. "The majority of the foreign visitors expected during the 2008 Games have religious beliefs, and we should cater to their needs," said Liu Bainian, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC). Liu, vice-president of the China Patriotic Catholic Association, said on Thursday the service could also help clear up foreigners' misunderstandings about China in terms of religion. He added that the Bible is a must at hotel rooms in foreign countries, especially in Europe. Beijing is expected to receive about 500,000 to 550,000 overseas visitors during the 29th Summer Olympiad, which opens on August 8, 2008 and will run until August 24. Liu said authorities should encourage local Christians to donate Bibles for temporary use during the Games, after which they would be returned. "The China Patriotic Catholic Association could also help collect Bibles," he said. Zhang Liwei, vice-secretary of the Christian Amity Foundation, which operates the country's sole Bible printing house, told China Daily that his foundation would try its best to meet demand. According to Zhang, the Bible is published in Chinese and English in China, as well as in eight ethnic minority languages including Miao and Korean. At least 40 million copies of the Bible have been distributed across the Chinese mainland since 1980, said Cao Shengjie, president of the China Christian Council. Around 2.5 million copies of the Bible have been published in China annually over the past decade, said Cao. The Bible first arrived in China 1,500 years ago, while the first Chinese-language edition appeared in the early 19th century. The Protestant church on the Chinese mainland is one of the fastest growing in the world today, with the number of Christians having reached more than 16 million and still growing fast. The country also has more than 5 million Catholics. The Chinese capital currently has over 700 star-rated hotels and the number is expected to reach 800, with 130,000 rooms, before the Olympics, tourism authorities said. Besides star-rated hotels, Beijing has more than 4,000 non-rated ones that can be upgraded.

Mar 11, 2007 22:07

MAY001
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Join Date: Sep 28, 2005
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Read a piece of news at China Daily.

Hotels in Beijing should provide Bibles for foreign visitors during the upcoming Beijing Olympic Games, a Chinese political adviser said. "The majority of the foreign visitors expected during the 2008 Games have religious beliefs, and we should cater to their needs," said Liu Bainian, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC).

Liu, vice-president of the China Patriotic Catholic Association, said on Thursday the service could also help clear up foreigners' misunderstandings about China in terms of religion.

He added that the Bible is a must at hotel rooms in foreign countries, especially in Europe.

Beijing is expected to receive about 500,000 to 550,000 overseas visitors during the 29th Summer Olympiad, which opens on August 8, 2008 and will run until August 24.

Liu said authorities should encourage local Christians to donate Bibles for temporary use during the Games, after which they would be returned.

"The China Patriotic Catholic Association could also help collect Bibles," he said.

Zhang Liwei, vice-secretary of the Christian Amity Foundation, which operates the country's sole Bible printing house, told China Daily that his foundation would try its best to meet demand.

According to Zhang, the Bible is published in Chinese and English in China, as well as in eight ethnic minority languages including Miao and Korean.

At least 40 million copies of the Bible have been distributed across the Chinese mainland since 1980, said Cao Shengjie, president of the China Christian Council. Around 2.5 million copies of the Bible have been published in China annually over the past decade, said Cao.

The Bible first arrived in China 1,500 years ago, while the first Chinese-language edition appeared in the early 19th century.

The Protestant church on the Chinese mainland is one of the fastest growing in the world today, with the number of Christians having reached more than 16 million and still growing fast.

The country also has more than 5 million Catholics.

The Chinese capital currently has over 700 star-rated hotels and the number is expected to reach 800, with 130,000 rooms, before the Olympics, tourism authorities said.

Besides star-rated hotels, Beijing has more than 4,000 non-rated ones that can be upgraded.

Mar 11, 2007 22:13	#1
MAY001 Points: Join Date: Sep 28, 2005 Status: Offline	A note: The hotel here means the appointed hotels serving overseas tourists. Is it true that European hotels offer Bible in their rooms? What if the guest doesn't believe in? Is it just a over consideration of some Chinese so-called experts? Or it is good that Chinese hotels should make Bible a must for catering overseas tourist?

Mar 12, 2007 00:14

CHRISWAUGHBJ
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Join Date: Feb 26, 2007
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I think it is just "over consideration of some Chinese so-called experts". I don't know how common it is for hotel rooms in western countries to have bibles, but I certainly disagree with this suggestion. The Olympics involve people from the whole world, including all of China. If you're going to put bibles in hotel rooms to satisfy Christians, then what are you doing for Muslims, Jews, Buddhists, Taoists, Hindus, Jains, Parsis, Rastafarians, or the millions of other adherents of other religions? If we follow this logic, the hotel rooms will be so stuffed with scriptures there'll be no room for the tourists!

This strikes me as being two things:
1: a Chinese person bowing and scraping at the West's feet. I can't stand that!
2: a Chinese person confusing the West with the whole world outside China. The world is much bigger than that!

I hope BOCOG ignores this suggestion, and I hope visitors with religious beliefs take care of their own needs.

Mar 13, 2007 01:11	#3
MAY001 Points: Join Date: Sep 28, 2005 Status: Offline	Yes, Chris. I can't agree you more. I will write a letter to BOCOG to express our worries. :)

Mar 13, 2007 05:46

JABAROOTOO
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Join Date: Jul 4, 2005
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This is an interesting proposal.

While it is common for hotels in predominantly Christian countries to have a bible in hotel rooms, surely it is not necessary for China to go to all this effort to appear to be tolerant. I agree with your Chris, if the government is going to cater to one, then they should cater to all.
It is enough to allow believers to freely bring thier own bibles or alternative scriptures for personal use into the country - and this is already possible.

What a job to collect them, distribute and later collect again.

Mar 18, 2007 14:01

APAULT
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Join Date: Mar 11, 2006
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I agree with you all. It is not necessary to provide bibles, - judging by the newness of the ones I have seen in hotel rooms, they are notthat well used anyway. Let them bring their own bible, koran, or torah etc according to taste!

To be honest, it is far more important if the hotels would understand the importance of cold beer* and serve it cold (except keep a few warm ones for the British visitors!)

* Cold: All cold drinks should be served at a maximum of 4C - all the year round (not 10C that many places told me is what they keep their drink fridge at)

Mar 24, 2007 19:39	#6
CHYNAGYRL Points: Join Date: Aug 16, 2006 Status: Offline	APAULT has the best idea :-) I think the BOCOG doesn't really understand Western society. They don't need to put a Bible in every hotel room to make foreigners happy. If China does that, they're going to become more and more like Canada -- forcing the majority to bend over backwards (and renounce their own practices) to make the minority comfortable.

Mar 26, 2007 12:08

SANYACHINA
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Join Date: Mar 26, 2007
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"Is it true that European hotels offer Bible in their rooms?"

No. Some countries in Europe as Turkey (partly in Europe) and Albania are not Christian countries. Also other Christian countries have no Bibles in every hotel.

"What if the guest doesn't believe in?"

May be the guest will just don't use it. Every day we are looking at so many books, but we do not read every book. Bible is for people who believe in the Jewish-Roman stories.

"Is it just a over consideration of some Chinese so-called experts? Or it is good that Chinese hotels should make Bible a must for catering overseas tourist?"

According to the Chinese law, Chinese people posses the freedom to BELIEVE or DO NOT BELIEVE. So, the foreigners can believe or do not believe.
I think, they have to provide NOT ONLY Christian, but also:
-Islamic
-Buddist and other religion books. Communist books as well! Because I don't think that Jesus Christ is more important than Buddha, Mohamed or Karl Marx, Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Lenin.

Mar 26, 2007 12:16	#8
SANYACHINA Points: Join Date: Mar 26, 2007 Status: Offline	"APAULT has the best idea :-) I think the BOCOG doesn't really understand Western society." But there will be not only Western society.May be if we collect the guests from Japan, Koreas, Middle Asia, etc they will be the almost the same number as the guests from the West.

Mar 29, 2007 10:18	#9
LIONPOWER Points: Join Date: Dec 11, 2006 Status: Offline	So we are all at a point- " No Bible required in Hotel room". Right?

Mar 29, 2007 20:27	#10
MAY001 Points: Join Date: Sep 28, 2005 Status: Offline	Yes, Sharif. The same question I hold...

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