The war on Christians in America rages on

[Capt. Obvious]

NC Restaurant Nixes Prayer Discount Because 'It Is Illegal'

A North Carolina restaurant dropped its discount for "praying in public" after an atheist group informed the establishment that such a practice is illegal.

In July, two customers received a discount for praying before their meal at Mary's Gourmet Diner in Winston-Salem, N.C., and they posted a picture of their receipt on Facebook, according to the Winston-Salem Journal.

After the receipt gained attention on Facebook and in the news, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sent a letter to the restaurant notifying the owners that such a discount was illegal.

On Wednesday, the diner posted a notice informing customers that they would no longer be offering the discount, noting that they had been threatened with a lawsuit.



TPM

Thanks atheists!

[RKP5637]

1. Religion, the great divider of mankind IMO. n/t

[Iggo]

2. You're welcome!

[el_bryanto]

3. I do wish when people say something's illegal they would clarify what law is being broken

In this case I'm guessing it's non-discrimination laws as people who don't pray wouldn't be eligible for the discount, and one guesses that believers of non-Christian faiths might have a hard time collecting as well.

Bryant

[Reter]

4. It's stupid, but why is it illegal?

It's a private restaurant, they can give out discounts to who they choose.

[Capt. Obvious]

5. Whites, 15% discount

[SammyWinstonJack]

6. Heh. Well when you put it that way.....

[Enrique]

8. that's a good point

on the other hand it seems very different. I'm an athiest, and if I went into Mary's and didn't pray, and saw some praying people get a discount, I wouldn't feel discriminated against. Maybe technically I would be, but it seems different.

[el_bryanto]

11. It might feel different but it really wouldn't be

In my opinion. There's a discount and because of your lack of religion you aren't entitled to it. One also wonders if a Buddhist or Sikh or Hindu could receive this discount. Or even a Christian who doesn't believe in public prayer.

I suppose it also raises the question of whether a creed should be considered in the same category as ethnicity or race or sexual preference; whether it should have the same protections. I believe it should myself, but I can see an argument against it.

But certainly we would have a hard time accepting a whites only discount or an English only discount or a straights only discount; as it amounts to a surtax on non-whites, non-English speakers, or non-straights.

Bryant

[TlalocW]

12. My example to a few people who were irked by this was

Say I sell cars, and I decide to not give you a thousand bucks off the car you're buying because you didn't pray while in my dealership - or you did, and I didn't like how or to whom you prayed. How's that feel?

About 50% had the little light bulb come on.

TlalocW

[rock]

15. You know Capt. there's a reason you're called Obvious!

[JNelson6563]

7. Nothing wrong with privilege for the right kind of people.

Ug.

[MohRokTah]

10. Religion is a protected class.

They are discriminating against religions that do not hold with publicly praying as well as discriminating against people who are not religious as is their right.

[Reter]

16. Not discrimination because they are not making anyone pay more then the original price

They are making some pay less by offering a discount, and anyone can fake it to get it. I worked at a place that gave discounts to police and firefighters. Discriminates against me because I'm neither. Yet perfectly legal. Senior discounts are also discriminatory for those under 65. Still legal.

[MohRokTah]

17. They are allowing religious acts to be discounted.

This is no different from allowing white people a 15% discount.

[Reter]

19. Sure it is

It is also much more offensive. Plus anyone can lie to get the discount and fake a prayer. Pretty hard for a black person to fake being white. I would not be bothered if a restaurant gave discounts to Muslims in religious gear. As long as I'm paying menu prices, I was never supposed to gt the discount to begin with. Discounts are all favors.

[Humanist_Activist]

18. Did you fail Civics class in high school? Do they not teach about...

the Civil Rights Act of 1964 anymore? You know, the federal law, that is still in force, that imposes restrictions on businesses of public accommodation, such as restaurants, and how they are not allowed to discriminate against customers based on race, color, national origin or religion?

[Reter]

20. It's more like they are favoring one group

CRA bans discrimination. However, this business is making one group pay less than the menu price, and another pay the menu price. No group is being made to more than the menu price (which would violate it). I would take on this case in a second, and be convinced I would win.

[Humanist_Activist]

21. What the fuck do you call it when you favor one group over another?

What are you doing to the other group? Its called discrimination.

You would be convinced that you would win, but you would be wrong.

Here's the relevant part of the Civil Rights Act I'm talking about:

[div class="excerpt" style="margin-left:1em; border:1px solid #bfbfbf; border-radius:0.4615em; box-shadow:3px 3px 3px #999999;"]42 U.S.C. §2000a (a)All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin.

http://www.justice.gov/crt/about/hce/title2.php

Yeah, you are not only wrong, but painfully wrong, giving people a discount for a religious activity is a blatant and obvious violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

[Bluenorthwest]

9. Ironically, Jesus commanded his followers to never pray in public. Said only hypocrites pray in

public. He said pray only in the most private chamber of your own home. With the door shut, no less. But somehow, these Christians take issue with the teachings of their Christ....

[Maeve]

13. Yep--those who pray in public already have their reward

Making a show of religion doesn't gain points with God.

[sinkingfeeling]

14. If I had a restaurant, I might give a discount to those who don't pray in public,

thereby, honoring what Jesus said on the subject of prayer.