The owner of a British hotel has replaced the Gideon Bibles normally stocked in guest rooms with copies of Fifty Shades of Grey, the erotic bestseller.
Jonathan Denby, owner of the Damson Dene Hotel in Crosthwaite, England, said he replaced the bibles with copies of E.L. James' erotic novel because he decided the Bibles were "wholly inappropriate" for bedrooms in a secular society, NBC News has reported.
"I was thinking originally of putting in a book by Ayn Rand— Atlas Shrugged was my first thought," Denby said. "(But) because everybody is reading 'Fifty Shades of Grey,' we thought it would be a hospitable thing to do, to have this available for our guests, especially if some of them were a little bit shy about buying it because of its reputation."
Local Reverend Michael Woodcock, who oversees services at St. Mary's Parish Church, was reportedly dismayed by the hotelier's decision. Denby intends to keep some copies of the bible available at the reception area for guests.