The owner of the pizza parlor wonders if they don’t have something better to do, like spending lawsuit money on the homeless. Here’s Todd Starnes
Steven Rose loves Jesus and pepperoni pizza.
But when the Searcy, Arkansas restaurateur decided to mix church and cheese it gave a group of out-of-town atheists a bad case of indigestion.
The Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) is threatening to sue Steven after he offered a discount to customers who bring in a church bulletin. They said Bailey’s Pizza is violating the Civil Rights Act of 1964.
And the First Amendment states that Congress shall make no law denying the free practice of religion.
“The law requires places of public accommodation to offer their services to customers without regard to race, color, religion or national origin,†FFRF spokesperson Elizabeth Cavell told television station KTHV.
Steven, who opened the pizza parlor in July, told me there’s nothing nefarious about the church bulletin discount.
“It was a straight-up marketing tool to give a discount to people I love and care about – and have them come in and have lunch with me,†he said. “I thought it was a sweet idea. I didn’t say you had to go to church to get it. Go get a bulletin from your neighbor and come in and have a pizza.â€
Of course, the hardcore atheists can’t just live and let live, they have to force their views on other people.
So is it really unconstitutional for restaurants to provide religious-themed discounts? Not at all, says Hiram Sasser, director of litigation for Liberty Institute.
“In fact, if what FFRF is saying were true, restaurants and other businesses would be precluded from giving veterans and military members discounts because that would technically be discriminating based on veteran status,†Sasser tells me. “Is that what FFRF wants? Give me a break!â€
This would mean that bars offering to let ladies in for free while charging men would be discrimination and against the Civil Rights Act. Senior citizen discounts. Businesses that cater only to women, such as gyms and hotels (in fact, while this incident may be in Copenhagen, a hotel there stopped it’s catering to women with a women only floor after being told that was discriminatory).
Steven tells me it’s really sad that the FFRF is spending their money attack his restaurant.
“The 75 cents that somebody saves when they bring in a church bulletin – is that really what they need to be spending their money on?†he asked. “How about spending that money helping the homeless?â€
Good point.
Yeah, and what’s worse is I’m embarrassed to say that this band of morons is headquartered in my own state, down in Madison (Motto: “35 square miles surrounded by reality”). Their modus operandi is lawfare threats over anything that even resembles religion crossing into public life. That is, as long as it’s the right kind of religion to attack. Funny, but they never seem to bother certain ones, like those that get violent when you mess with them…….
As long as he’s in the business of telling others how to spend their money, maybe Mr. Rose could give discount pizzas to the homeless.
OOOSEC. 201. (a) All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, and privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin.
Nothing about veterans, the military, gender or age.
We all understand that many conservatives feel that our nation would be better if businesses were able to discriminate against those of different races or religions, but Mr. Rose appears to be charging non-Christians more than Christians in violation of the law.
Jeffery,
You want to now control what people can use to get a discount on products?
Isn’t the church bulletin akin to a coupon?
If only members of a certain religion could get a discount, that would be one thing. But he is not saying that at all.
We all understand that you have reading comprehension problems, but Rose is not asking the religion of anyone.
He is not even giving all the people of one religions discounts.
Once again, liberals are scared to death of letting people make their own decisions in life.
It’s pretty clear that a church bulletin is a proxy marker for religion.
I have a suggestion: Open a pizza restaurant which serves Atheists. Charge extra for anyone who brings a church bulletin. Pay you employees ten times the minimum wage and
then brag about how you like the constitution. Then tell us why “nor prohibiting the free exercise thereof” doesn’t apply to this gentleman.