Is it time to take Gideons Bibles out of hotel rooms?

One hotel replaced the bible with Fifty Shades of Grey.
One hotel replaced the bible with Fifty Shades of Grey. Photo credit: Getty/Newshub.

In hotel rooms around the world, there's a handful of things your room will have when you check-in - shampoo, soap, a hairdryer and a copy of the Gideons Bible.

But there are calls to have them removed.

A Pew Research survey in 2006 showed that 95 percent of US hotels had a bible on-hand next to the bed.

However, a survey from the same organisation in 2017 said that number had dropped to 79 percent, with "millennial apathy" being blamed for the decrease.

Recently, Travelodge in the UK removed bibles from all of their hotel rooms across the country. They said having a bible no longer reflected Britain's "multicultural society".

The Church of England described the Travelodge decision as 'tragic' and 'bizarre'.

Taking things a little further, the Damson Dene Hotel - also in the UK - replaced its copies of the bible with copies of Fifty Shades of Grey.

Gideons International was set up in 1899 and since then has distributed free copies of the bible across the world.

The most common places you'll find them are at medical facilities, schools, prisons, and of course in the top drawer next to your bed at a hotel.

On a recent visit to Las Vegas, I knew I was in Sin City as there were bibles in every drawer - including in the bathroom.

Travellers have used Gideons Bibles as a way of spreading their own, different message - some of which have been immortalised on social meida.

One had been personally signed by someone purporting to be Jesus Christ himself, however the identity of the writer hasn't been verified.

Alistair Coleman attached a spoiler alert to his copy of the bible: "He dies in the end - but there's a twist!"

And Daniel Witthaus found a brochure for the musical Priscilla, Queen of the Desert in his copy.

There are also numerous unconfirmed stories of people finding hundreds, even tens of thousands of dollars hidden inside a bible in their hotel room.

It's estimated Gideons International produces 45 million bibles every year.

Newshub.