fromtheright

braces_for_impact,

I don't think Christians would be bothered at all by a discount for Jews, except for possibly some Christian Identity folks, maybe. Hey, there's an idea--Aryan Nations and the ACLU could stand up against this idea before it goes too far.

RichardMorey

Chick Fil-A used to do this when I lived in Tallahassee. What I did was this:

I created a "Church of Satan" bulletin.

I will always treasure the look on the cashier's face when I handed that over the counter. It was complete with pictures and hymns. I still have it if you want it: respond here if you want it, and I'll send it to you via email (I did it in photoshop and printed it at kinko's).

8of9

If Taco Bell wanted more people to go to church, they could just put a clip 'n' save coupon in all the local church bulletins. Heck, they could even pick and choose which churches they wanted to support that way.

I think they're playing the "we aren't just a money-grubbing business, but we're god-fearing folk, too" card.

Ugh.

fromtheright

8of9,

If Taco Bell wanted more people to go to church, they could just put a clip 'n' save coupon in all the local church bulletins. Heck, they could even pick and choose which churches they wanted to support that way.

Sounds a little discriminatory to me--not only would they be favoring Christianity, but even picking and choosing which churches. My good friend SLD would be chomping at the bit to file suit on that one (actually, I understand that they probably, hopefully, would have the right to choose where they advertise). Plus it wouldn't make much economic sense for them to advertise in such a way if they can more easily and cheaply put a sign in their window saying, "We don't like atheists, bring your church bulletin here for 10% off".


I think they're playing the "we aren't just a money-grubbing business, but we're god-fearing folk, too" card.

And which part of that do you have a problem with? Christians aren't allowed to operate a business for profit in the secular brave new world? I know you don't mean that (well, I presume you don't), but why is there anything wrong with that?

GaryP

I think the problem would occur if all, or even a lot, of businesses started being blatant about their deeply held beliefs.

Here in my town, there is a furniture store, a car repair place, a shoe repair place, and a mortgage company that are very upfront about being Christian businesses.

I would not want to do business with any of them because I woyld feel as if I were helping their religion and I would not feel comfortable knowing that they think I am less of a person than they consider themselves to be. ( IMO, any religion that says it is the "only way" bestows an arrogance upon the adherents.)

And what if one store was owned by outspoken Moslems another by Jews, Buddhists, Hindus, Wiccans. There would be no sense of community. Everyone would go to the place where they felt they fit in.

Kind of like the "Balkanization" of America if school vouchers ever became the norm.

8of9

I was sitting here thinking to myself, " y'know, 8of9, that wouldn't really encourage people to go to church any more than the current discount." I guess what I _was_ thinking was, if they wanted to give Christians a better deal, they could use coupons. But yeah, it costs more. Which is probably why the chose the window sign method.

No part of it -- well, personally, that particular marketing scheme works the other way with me. But, sure, they have a right to declare the currency of their discounts. Some probably give discounts for 4.0 report cards (which would leave out the academically challenged and the homeschooled). Who knows, somewhere out there is probably a business that gives free ice cream to kids who can recite the "Under God" pledge. Okay, I guess I'd hope you'd have a problem with that, anyway.

The fact that they didn't bother printing up the deal and putting it in various places suggests to me that they really are looking to boost sales, not to discriminate. And that's what I meant by "playing the card" -- they want to make money so they put God Bless America in the window and people say "aw, that's so patriotic and wholesome, let's eat at Taco Bell."

Man, I can't think tonight ...

GaryP

Here's a case involving a minor league baseball team.


The case arose on Easter Sunday of last year when Carl Silverman and his two daughters attended a Suns game. The team was offering a two dollar discount on ticket prices to anyone arriving with a church bulletin. The discount was available to members of any church, synagogue, or temple that produces a bulletin. Silverman, an agnostic, demanded the discount without a bulletin. When the Suns attempted to accommodate him by providing him with a bulletin, he refused to use it.

http://www.mcjonline.com/news/news3523.htm

I don't know if the article was the final disposition of the case or not. It is from several years ago.

Rusting Car Bumper

or from the atheist based Church of Freethought which I mentioned earlier. They would be required to take it otherwise they would be involved in false advertising. Obviously if they are engaging in discrimination of one religion over another than that is a different matter. However, the promotion was "church bulletin". Religion was not specified nor was membership in a specific class required.

No difference. Simply give them a bulletin. As far as we know thereis no requirement for membership in the class and nor is it limited to Christians.

No. The pretext is that they want business from large groups of people.

DC

SLD

The case was settled on appeal with the Suns giving in by offering the discount to those who brought in either church bulletins or a bulletin from a civic or non-profit institutions. That way they no longer discriminated. Interestingly enough, Burger King was offering free french fries for church bulletins and the head of American Atheists wrote them a nice kind letter saying that they felt like it was religious discrimination. Sure enough, General Counsel looked at and immediately ordered discontinuance of the policy.

What was interesting about the above lawsuit was that the ACLU had simultaneous lawsuits in state and Federal Court and the Maryland Commission on Human Rights on their side. The only judge to rule in their favor was the state trial judge - and he is an elected official. (I can see his opponent now!!!) It was hardly the victory that the Rutherford Institute claimed it was.

SLD

SLD

The problem with your "logic" is the law. The law does not say there is one standard for race discrimination in public accomodations and another for religious discrimination. They are both equally illegal regardless of whether you think the analogy between white and black holds or not. And frankly your reasoning is dead wrong an atheist should no more be required to go to church or otherwise pretend that he is anything but what he is in order to get the same service. And back to the KKK analogy, they could just be encouraging people to go to the local cross burnings and blacks can physically do that right? Heck no one is requiring that they change their skin color, just that they violate every principle that they believe and go to a KKK meeting.

R/ SLD