Bible study group no longer welcome at McDonald's

[Hum]

A Christian ministry leader was reportedly told she could no longer hold Bible studies in a New Jersey McDonald's, despite having the sessions there for the past two years.

The Christian Post reports that Dawn Martinez, 33, began the ministry to transients and drug addicts in 2010, but was told last Wednesday by a McDonald?s manager that she could no longer hold the two-weekly events.

"She didn't tell me what happened, but she said there was a complaint and that we cannot have our Bible studies there anymore," Martinez said.

After pressing for an explanation, she was told that "people are getting offended," Martinez said.

Martinez, who could not be reached for comment, believes someone of Islamic faith was at the restaurant and may have been offended enough to make a complaint. Martinez said the religion had been a brief topic of discussion last week.

Ed Baim, the McDonald's franchise owner, told FoxNews.com in an email that the content of the group's meetings had "absolutely nothing to do with their being asked to move."

Baim pointed out that the restaurant has a small seating area with signs that inform customers about its no-loitering policy.

"While we're not able to accommodate groups, these folks are always welcome to visit the restaurant as customers," he said.

Fast-food restaurants are common destinations for informal meeting groups like Alcoholic Anonymous and other counseling organizations.

Starbucks, for example, told FoxNews.com in a statement that its stores are "designed" to be gathering places.

"We take great pride in being an environment where our customers and members of the community can come to relax, visit with each other and discuss things that are meaningful to them," a statement from Starbucks on Tuesday read.

source

[Growled Member]

All it takes is one complaint to ruin everything. We can't offend even one person.

[Hum]

Praise the Burger King

[Noir Angel]

All it takes is one complaint to ruin everything. We can't offend even one person.

Oh wait, so when an airline does it to an Atheist they're just exercising their right as a business to exclude people from using their services, but the moment it's done to a Christian it's discrimination. I love how people's opinions on things like this flip flop depending on what the group being targeted by the business believes.

[Gone]

Oh wait, so when an airline does it to an Atheist they're just exercising their right as a business to exclude people from using their services, but the moment it's done to a Christian it's discrimination. I love how people's opinions on things like this flip flop depending on what the group being targeted by the business believes.

I've been waiting for you. :|

It goes both ways, and discrimination should not occur for any reason whatsoever. I thought that tolerance would be in the United States in such a late era when I was little, however I learned that humans do not like ANYTHING different than them, unless they themselves are a unique individual.

Same thing happened back in the days with the Jim Crow laws. Religion, race, and sexual preference do not make somebody bad.

Edit: Also, really, McDonalds! Gah Taco Bell is much better!

[Noir Angel]

Precisely, it shouldn't be allowed for any reasons. So why is it that people are seemingly only up in arms about it when it involves Christians? For the record I don't support discrimination against Christians.

[ArialBlue]

Fox News always defends Churchism

[Noir Angel]

Fox News always defends Churchism

Quite so. I'm sure we'll be having Uncle Rush or Glenn Beck telling us that this is just another liberal outrage or another step towards mass persecution of Christians within a few days. Fox seem to love creating social unrest.

[Gone]

Quite so. I'm sure we'll be having Uncle Rush or Glenn Beck telling us that this is just another liberal outrage or another step towards mass persecution of Christians within a few days. Fox seem to love creating social unrest.

Hey there, I enjoy watching Glenn Beck's board of mystery. The connections just can't be missed.

The media is biased all around. ALL AROUND! The left has their media, which makes a lot of money, and the right also has their media, which probably makes more money? Either way, lets agree that the reason news is reported how it is, is to make profit and to control the population. The better (more controversial) the story, the better ratings and thus more profit.

Also, social unrest divides the country allowing easy control of the masses.

[mudslag]

McDonalds is not a proper place to have any kind of religious/political gatherings. There are place dedicated for those purposes.

[Noir Angel]

I'm not sure the leftist media is quite as crazy as Glenn, but just as biased? you have a point there, they are. I tend not to read newspapers or watch commercial news stations for that very reason in fact.

[moloko]

All it takes is one complaint to ruin everything. We can't offend even one person.

I would complain too. I think it rude to do that there. go to a community center or a park. If the manager does not want you in the restaurant doing that, it is his/her right.

[Charisma Veteran]

I would complain too. I think it rude to do that there. go to a community center or a park. If the manager does not want you in the restaurant doing that, it is his/her right.

I don't know, I consider McDonald's a "public place", don't you? If someone got offended, it means they were basically eavesdropping on what another table was talking about. Can I get people kicked out of a restaurant because I overheard them saying I'm ugly and was offended by it? Honestly, this is no different. People need to mind their own damn business.

[The Laughing Man]

I don't know, I consider McDonald's a "public place", don't you? If someone got offended, it means they were basically eavesdropping on what another table was talking about. Can I get people kicked out of a restaurant because I overheard them saying I'm ugly and was offended by it? Honestly, this is no different. People need to mind their own damn business.

Mcdonalds of all places? Thats just weird, Isnt gluttony a sin. lol

[Nick H. Supervisor]

I'm not saying that McDonalds were right or wrong in their decision. However, if the Christians don't want to be singled out then I suggest they go hold their meetings somewhere else, somewhere dedicated to their beliefs where they have the right to preach whatever they want. Now if only there were buildings specifically designed for Christians...

[jnelsoninjax]

I don't know, I consider McDonald's a "public place", don't you? If someone got offended, it means they were basically eavesdropping on what another table was talking about. Can I get people kicked out of a restaurant because I overheard them saying I'm ugly and was offended by it? Honestly, this is no different. People need to mind their own damn business.

Exactly! Whereas McDonald's may not be the best place to hold bible study, as long as they were not being loud and/or obnoxious about the whole thing, why should McDonald's give a damn? These people obviously were paying customers...

[WelshBluebird]

Tbh I doubt this has anything to do with the religious aspect of it anyway, and is probably more to do with the reasoning given by the McDonalds franchise.

Simply, it is a store that is there to serve customers. If people are hanging around and are not buying things, then I fail to see why McDonalds should have to accommodate them. And I also fail to see what the point of mentioning Starbucks is, since McDonalds are not starbucks and are free to have their own rules.

[WelshBluebird]

Exactly! Whereas McDonald's may not be the best place to hold bible study, as long as they were not being loud and/or obnoxious about the whole thing, why should McDonald's give a damn? These people obviously were paying customers...

Because I doubt they were paying customers for the entire time of the class?

Perhaps they were taking the biscuit and buying small things that take 5 minutes to eat and then hanging around for 2 hours?

Can I get people kicked out of a restaurant because I overheard them saying I'm ugly and was offended by it?

You can get kicked out if the owner decides they do not want you there, so yes you could get people kicked out for what you suggest. Not likely of course, but you could. Especially if you are say the owners friend or whatever.

[McKay]

Why hold a meeting like this in McDonald's anyway?

[bjoswald]

Keep God in church, at home, or within you, but DON'T bring him to the table unless he's invited!

[selphj]

So you're telling me, is that if two people are having a conversation about a topic you disagree with then they must leave the restaurant? This is the world we're living in?

[theyarecomingforyou]

The Christian Post reports that Dawn Martinez, 33, began the ministry to transients and drug addicts in 2010, but was told last Wednesday by a McDonald?s manager that she could no longer hold the two-weekly events.

This is an individual policy by an individual store. There was no mention in the article of whether this group was even buying food / drinks there. If they weren't then you're talking about a group of homeless people and drug addicts taking up seats, scaring away customers and not buying anything. It very likely had nothing to do with them being Christian, though that is obviously the spin that Fox News would put on it.

I had to deal with similar things when I was manager of a busy Subway store a while back. It's not a problem allowing such meetings if it's quiet, if it doesn't disturb other customers and when they may buy something - I'd often open the customer area after it had closed for town support meetings. But if such a meeting receives complaints and is an inconvenience to the store it's simply not practical to let it continue.

[whitebread]

Fast-food restaurants are common destinations for informal meeting groups like Alcoholic Anonymous and other counseling organizations.

That's BS. I've gone to both NA and AA and meetings are NEVER held at restaurants :laugh: . They're almost always held in a church.

The only time we would ever go to a restaurant is after the meeting.

[+Nik Louch Subscriber²]

Martinez, who could not be reached for comment, believes someone of Islamic faith was at the restaurant and may have been offended enough to make a complaint.

So, they ASSUME it was someone of Islamic faith who complained... Based upon?

Moreover, McD is a restaurant, not a meeting place. I have worked there, and not once was it used for group meetings - moreover if people were sat and not eating, they'd often be moved on.

[neufuse Veteran]

That's BS. I've gone to both NA and AA and meetings are NEVER held at restaurants :laugh: . They're almost always held in a church.

The only time we would ever go to a restaurant is after the meeting.

Which brings up the question, why isn't a bible study group meeting at a ummm welll church?