Mo. Shop Owner Apologizes To Religious Skeptics

[pstokely]

Source: KMBC

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. -- A Missouri gelato shop owner has apologized for briefly posting a sign in his store window informing those in town for a convention of religious skeptics that they were not welcome at his Christian business.

Andy Drennen apologized in a letter posted Monday on the website Reddit. He said he posted the hastily drawn sign in his Springfield shop, Gelato Mio, on Saturday after seeing someone attending Skepticon, delivering a mock sermon and cursing the Bible.

The sign read: "Skepticism is NOT welcomed to my Christian Business."


Read more: http://www.kmbc.com/news/29834456/detail.html

[qb]

1. LOL methinks the damage is done.

:rofl:

[civilisation]

6. I will not support your faith based business.

The invisible man in the sky can not win against the FSM!

[AmericaIsGreat]

2. I can't get over that line

"Skepticism is not welcome"

I mean how insane is that for someone to say? What a fuckhead.

[jberryhill]

3. Makes you wonder what he's putting in the gelato, really

[dtexdem]

4. Well, maybe he HAS repented, which could be good for his soul.

But I'm skeptical. ;-)

[Maineman]

5. I have roots in MIssouri.

Southern Missouri is the most religiously fundamentalist (like Southern Baptist) area I have seen any place in the country although I have avoided the deep south and Texas. Rush Limbaugh is from the Southeast corner of Missouri (opposite corner from Springfield). He is a real jewell, isn't he? - puk. Kansas City, St Louis, and Columbia are somewhat more desirable.

[provis99]

7. I wonder if he has a copy of this sign:

[Ian David]

8. Remember when Jesus passed around the gelato and said, "This is my body?" n/t

[dddem]

9. which has been frozen for you

[Wheezy]

22. (that made me lol)

[sarcasmo]

10. Another narrow minded religious person, imagine.

[LanternWaste]

26. Appears to be just as silly as individuals who won't do business with a proprietor

Appears to be just as silly as individuals who won't do business with a proprietor who has an Ichthys as part of their branding...

I imagine narrow mindedness cuts across the entire spectrum of humanity, regardless of faith, of philosophy, or politics...

[Goldom]

11. Read the full apology here

http://www.reddit.com/r/atheism/comments/mkw6h/a_message_to_the_skeptic_community_from_the_owner/

[JNelson6563]

19. It's a good letter,I'll say that.

Also, he's only 28 and probably born and raised on fundie style Christianity.

I sure sensed the surprise in his letter. I'm not talking about the scene he came upon at the convention. He comes off like a man in shell shock and cites the many responses he has gotten from those who took offense at his actions. I think he was more than stunned to find out there are many more of us unbelievers than he imagined.


This is a good opportunity actually. The letter reveals his realization that we heathens are everywhere, we're decent people and we don't take discrimination lying down. I am very glad an atheist is helping this guy with this ordeal he has created. I suspect it will be enlightening for the shop owner.

I'm going to go ahead and hope this experience leads to good things in the end.

Julie

[Wheezy]

21. It really is a good letter, a most humble apology

and he takes full responsibility for making a major mistake.

[Hbkatlsu]

12. Bigotry

Any business owner has the right to refuse service to anyone. Why the double standard? I don't have a problem with, or mock, anyone that does not believe in God. Why should he be tolerant of someone that is intolerant of his religious beliefs.
That my friends is bigotry.

[keopeli]

13. Welcome to DU! I don't think most are suggesting that the shop owner doesn't have the right to

refuse service. Rather, it's the comment that skepticism is not welcome that offends. Also, while exclusion is predominant in fundamentalist Christianity, the concept is anathema when coupled with the ideals of Christianity: i.e. love your neighbor, love your enemies, love yourself, do unto others as you would have them do unto you, don't judge others lest ye be judged yourself, etc.

Sure, the shop owner can refuse service to anyone, but to exclude other "skeptics" and claim that your efforts are inspired by Christian ideas is hypocrisy at best.

That's my thoughts on the topic, in any case, fwiw.

Peace

[CreekDog]

14. No, that's not true --why are you so sure that a business can refuse anybody?

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 prohibits discrimination in these sorts of instances.

Remember why it was passed? In part because businesses refused to serve black people.

So it outlaws discrimination on the basis of race, creed, color, etc. And the courts have held this to mean businesses of almost every kind.

So when you speak with confidence about the law, I think because you saw a sign that says "we have the right to refuse service to anyone"...that sign doesn't trump the law. If they refuse on the basis of protected classes, they are not allowed to do that.

Title II
Outlawed discrimination based on race, color, religion or national origin in hotels, motels, restaurants, theaters, and all other public accommodations engaged in interstate commerce; exempted private clubs without defining the term "private.""

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Civil_Rights_Act_of_1964

[NYC Liberal]

16. Some states go even further and require a "legitimate business reason"

to refuse service. I.e., you can't just arbitrarily refuse service to red heads or people wearing green shirts (unless there is a legitimate business reason for doing so).

[CreekDog]

17. thanks for pointing that out

:hi:

[ProfessorGAC]

20. Any Business Can Refuse Service To Anyone?

Where did you get that gem? It's simply untrue, unless you're talking about refusing service and THEN GETTING SUED.
GAC

[_ed_]

23. Utter nonsense

Religion is a choice, a set of ideas about the world. It's hardly "bigotry" to say that belief in supernatural entities without evidence is silly. Religion, a personal choice, is nothing like your gender, sexual orientation, race, or ethnicity (things that are innate characteristics).

I'm "intolerant" of all forms of unreason, whether it is alchemy, belief in god(s), divining of water, or astrology. Am I "bigoted" toward astrologers? Hardly: I'm just asking that they provide evidence. Same with people who follow a "god" named Jesus, Thor, Allah, Zeus, or Apollo.

[LanternWaste]

27. I imagine that's a good way to rationalize cruelty towards peopl

I imagine that's a good way to rationalize being cruel, or even simply trivializing people-- "I'm only cruel to those things which are not innate, which makes me a more reasonable person..."

[_ed_]

28. Cruelty?

Please point out what is cruel about asking an astrologer to prove that astrology works with a double-blind experiment. Or to ask a diviner of water to prove that his theories work before giving him money to find a well. Or, to ask a Christian to provide proof that the Bible is true or that Jesus walked on water or was born of a virgin. If you think that asking for rational proof of extraordinary claims is cruel, then I suppose the entire field of science is cruel. And medicine. And engineering....

Sorry, but religions are collections of ideas that are chosen by a person. Ideas should succeed or fail based on rational inquiry. If you think rational inquiry is cruel, I don't really know what to say.

[CreekDog]

29. Religion is like race and gender in one way --law protects you from discrimination for it

Civil Rights Act of 1964 --includes religion.

word to the wise.

[Amaril]

24. So, it's ok for him to be an asshat.........

......who bans a class of people he obviously knows NOTHING about from his store because he's doing it in the name of Christianity and he has a right to stand up for his beliefs, but anyone who disagrees with him and tells him he is wrong is being intolerant?

:crazy:

[golddigger]

25. Rand Paul?

[CreekDog]

15. For what it's worth --that's a pretty damned good apology

I'm sure he's scared and I can understand why, but his letter strikes me as very sincere.

Good for him.

[ellisonz]

18. Had to be Springfield...