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lol restaurant threathened to be sued by atheist.

D

DutchJazzer

Banned
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. – A restaurant in North Carolina has discontinued issuing random discounts for patrons who pray over their meals after a prominent atheist organization threatened to file a lawsuit over the matter.

Mary’s Gourmet Diner has been randomly issuing customers a 15 percent discount for “praying in public,” that is, praying over one’s meal, for the past four years.

“It’s a gift to us to watch them appreciate our food,” owner Mary Haglund told local television station WGHP, noting that the prayers do not have to be Christian. “We don’t tell the people they’re getting a discount. We’ve never promoted it. We just present the ticket.”

When a photograph of a receipt that included the “praying in public” discount recently was posted online, Mary’s Gourmet Diner was flooded with both positive and negative feedback.

“You are such a blessing and please continue to stand up for whats right,” one supporter named Jenny posted on the restaurant’s Facebook page. “God is going to give you favor and bless you through this storm. You are a role model for so many of us who love the Lord.”

“As an atheist if I don’t get a 15% discount, my waitress doesn’t get a 15% tip!” a critic named Ernest wrote. “I thought according to your mythology Jesus was against public prayer, calling those who did hypocrites.”

After learning of the matter, the Madison, Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to Haglund, demanding that she discontinue the practice.

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“Your restaurant’s restrictive promotional practice favors religious customers, and denies customers who do not pray and nonbelievers the right to ‘full and equal’ enjoyment of Mary’s Gourmet Diner,” FFRF attorney Elizabeth Cavell wrote. “We urge you to discontinue this discriminatory discount.”

On Wednesday, the Winston-Salem Journal reported that the restaurant had posted a handwritten notice that it had discontinued the practice.

“We at Mary’s value the support of all of our fellow Americans. While you may exercise your right of religious freedom at this restaurant by praying over your meal to any entity or non-entity, we must protect your freedom from religion in a public place,” the notice read. “We are no longer issuing the 15% praying in public discount. It is illegal and we are being threatened by lawsuit. We apologize to our community for any offense this discount has incurred.”

“Praise be to Mary!” commented FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor in a press release about the decision. “We’re very pleased that Mary’s Gourmet Diner has seen the light about the meaning of the Civil Rights Act, and responded with such alacrity. We have found that most restaurant owners, who, after all, are in business to please all customers, are gracious and drop illegal discounts that selectively reward customer piety.”

But others expressed disappointment.

“Please don’t let haters change your way of doing business,” stated one supporter named Kathy. “Lots of places give discounts to older people, veterans, active duty military and others. It is your business. If people don’t like it, they are free (because we live in America) to eat elsewhere.”
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hahahahahahhaa


can i blame this on that muslim ******* obama?

in al seriousness wtf is up with the world
 
Can't understand what the FFRF hopes to gain in these actions. Horrible PR, doesn't promote dialogue, doesn't gain acceptance for people who are not religious, just punishes people who want to support their religious community.

Dumb.
 
So, it's really hard to understand why non-religious people would be upset over being charged higher prices (or, does anyone really claim that getting a discount doesn't mean the price is lower)?
 
One Brow said:
So, it's really hard to understand why non-religious people would be upset over being charged higher prices (or, does anyone really claim that getting a discount doesn't mean the price is lower)?
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False base assumptions that all non religious people are excluded and that all religious people are included.

There are plenty of discounts that people do not qualify for in many business transaction that they make. Should they have a right to be mad about all of them?

Should someone be able to stop the discounts that many businesses give to vets because it is discrimination against them since they are not a vet?

Should many businesses stop giving federal employees discounts because it discriminates against those that are not?
 
I'm sueing everything because senior citizens get all kinds of discounts.

Down with ageism
 
One Brow said:
So, it's really hard to understand why non-religious people would be upset over being charged higher prices (or, does anyone really claim that getting a discount doesn't mean the price is lower)?
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These were modest discounts offered for fairly innocuous acts, acts that do not really require affirmation of God's existence. Yes, it is hard for me, as an Atheist, to understand why this group would make it harder for me to be an atheist. They are going backwards.
 
One Brow said:
So, it's really hard to understand why non-religious people would be upset over being charged higher prices (or, does anyone really claim that getting a discount doesn't mean the price is lower)?
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Wow. Really?

They are random discounts. You could conceivably eat there 1000 times, pray over your food every time and never get the discount.

OTOH, you could be an atheist, sit there with your hands in a triangle and your eyes closed for a few seconds and get the discount.

Bottom line is they charge the same price for everybody and some random people get a discount - some might be religious, others might be non-religious.
 
ElRoach0 said:
I don't think anything's stopped you from blaming anything on him before
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But we make fun of him for it. I see it at work every single day. Comments like "so glad I'm at your desk and don't have to look at his picture anymore" or "Obama is taking away my benefits!"

I have no end of fun at their expense.
 
seattlejazzfan said:
Wow. Really?

They are random discounts. You could conceivably eat there 1000 times, pray over your food every time and never get the discount.

OTOH, you could be an atheist, sit there with your hands in a triangle and your eyes closed for a few seconds and get the discount.

Bottom line is they charge the same price for everybody and some random people get a discount - some might be religious, others might be non-religious.
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Yep. They should just change the policy to give discounts for anyone they see "meditating" over their food.
 
Question is were they given discount to just praying christians or to other religious people as well. Would muslims, buddhists, sikhs, pagans and satanists get that 15 % discount? If yes - I see no problem, if no then good it was discontinued.
 
One Brow said:
So, it's really hard to understand why non-religious people would be upset over being charged higher prices (or, does anyone really claim that getting a discount doesn't mean the price is lower)?
Click to expand...

I'm religious. And I agree with the threatened lawsuit. Don't necessarily agree with the comment, “I thought according to your mythology Jesus was against public prayer, calling those who did hypocrites.” When my family and I go out to a restaurant we choose not to pray in public, although we do bless the food and express our gratitude at home before meals. I have seen others bow their heads in restaurants (not very often, though) and say a silent prayer. Well, at least I assume that's what they are doing.

But to give a 15% discount based on public prayer is discriminatory.
 
One Brow said:
So, it's really hard to understand why non-religious people would be upset over being charged higher prices (or, does anyone really claim that getting a discount doesn't mean the price is lower)?
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Dude. Is there any cause that you don't feel the need to defend, regardless of how stupid it is? If I were an atheist, I'd make sure I ate there all the time, and before each meal, sit with my arms folded and head down for 30 seconds after my food got there just to score the discount.

Blowhards like that group threatening to sue are no better than the anti-Islam tools that protest where mosques are built. Live and let live, **** heads!

AKMVP said:
Question is were they given discount to just praying christians or to other religious people as well. Would muslims, buddhists, sikhs, pagans and satanists get that 15 % discount? If yes - I see no problem, if no then good it was discontinued.
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It helps if you actually read the article. I know, I know...



It's serious.
 
E.J. Wells said:
D
It helps if you actually read the article. I know, I know...
.
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Well they said it that it would not need to be christian, but was it ever given to none christian? I would love to see somebody hailing Father Satan in public and than given a discount.
 
AKMVP said:
Question is were they given discount to just praying christians or to other religious people as well. Would muslims, buddhists, sikhs, pagans and satanists get that 15 % discount? If yes - I see no problem, if no then good it was discontinued.
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Even then it should be acceptable. If you come into my place of business and I want to give you a discount for any reason I should be allowed to do so. For your hair color, the truck you drive, your tattoos, the way you treated my staff...
 
Core4 said:
I'm religious. And I agree with the threatened lawsuit. Don't necessarily agree with the comment, “I thought according to your mythology Jesus was against public prayer, calling those who did hypocrites.” When my family and I go out to a restaurant we choose not to pray in public, although we do bless the food and express our gratitude at home before meals. I have seen others bow their heads in restaurants (not very often, though) and say a silent prayer. Well, at least I assume that's what they are doing.

But to give a 15% discount based on public prayer is discriminatory.
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Then giving discounts for age, military service, disabilities, good behavior and a particular type of employment are discriminatory as well.

Ugh!
 
Stoked said:
Even then it should be acceptable. If you come into my place of business and I want to give you a discount for any reason I should be allowed to do so. For your hair color, the truck you drive, your tattoos, the way you treated my staff...
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There are cases that have ruled that private discrimination against a protected class in restaurants is a violation of the civil rights act (cases used the commerce clause to apply to private restaurants).

As you can imagine, since the majority of these cases originated in the 60s they were based on cases where owners would not serve blacks. So the rules make sense as a whole.
 
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