Atheist files complaint over Lancaster County restaurant's church-bulle


Recommended Posts

The religious right does this kind of crap all the time, it's nothing new. They'll find any way they can of discriminating against non Christians. Credit to him for fighting it, I'm sure he's going to get a lot of death threats.

How is the restaurant discriminating against this arrogant a-hole atheist??

He is not required to eat at the restaurant. This kind of bull**** really ****es me off. They want to force people to share their beliefs, which is no different than religious beliefs being forced on them.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yeah he is an idiot. This is not a public place so they can discriminate against anyone. Now if it is a public / government thing then it is wrong. :)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

How is the restaurant discriminating against this arrogant a-hole atheist??

He is not required to eat at the restaurant. This kind of bull**** really ****es me off. They want to force people to share their beliefs, which is no different than religious beliefs being forced on them.

He may not be required to eat there, and this whole thing is pretty dumb. But nowhere does it state he is trying to force people to share his beliefs. And I hardly see "them/they" as you put it, doing it either. Now you're just spouting nonsense.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

It has been my experience that radical atheists are just as pushy and preachy as radical religious nut jobs and will look on you with the same disdain as any radical who doesn't believe they believe.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It has been my experience that radical atheists are just as pushy and preachy as radical religious nut jobs and will look on you with the same disdain as any radical who doesn't believe they believe.

Sadly that has become more and more common, yet they act as if it's really different when it's just as bad, just a different choice in religions

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Sadly that has become more and more common, yet they act as if it's really different when it's just as bad, just a different choice in religions

Calling Atheism a religion is like calling bald a hair color

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Religion is a belief system.

Atheism claims disbelief while having all the organizational structure of a belief system in order to perform their activism. In doing this they walk like a belief system, swim like a belief system, quack like a belief system, but claim they aren't one. Say hello, Donald.

The restaurant is a private business and can do what ever they want, including church, senior citized or cop discounts. Don't like it? Go elaewhere, quietly.

The atheist crew is obviously attention whoring. In light of the above they should STFU, open their own restaurant and give discounts for who ever they want.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I absolutely support their right to offer whatever kind of promotion they want. It's their restraunt, and if someone doesn't like it they can take their business somewhere else. Sheesh, some people just like to start trouble wherever they can find it.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

The religious right does this kind of crap all the time, it's nothing new. They'll find any way they can of discriminating against non Christians. Credit to him for fighting it, I'm sure he's going to get a lot of death threats.

Its just to bring in business. I would do the same thing if I had a resturant. And guess what. If it was a 24 hour diner I would show your hand stamp from the local bar/club at nights on weekend and get x% off too. Anything to get people in the door on a slow time.

Private restaurant can do what they want, he isn't forced to eat there.

bingo correct.

Nope. Because there are actually valid reasons for that beyond "share my delusion and be my pal"

This is the same thing. He is catering to a demographic. same as a club with ladies night. Why because it brings in more money for that day.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And that was a statement that is true, they are a hated minority.

That's absolutely not true. Where's your stats of a public survey across the united states saying that people hate athiests???

At my university, people hate religious people if they hate anyone, since there are 5 religious nuts who come to our university and try to annoy everyone.

You'll have to find a large public survey across all of the US if you want to actually say that athiests are hated. Otherwise what you're saying has no validity, and neither does my statement, since they're both based on small personal experiences.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I absolutely support their right to offer whatever kind of promotion they want. It's their restraunt, and if someone doesn't like it they can take their business somewhere else. Sheesh, some people just like to start trouble wherever they can find it.

So very true!! People want there 5 mins of fame, so they bitch about any and everything that does not go there way...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Religion is a belief system.

Atheism claims disbelief while having all the organizational structure of a belief system in order to perform their activism. In doing this they walk like a belief system, swim like a belief system, quack like a belief system, but claim they aren't one. Say hello, Donald.

You are right on all the rest of your post except this one, where you are wrong on many, many levels.

Give me an example of an organisational structure among atheists that comes anywhere close to that of organised religion. At the same time, you may want to clarify "walk like a belief system... etc.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never said that at all, you're just trolling me. I actually made one statement and that statement was that Atheists are a hated minority. And that was a statement that is true, they are a hated minority. Nowhere did I infer that I think it's OK for majorities to be discriminated against either, I just said that I don't care about things like ladies night because they're not intended to discriminate. So please just cut the crap.

You said that if something like this were done against white rich men, then there would be death threats. You said that discriminating against men by having a ladies night was ok because there was a purpose, and later you said that purpose was to have fun. So where am I "trolling" again?

Ad so that you know, bars do not have ladies night for fun. Bars are a business, in business to make money. Bars have ladies night because more men than women go to bars. So they give a special deal to women to get more of them to visit, and therefore make more money. It also helps because more men visit when there are more women in the bar who have been drinking (I will let you figure out why on your own). A bar owner wants their patrons to have fun because they will return, but that is nt the reason. Now where have I heard something similar? Oh, that's right, this article. Some resturant owner is giving a special deal to a specific group of people - church goers who, after leaving church are looking for a place to meet with other people, talk, spend time with others, and hopefully have fun. But to you, it is ok to cater to one specific group of people to generate business, but not cater to another group to generate business because, t you, discriminating against one group (men) is ok. oh, and some of those men who go to bars are rich, white, and male. But yet, I don't hear of the widespread outbreak of death threats because they are being discriminated against, as you claim there would be if rich white males are discriminated against.

And while it is off topic, I will bite on your whining about Jessica Ahlquist. You really need to go back to school if you are going to bring up that topic, because they are completely different issues. There is a saying of "separation of church and state," not "separation of church and a privately owned business where somebody who brings in a coupon gets a discount."

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm an atheist, and if I were running a restaurant in a mainly religious area, I'd have done exactly the same thing to get the marks

customers in!

Take advantage of whatever you can to make a profit; that's the capitalist way! :p

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Religion is a belief system.

Atheism claims disbelief while having all the organizational structure of a belief system in order to perform their activism. In doing this they walk like a belief system, swim like a belief system, quack like a belief system, but claim they aren't one. Say hello, Donald.

Religion is the belief in something without evidence, often contrary to evidence; atheism is the exact opposite and can at most be classed as a belief. It's rather sad that the religious attempt to discredit atheism by association - the classic "we may be stupid but so are you!" defence. Let me know when atheists start worshipping religious texts, praying to a sky-god, ignoring empirical evidence, shunning science and going door-to-door trying to convert people to their beliefs - then we'll have something to talk about.

As for the restaurant, the only question is whether it amounts to religious discrimination and whether the US even has any laws against such behaviour. As far as I can tell it would run afoul of UK laws regarding religious discrimination:

Someone providing goods, facilities or services must not:
  • refuse to provide you with them because of your religion or belief
  • discriminate in the way any of these things are provided because of your religion or belief.

The discount is afterall a form of discrimination because it favours a particular religious denomination, despite the rather weak claims that technically anyone can pick up a flier and get the discount. However, the US typically does not afford such legal protections and I very much doubt anything will be done. Without laws to prevent such behaviour it is very unlikely to go away. You only have to look at the African-American Civil Rights Movement to see that sometimes legislation is needed to do what society ought to do without it.

No doubt many with continue to claim that businesses should be left to operate as they see fit but the recent banking crisis has amply demonstrated that morality, decency and compassion are nowhere to be seen when there's an opportunity to profit. Regardless, it's a shame that in a civilised society such behaviour exists.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's absolutely not true. Where's your stats of a public survey across the united states saying that people hate athiests???

You'll have to find a large public survey across all of the US if you want to actually say that athiests are hated. Otherwise what you're saying has no validity, and neither does my statement, since they're both based on small personal experiences.

Wrong. Very wrong. There have been plenty of studies that show that atheists are the most hated group in America - even more hated than gays and muslims. "Hate" is probably too strong... maybe it should be "untrusted".

A recent study showed that Americans were more inclined to vote for a homosexual or muslim running for president than they would an atheist. Surprising, I know. Well, not so surprising when you consider that 18% of republicans believe that Obama is a muslim... some people are just strange. Only 34% know he's a Christian.

Sample question from one study:

I would disapprove if my child wanted to marry a member of this group....

Atheist: 47.6%

Muslim: 33.5%

African-American 27.2%

Asian-Americans: 18.5%

Hispanics: 18.5%

Jews: 11.8%

Conservative Christians: 6.9%

Whites: 2.3%

Other studies and research paper abstracts:

http://www.scientifi...sts-we-distrust

http://asr.sagepub.c.../2/211.abstract

http://www.ncbi.nlm....pubmed/22059841

http://atheism.about...theitsHated.htm

http://tucsoncitizen...usted-minority/

http://newsjunkiepos...usted-minority/

At my university, people hate religious people if they hate anyone, since there are 5 religious nuts who come to our university and try to annoy everyone.

University students aren't representative of the general population. University students are the most likely to be accepting of atheists, and probably be atheist themselves.

Yes, we make fun of the crazy religious people at my university... it wouldn't be so bad if they didn't stand in front of the student union screaming at us that we're going to hell every week...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The religious right does this kind of crap all the time, it's nothing new. They'll find any way they can of discriminating against non Christians. Credit to him for fighting it, I'm sure he's going to get a lot of death threats.

If the deal were "30% off for Homosexual couples" you'd say that it discriminated heterosexual ones? The owner of the restaurant can do whatever deal he wants to attract customers, if you don't agree with him just go into another one! :huh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have no belief in religion at all.. but the restaurant is entitled to make whatever special offers it wants - if you don't like it, go somewhere else!

What an idiot.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

No actually they can't

Actually yes they can, they are technically not discriminating against anyone. The discount isn't for strictly people of religion, it's for those who bring a "current church bulletin", that's it. Nothing stops anyone in particular from grabbing one at any church.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's no discrimination just a bunch of hate mongering atheists trying to make everyone around them not express their religious beliefs. On that note, as stated the discount is just a way to attatract customers there is no discrimination. Just like ladies night at a bar, that's to attract customers. Namely Men as the prospect of ladies showing up will bring more men. The ladies might come for free drinks. I mean why not? I'm personally tired of atheists crying about this or that. Society is too polictically correct. The minority shouldn't be harmed by the majority, but then neither should the majority be harmed by the minority. And don't kid yourself if you think the atheists haven't harmed society.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I have no belief in religion at all.. but the restaurant is entitled to make whatever special offers it wants - if you don't like it, go somewhere else!

What an idiot.

No, they can't make whatever special offers they want. That's against the law.

If the deal were "30% off for Homosexual couples" you'd say that it discriminated heterosexual ones? The owner of the restaurant can do whatever deal he wants to attract customers, if you don't agree with him just go into another one! :huh:

Yes, that's discrimination against heterosexuals... unless you have a good reason.

Actually yes they can, they are technically not discriminating against anyone. The discount isn't for strictly people of religion, it's for those who bring a "current church bulletin", that's it. Nothing stops anyone in particular from grabbing one at any church.

This is why it's legal. He's not discriminating based on religion. He's using the bulletin as a coupon, which atheists can also get.

In short, no, you can not discriminate arbitrarily. Doing that is a good way to get sued. However, there is nothing wrong with the way this person is running their business because they aren't using religion as a basis for price.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Religion is a belief system.

Atheism claims disbelief while having all the organizational structure of a belief system in order to perform their activism. In doing this they walk like a belief system, swim like a belief system, quack like a belief system, but claim they aren't one. Say hello, Donald.

People who participate in activism under the banner of atheism is small. Very small. Far more are involved in secuarist or humanist organisations.

As far as atheism being organized like a religion: you're kidding, right? You simply cannot compare the lobby groups, rights groups and religious based institutions that exist solely to promote and advance their particular viewpoint. And actually have influence.

The atheist crew is obviously attention whoring. In light of the above they should STFU, open their own restaurant and give discounts for who ever they want.

Yeah, I'm sure "Say you're an atheist, get a discount" would go down real well. Hell, imagine a similar deal but it's a middle eastern resturant with coupons from a mosque. Especially in America.

Having said all of that, this seems overboard and, frankly, pointless. You end up having more people become defensive and uninterested in your ideas doing this kind of stuff.

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

There's no discrimination just a bunch of hate mongering atheists trying to make everyone around them not express their religious beliefs. On that note, as stated the discount is just a way to attatract customers there is no discrimination. Just like ladies night at a bar, that's to attract customers. Namely Men as the prospect of ladies showing up will bring more men. The ladies might come for free drinks. I mean why not? I'm personally tired of atheists crying about this or that. Society is too polictically correct. The minority shouldn't be harmed by the majority, but then neither should the majority be harmed by the minority. And don't kid yourself if you think the atheists haven't harmed society.

First off try not to get your panties into a bunch by blaming all atheist here. There have been a number in this thread who have done nothing but side with this business's practices. Second, the religious people in this country, who happen to represent the majority, do more then their fare share of whining about this and that. But I guess that's ok to you sense you seem to side with them, but hey pot, kettle same difference. Lastly the idea that atheist have "harmed" society is nothing but pure subjectivity. Dont kid yourself to think other wise.

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.