The Belief It Or Not Podcast: Ep. 140 - The Gideons International 

They handed these out at my Christian school. They immedietly got yeeted. I think a lot of them ended up littering the school grounds. Reading mine closely is what turned me off religion, so thank you, Gideons International!

The gideon Bible is usually in the nightstand drawer. We got mini Bibles. It had the New Testament and Psalms, plus John 3:16 in like a zillion languages. I loved that multi language part. My mini Bibles all fell apart there because I’d leaf through it during chapel services, comparing all the alphabets and grammars. It started a love of languages, then human history, then earth’s history…oh wait, the earth is way older than 6,000 years…. I guess…this book isn’t true? Oops. Thank you, Gideon International, for helping start me on the deconversion road. 😍

Trevor seem to be more confident laterly which is honestly great. Whether it's more experience, less personal troubles or better anxiety pills - I'm happy for him

I have a funny story about the mini bibles. I was couch surfing in Croatia and the guy I stayed with told me about how when he was in highschool they got relief packages from the Canadian Red Cross and they had the mini bibles in them that they’d used as rolling papers. I also did this at some point in highschool. We realized we were getting high with the same Canadian bibles at the same time across the world from each other. The Gideons really connecting people out there.

We always had a pile of those tiny Bibles because they are given out everywhere and we felt guilty about not keeping them but they were useless because we had plenty of complete Bibles hahaha my kid had a few too until we left the faith, it felt AMAZING to finally throw them all out HAHAHAHA!

Love it. My son's name is Gideon...back from my church days. I support you on Patreon and use your videos to help explain myself to family and friends, so thank you. I'm wondering if you've ever done anything about the whole, "It's not a religion, it's a relationship" mantra? The way I often explain my exit from the faith is by comparing it to an abusive relationship. It's hard for them to argue against someone leaving an abusive relationship...and when compared to what we as humans know about healthy relationships...that's exactly what a relationship with God is: abusive...if you can even consider it a relationship. A husband who writes a love letter to his wife on their wedding day and refuses to tell her or show her love ever again and simply refers her to his ancient letter is an abusive and unloving partner. I also use this analogy to explain why I feel okay being angry at the church (not at God, since he doesn't exist). When someone finally leaves an abusive relationship, they have the right to be mad at their abuser...and their friends and family would never tell them to go back to the unhealthy situation...and yet the families and friends of people who leave the church do this repeatedly. Not that holding on to anger is a long term solution, but it's very understandable and no one should expect them to get over it quickly. I'd be interested in seeing you explore this concept if you haven't yet. If you have, I'm sure I'll get to it sooner or later. You have quite a few I still need to watch. Thanks!

I have a raging prayer request: please do an episode on contraception, or the different religions' view thereof.

The thing about the stuff that didn't burn in Notre Dame is that you can see candles in there that didn't hadn’t melted. Sure, there were sparks and embers falling from the burning roof, but the space below evidently didn't get hot enough to melt wax so it's really no miracle that the metal and wood objects didn't melt or burn either.

Ooh, kiddo waking up in the middle of the night has me catching a new drop right away! I never knew much about the Gideons, super pumped to learn a little more

I remember every may growing up my parents attended the " Gideon banquet"🙄 at least me & my brothers could stay home alone with no babysitters. 😅

Good morning! Lovely day for a nice, early Sunday service with these guys! 🖖

Yeah I remember seeing them at hotels all the time specially more cheap hotels.

We appreciate hearing your insights. Helps us learn more in depth about religion and philosophy.

I have one of those. Mine's blue, though, and it only has the NT, plus Psalms and Proverbs. Got it from some old guy handing them out on my first day at university. I thought he was a teacher handing out some kind of student handbooks. He was not.

The pages make excellent toilet paper or for rolling smokes. Here in Australia, many hotels no longer have them in their rooms...

My first exposure to the Gideons was a reference in Mission Impossible. Jim Phelps: Of course he knew. Just *when* he knew is something of a mystery. You mind telling me, Ethan? Was it before or after I showed up in London? Ethan Hunt: Before London. But after you took the Bible from the Drake Hotel in Chicago. Jim Phelps: They stamped it, didn't they? Those damn Gideons.

Could you do a video on the freemasons? Such a creepy sounding group but my dad idolizes them because his grandpa was part of them.

You should do an episode on John MacArthur. His church has a podcast about his legacy, and they made a documentary about his church not shutting down during the pandemic.

Gideons International is also responsible for handing out Bibles every year at my secular state college. They have their members placed strategically around campus. they are soooo annoying. (they're not as annoying as the homophobic preachers, but still) they congregate the most around the dorm with the multi-cultural and LGBTQ+ floors, as well as the building for the arts, as art students at my school tend to be more LGBTQ+ supportive and agnostic/atheistic

One idea for a video (podcast or a longer video) is the topic of mass attendance being required by family/school. Can’t emphasize enough how frustrating it was to be required to(and guilted into) attend mass growing up with receiving the hidden implied message of “you better go, or else you’ll be deemed a bad person by us and you will be surrounded by brimstone and fire”.

My little Bible was handed to me at college near the bus stop. I'm writing this because I've always considered the Bible giving okay and I feel like you're about to school me on the subject so nostalgia over, let's see! Edit: and mine is green! I didn't know about the color code! I feel just like it's 1989 again!

Thanks for making the (podcast) videos. It is very amazing to me how Christian faith permeates society in the "free" United States.

You know it's going to be bad when it starts with two travelling salesmen.

when I was a kid (like 5-10) my parents went to a yearly fundraiser gala for the Gideons, and instead of getting a babysitter like a normal person they just brought me and my siblings along. They were hosted in the basement of a large local church, the food was pretty good, and there was always a speaker hired to give their testimony, usually along the lines of left the church - did drugs - hit rock bottom in a shitty hotel - found a bible in the nightstand - had a come to jesus moment. good times.

I love this podcast so much 🙌

Ugh, those damn Gideons. My dad was a Gideon when I was a kid. He used their "Bible in a year" calendar to read the Bible to us every single night. He went to their breakfasts every Saturday and sometimes he took me with him to put Bibles in hotels. Useless waste of paper and time.

Always good to see you two on a Sunday morning!

I think you guys need to talk about Awana.

I guess that one shouldn't go too far down that nostalgia road. When I was in junior high school, I went to this weird book distribution school assembly where they did this sermon and gave us these little New Testaments. Now I find out when that practice was banned, and I feel so very, very old. At least, I am young enough to brag that I never participated in public school prayer, (except in Gideon school assemblies and commencement ceremonies).

I was handed a pocket Bible by a Gideon member who was shopping at my work with his wife. Mind you, he was not there to push bibles, but when I asked about his Texas flag tie, he handed me a fucking Bible. Never in my life have I had a guest interaction so strange.

Could you imagine if fifth graders received every major holy book

"to prove to dad that I'm not a fool." ;)

Whenever I had to stay in a hotel as part of my job, I would do three things: Memorise the location of the fire exits, alarms and extinguishers. Place a bottle of Scotch on the bedside cabinet for my enjoyment later, and then pretend I was a spy. I would search through every piece of furniture as if looking for an electronic listening device. If I found a Gideons, I would spend my evenings pasting the pages together with PVA glue, drinking scotch and watching movies. Good times.

you guys! I love mewithoutyou! that is such a solid reference, from one of their best albums. the earlier ones that confront their faith and all that. so good. Love you boys. Y'all sharing things that line up with my life in such weird ways

The Bible is a test of a reader's ability to distinguish between reality and make believe.

Yeah, they usually contain the New Testament and Psalms and Proverbs, and that's it.

28:08 he still is the singer of Stryper

One day a group of creepy men stood right outside my middle school, around a corner out of sight of campus and also the road, handing these bibles out to children going home. The vibes were terrifying

Rocky Raccoon, checked into his room…… Only to find Gideon's Bible

I just started my collection when I travel. So far I picked up one bible. But there will be more. Picking up after them is the least I can do.

No Safeway, but I loved that grocery store!

I remember them ALWAYS being in every motel and hotel room, usually in or on the bedside table. I should have thriwn it away every time.

In retrospect as an ex-van, it's funny that the evangelicals just assume that leaving Bibles in hotel rooms will convert people to their particular and exclusive brand of Christianity, when it's such a weird and ungainly collection you really have to cherry-pick for their message

Speaking of bibles and salesmen, have y’all watched the 1968 (sometimes listed as 1969) fascinating documentary “The Salesman” ? It a treat!! It follows a troop of door to door Bible salesmen and uncovers. their unscrupulous sales tactics and woes. Best yet, it’s free to watch here on YT.

I remember getting a permission slip to be given a bible in school (5th grade, ayyy) and immediately tossing it. Found out after I was the only that did lmao

31:15 Just what I was waiting to her! Thanks, Trevor 👍

I went to a secular Canadian elementary school. Somehow they were allowed to come in and give all of us Grade 5 children copies of the Gideon New Testament (even though I thought religion was supposed to stay out of public schools). The edition they gave us has this section in the back with suggested Bible verses to look at when you’re in certain hard situations. Want to know what verse they point you to if you’re considering su*c*de? The one that tells you that if you do that you’ll go to hell. Lovely message to send to LITERAL CHILDREN.

So I was raised Lutheran, and I remember the Gideon Bible people coming to our church and giving a talk about the org and how they work - the Men Only thing was not mentioned, nor was it distinguished that women could only serve in the Auxiliary Corp - they did not give the congregation any bibles to pass out - they both had full sized bibles, not one of the mini books -the majority of the talk / sermon was about people who had rented a room specifically to off themselves, found a bible, and decided to keep living - HUGE focus on saving people in their hour of dispare, like daymn do that many people get found in hotels??? Anyway like I said, no bibles were given to the congregation. Instead, they encouraged the congregants to carry their own personal bible with them while traveling, check hotel rooms for bibles, and either trade their bible with the hotel bible or leave their bible there if there is no bible. This seems to me like an attempt to get people to do ALL the work for them, sidestepping the law because if it's individuals placing bibles then there's no org to send a cease and desist about it. I was 7 at the time, took my picture book bible with me on a trip after that, and left it in a hotel room. I feel bad for whomever found it, I blacked out all the eyes in the book with a sharpie. It probably was really creepy to flip thru. 😂

I remember getting one of the little red bibles in school. I remember getting it, going "wtf is this?" and putting it in my book bag. I don't remember ever seeing it again after that.

Gideons started their mission to put a Bible in every hotel room, because of... Traveling salesmen. Yep. Those salesmen weren't going to church. 🥺 they didn't have a good reputation. The Gideons decided they should put a Bible in every hotel room so that these salesmen would be able to be reading the Bible in between sales. Instead of carousing. The Gideons just decided that everybody needs a Bible because... Everybody needs a Bible. 🙄

(Laura Mellin) OMG! Someone else who signs bibles “from Jesus”! I usually write a message, like “love one another (and you know what I mean ;)), Jesus”. But it varies. I also add all the verses about giving up your wealth and praying in secret to the list of “suggested verses” at the front.

Maybe you could do a video about the international mission board (imb)

Once in a while some old men will stake out the campus street corners and hand out Gideon bibles. I always just say that I already got one, which is technically true: I took one home from church years and years ago. It's still in a drawer under the bookshelf where I keep my J.R.R. Tolkien, H.P. Lovecraft, and Attack on Titan volumes-- all much better reading.

I remember getting handed one at my high school because I was a goth and "I needed it the most".

I know Encyclopedia CDROMS are not the focus of this video, but we had COMPTON'S INTERACTIVE ENCYCLOPEDIA, and the tutorial starred our lord & savior, Captain Picard himself - Sir Patrick Stewart. Anyway, I LIVED on that program in 1996, and it was maybe the best piece of educational content you could have handed a kid with ADHD in the mid 90's

I used to work at a hotel. The owner would happily take as many Gideon bibles as they were willing to give us. And as soon as they left, she’d toss them in the dumpster. Apparently muslims aren’t fond of keeping piles of New Testaments on their property.

My friends used to vandalize those free hotel bibles whenever we stayed somewhere!

Always a great way to start the day! Have you ever done an episode on why people feel the need to believe in god? This is something that has always perplexed me and made me wonder what I'm missing. I get that it brings people comfort when a loved one dies (because it's hard to grasp that they are no longer there), but what else is there besides fear of death? Easy answers to hard questions? A need to feel superior to other people? A guidebook on how to live your life? I guess it's probably all of the above, but what am I missing? None of that describes the devotion to a deity and reverence for a historical figure that doesn't make sense to someone on the outside. I've spent a lot of my life trying to understand this, I've gone to different churches and bible studies with friends, attended youth groups and even took a Bible as Literature class and have had in-depth conversations with people from different religions, but I still don't get the draw. What I've mostly come to see is that people don't like to think about why they believe what they believe, but how do they have such conviction about something they've never really questioned? It just doesn't make sense to me.

Love the pro-women bit about uteruses and driving busses ❤️ thanks for pushing back on an idiotic statement

I know several people in the organization and have seen the application form for both men and women. I don’t know if it’s still the same, but they ask three questions you must say yes to before they let you join. 1. Do you believe the bible is the inerrant word of god? 2. Do you believe marriage is between only a man and a woman? 3. Are you a business man? Also, yeah, you can only join the women’s group if your husband joins the main group. He can do it without his wife, but she can’t do it without him.

I keep my gideon's by my bed if case I ever need some emergency rolling papers

I travel a lot for work and look for these goofy things. I have found they aren't as common as I thought, at least in Alaska. I rate the hotels without them higher than the others.

28:50 Do you pray with it like on the side or do you cover yourself in it and then pray?

One thing unmentioned is that Gideons International is a Textus Receptus-only group. Originally they only used the KJV but have since updated to their own version of the ESV based on the KJV text.

Dude it would be amazing if hotels supplied condoms. I'd say put them in a high place where a family staying with a kid won't be forced to explain to their toddler what the weird balloon they found was, but definitely have them somewhere in the room. Maybe in the bathroom with the other complimentary toiletries? Idk but still that sounds like it would be a great measure to protect anyone using said hotel from disease transmission and or pregnancy. *Sigh* I can dream

In Marriott hotels, there are copies of the Book of Mormon alongside the Bible.

i love how i spent the entire video wondering why i never saw one of the colorful gideons bibles, only the dark blue ones but then i realized,,,,, im brazilian,,,,, we dont speak english here so of course we'd only get the dark blue one,,,,,

I was waiting for them to get to the room... and there is only one bed. lol

"...And now Rocky Raccoon, he fell back in his room Only to find Gideon's Bible Gideon checked out and he left it no doubt To help with good Rocky's revival, ..." The Beatles

I wonder if “Little Gideon” in Gravity Falls, was a reference to those little red bibles…

We had bibles handed out during my highschool graduation in 2015 somehow. And my only though was like, imagine if an Islamic organization gave a highschool boxes of the Quran to distribute. The school board would be chased out of the county

These guys once camped outside of the student center of my university, handing out bibles to everyone entering and exiting. One day me and my friend went out if a side exit to avoid them, only to see there was ANOTHER one doing the same thing, and he caught us. These guys are kinda creepy, not gonna lie.

Was wondering what your thoughts are about religious tv shows for kids.

I dont know where i heard it, but I was told 5th graders get bibles because thats when you reach "the age of accountability"

Don't know if you talked about this before, But I find it strange how the White Christian community is almost always Republican. But the African American Christian community is usually Democrat. Even though they believe in the same God and preach the same messages. Don't know if there is a topic there or not.

Since you're looking for recommendations... I recommend reading Paradise Lost by John Milton and reporting on it. That book is the origin for most of our modern mythology about The Devil. And it's kind of nuts.

Love you guys! ❤

Got the white one from the hospital at which I was born, in Texas. 🤱so yay! 😬

One episode I'd love to see is on the "boy meets girl" and "i kissed dating goodbye" books and how they took purity culture to a new level. I know you've done one on purity culture before but not sure about those books

I want to know if Trevor or his compatriot ever went through an awkward Christian Metal or Christian Goth (or Christian Goth Metal) phase.

Well I mean the Catholics don't believe in women having autonomy over their own body but at least their romantic. 'Alright love its Wednesday night. Better not skip a load.'

“Therefore go and make disciples of all nations” -Jesus’ commandments to all his disciples *That’s what the Gideons hold up to.* They are not perfect men but they are those willing to serve God not only in their free time or holidays but also along their work. *Would you be willing to spend ur free time or weekends or office holidays or even family time(which sound extreme)for such?*

those little bibles looked funny but they came in handy, real clutch. they handed them out to us outside of school and we had an impromptu biblical battle. thank christ they had rounded edges cause we chucked those things at each other and i got pegged in the jaw and accidentally hit a passing car with one.

When I was a teen I would rip out page 666 and roll a joint with it every chance I got.

Hi! I know that you'll probably need this, but there is an evangelical channel going along- even in a gay man like me's recommendation- called Delaf Testimonies. They're homophobic, believe in conversion therapy, and have a lot of conversion stories with muslims, gays and porn addicts- most of them seeming really passive agressive and just generally awful.

7:25 420p? it’s 480p dude. someone’s been smokin’ recently.

fifth grade is puberty times, so gotta counter hormones with religion

I can't remember when I've seen a Bible in a hotel. Maybe back ten years in Berlin but not since. I also think it's a horrible idea business-wise unless they have the Quran, Torah and every other religious text in the drawer. With wifi all over it's obsolete. I do appreciate not being met with any religious symbols or book.

DUDE. I got one in fifth grade. Lmao I'm 32. Yes, they still did it in 2001..... I guess especially 2001. Also, I went to private school. I always heard it was 5th because of the "age of accountability".... 😂

Shout out to my all time favorite cinematic salesman: John Goodman in "Barton Fink". He'll show you the life of the mind!

I dunk hotel bibles in the toilet and put them in the mini-fridge freezer.

i got one the other day and im a freshman lmao😭

If the worldwide christian priest class be replaced by well programmed robots, there would be plenty of money left to help the poor and needy and the salary-priests would get a chance to live what they pretend to believe in. Reading the Bible is a good thing, finding understanding of the Bible is even better. 🍷❤️‍🔥

100% of the people complaining about there not being a bible in their hotel room already packed a bible in their luggage

Ye

Second, good video

[Genesis 1 Elohim vs Genesis 2 Yahweh Elohim]: "Deus" means "God", "Dea" means "Goddess", and "Dei" could either mean "gods" (plural) or "God's" (possessive) based on context. The Hebrew counterparts to the Latin above are El, Elah and Elohim. The Elohist uses the possessive context for Elohim (except when referencing the false Elohim). The Yahwist, Priestly and Deuteronomist use the plural context for Elohim (except when referencing the true Elohim). What is the heresy of two powers in heaven? The basic heresy involved interpreting scripture to say that a principal angelic or hypostatic manifestation in heaven was equivalent to God. The earliest heretics believed in two complementary powers in heaven, while later heretics believed in two opposing powers in heaven. The Bible isn't about El/Theos/Deus or whatever language you want to say the title (not a name) meaning God. The Bible is about Elohim (sons of El). Good vs evil Elohim, True vs false Elohim, Chosen vs adopted Elohim, Necessary vs contingent Elohim, Genesis 1 Elohim vs Genesis 2 Yahweh Elohim. Bibles should note when Elohim is used as plural or possessive. Theology comes from combining two Greek words: Theos, meaning God, and Logos, meaning Word or rational thought. [The Word is Elohim from Genesis 1] (not to be confused with Yahweh Elohim, the false Elohim, from Genesis 2) Compare John 1: 1-5 with Genesis 1: 1-5: John 1: 1-5 Names of God Bible The Word Becomes Human 1 In the beginning the Word already existed. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was already with God in the beginning. 3 Everything came into existence through him. Not one thing that exists was made without him. 4 He was the source of life, and that life was the light for humanity. 5 The light shines in the dark, and the dark has never extinguished it. Genesis 1: 1-5 Names of God Bible The Creation 1 In the beginning Elohim created heaven and earth. 2 The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep water. The Ruach Elohim was hovering over the water. 3 Then Elohim said, “Let there be light!” So there was light. 4 Elohim saw the light was good. So Elohim separated the light from the darkness. 5 Elohim named the light day, and the darkness he named night. There was evening, then morning-the first day.

2:42

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I dont think the handing out of the bibles is a bad thing to do. Sometimes people get peace from it. Take your peace where you find it, you know? Its all the other stuff I have beef with. Just like I have got no beef eith JWs leaving pamphlets or whatever but the aggressive door to door campaign and the indoctrination of kids to the point that they grow up miserable is my beef. I'll entertain horoscopes and tarot because sometimes it gives people the moment they need. I have found peace in hotel Bibles after funerals and stuff. I have found peace in watercolor paintings. Maybe normal people should find a way to passively proselytize. Beat the toxic monoliths to the moment