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Yes, they have filed a complaint. And may file a lawsuit.
"We atheists and agnostics do not appreciate paying high prices for lodging, only to find Gideon Bibles in our hotel rooms, sometimes prominently displayed, knowing they contain instructions, for instance, to kill 'infidels' and 'blasphemers', among other primitive and dangerous teachings," says Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) co-president Dan Barker.
The hotel, or lodge, is owned by the University of Wisconsin. The Bibles had been given to the hotel by the Gideons, whose mission is to give away Bibles.
The Bibles have now been removed, but the University and the atheists may have a problem with this particular prohibition.
The FFRF attorney has also said, "As you may know, the mission of the Gideons is to 'win the lost to Christ'. The Gideons' efforts to proselytize have frequently brought about conflict with non-religious persons from minority faiths."
FFRF Co-President Dan Barker would know a great deal about the wonderful work of the Gideons. Barker himself was an evangelical minister before deciding he was an atheist.
The complaint says the offended lodge guest "encountered" a Bible in their room.
Todd Starnes with Fox News says, "Oh horror! The unidentified guest was apparently terrified by the presence of the Holy Bible and with trembling fingers contacted FFRF."
Starnes says, "It's quite astonishing that a group of educated individuals are so frightened by the Good Book. There's really nothing to be afraid of. There have been no confirmed reports of conversions through osmosis. It's not like the atheists and agnostics are going to spontaneously combust upon reading the book of John."
Well, you say, if the hotel or lodge is owned by the University of Wisconsin, then the Bibles must be removed---separation of church and state. Right?
Wrong.
Hiram Sasser, director of litigation for Liberty Institute, told Starnes the University is actually engaging in "unlawful viewpoint discrimination and demonstrating complete hostility toward religious freedom."
He says, "They are treating the Bible like it is contraband. The law is clear, once the university allowed the Gideons to place the Bibles, the University cannot now ban the Bibles because of their religious message."
So where are the Bibles now? Did they dispose of them---incinerate them?
Starnes asked the University what they did with them. They told him they are "hidden behind the hotel's registration counter."
I suppose that could be considered the ultimate act of hiding your "light" under a bushel. But this scheme to snuff out the light may well run into some legal challenges.
Clearly these folks do not represent more than a very, very small segment of our society. However, they are continuing to demand, with results, the removal of Bibles and any other Christian symbols and references from any and all properties considered "government property."
Oh how we've "evolved."
George Washington felt the Bible was so important to the future success and prosperity of this nation he placed his hand on the Bible when he was sworn in as the first President of the United States.
He also said, "It is impossible to rightly govern the world without God and the Bible."
I suspect that statement would terrify an atheist.
Noah Webster, considered by most to be the father of what we know as public education, also felt the Bible shouldn't be hidden behind the registration counter. He said, "Education is useless without the Bible."
President Harry Truman, a Democrat, said, "The fundamental basis of our nation's laws was given to Moses on the Mount. The fundamental basis of our Bill of Rights comes from the teachings we get from Exodus and Saint Matthew, from Isaiah and Saint Paul. I don't think we emphasize that enough these days. If we don't have a proper fundamental moral background, we will end up with a totalitarian government which does not believe in rights for any body except the State."
What are we thinking?
Be Vigilant. Be Discerning. Be Informed. Be Prayerful. Be Pro-Active. Be Blessed.