I assume you would give a similar response, substituting the word “atheist” with something else, if the sign read like this:
“On Wednesdays and Fridays, white folks get a 20% discount on your entire meal”
Oh man, totally. Because this is exactly the same as that.
I’m not seeing the difference. It’s a place of public accommodation offering a discount based upon protected class status. So the result should be the same … write off those subject to discrimination as whiners.
The case in the OP is one that offers a discount for those in possession of a church bulletin. The people who disproportionately enjoy that discount are those who get the church bulletin … those who go to church … the most devout religious folks.
It’s easy for a devout religious church-goer to enjoy the benefit of this discount because they are already going to church anyway, and they just pick up a bulletin while they are already in church.
The discount is not so easily enjoyed by the non-church goers, whether they be religious or not. There is an added burden to those people to enjoy the benefit of the discount because they have to bear additional cost and go out of their way to get to a church to get a bulletin they would not otherwise get.
In effect, the discount is offered to the most devout religious people and is, thus, illegal discrimination.
Following that logic, though, I guess it would be illegal for a public accommodation to run a coupon exclusively in a church bulletin.
You’re right, but you don’t need to practice the faith or attend the mass to be in possession of a bulletin. Anyone is allowed to walk into a church and grab a bulletin.
Again, you’re right. Similarly, the people who disproportionately enjoy the discounts on bar place mats are drinkers or the people who disproportionately enjoy the discounts in Sunday newspapers are the subscribers. You’re right. But you don’t need to practice the faith or attend the mass to be in possession of a bulletin. Anyone is allowed to walk into a church and grab a bulletin.
You’re right but you don’t need to practice the faith or attend the mass to be in possession of a bulletin. Anyone is allowed to walk into a church and grab a bulletin.
If that’s what your argument hinges on, I don’t think you have a discrimination case here. I remember one time when I was going to Six Flags, my girl friend made me stop at the gas station, which was odd since I had a full tank. She bought a bag of ice, which was odd since we didn’t bring a cooler. Then she ripped a $20 coupon to Six Flags off the side and threw away the bag of ice.
Can I claim discrimination? I mean the coupon clearly discriminated against people that didn’t need ice or gas and it was not only a huge inconvenience to make a stop on the way to the park, we also had to spend money to get the coupon and put a plastic bag in the landfill for no other reason as well as waste the energy that it took to make the ice. No, it wasn’t. Neither is this. The freakin’ bulletin is free and if you’re argument is that it’s inconveint to make an extra stop to grab it from a church, I’m not sure what to tell you. And you’re argument above, about thinking you’ll be accused of being a thief or trespasser. I’m not even sure what to tell you. I doubt you’ll find a church that’s going to have you arrested, run you off the property or even ask you to stop doing it for any of those reasons. On the one hand, they wouldn’t mind if you take a bulletin because maybe you’ll join their church someday. Also, if for no other reason, you’ll drive their advertising rates up.
It’s offered to them..and everyone else as well.
As I’m sure you can see, I disagree
Also, not that it really makes a difference, but I’d hardly call the Sunday church goer “the most devout religious folk” but you seem to be trying to make a point with that.
Precisely my thoughts. The lengths some people will go to so that they can feel offended!
nm… already asked and answered.
Any lawyers want to weigh in?
The point many of you seem to miss is that religion is legally different than all the examples you keep giving.
The point you seem to miss is that religion plays no part in this. You don’t need religion to get the discount, you need a bulletin and you don’t need religion to get the bulletin, you need to walk into a building and grab a bulletin. Any ol’ heathen can do that.
I did a little Googling, and I found a Mexican restaurant in Arizona that offers “Bring in Your Spring Training Game Ticket and Receive 20% Off.” Is that legal? Ethical? And a place called Gelato Paradiso in Huntington Beach says “Bring in your ticket stub from [the movie] EAT PRAY LOVE to receive 50% OFF your next cup or cone.” Hoo boy, now that’s discrimination!
Until I see an actual legal opinion based on an actual case, I’ll let IHOP (and thousands of other restaurants across the South) continue their largesse in favor of the Sunday lunch crowd.
The implications are interesting. If it’s illegal to run discount coupons in church bulletin inserts, is it similarly illegal to run discount coupons in newspapers and magazines whose audience is primarily of one race or ethnicity? E.g., minority community or foreign-language newspapers? What about publications whose audience is almost entirely white, or almost entirely male?
Last I checked the elderly and race were protected classes. Better file your class action lawsuit against every hotel and restaurant that offers discounts to AARP meembers and NAACP members. :rolleyes:
Now, I personally have no problem with these discounts, but I could understand someone else having a problem here. But the church bulletin, sorry, IMHO, people that have a problem with the church bulletin thing are the people that go out of their way to get offended.
It reminds me of the lady who who threw a fit at me a few years ago because my cashier was racist. I believe her exact words were, as we told her to have a nice day as she was leaving were “Thank you, you have a very nice store, too bad your cashier is racist.” When I asked her what she was talking about, she said that the cashier didn’t say “hi” to her…because she was black. Wow, read in to that a little too much maybe. That was it, she even mentioned that other then not saying hi, she was perfectly nice…she just didn’t say “hi” to her…because she was black. I’d be willing to be that lady thinks everyone is racist and/or nothing is her fault. My psych 101 told me she had a very “External Locus of Control” vibe about her.
I don’t think anyone is offended, so I’m not sure why that word is being thrown around. Personally, I just don’t think, as a matter of principle, it’s a good idea or legal for a place of public accommodation to engage in price discrimination based upon religion. I also think the church bulletin discount is and should be illegal. I wouldn’t say I’m offended, though.
The discount in this case is not equally enjoyed by church-goers and non-church-goers. I don’t care how easy it is for a non-church-goer to walk into a church to get a bulletin. The point is there is an additional burden placed upon non-church-goers to enjoy the benefit of the discount by forcing them to go to church to get the discount.
Further, here is a real case. In sum, a ballpark offered a church bulletin discount. A non-church-goer tried to buy a discounted ticket without presenting his own bulletin. The ballpark told him they have extra bulletins on hand and would be happy to give him one so he could get the discount. The man refused saying he did not want go through that exercise because he was not religious. He paid full price.
The court said this case was not one of illegal discrimination because the ballpark offered him the discount without actually requiring him to present his own bulletin. However, if the ballpark refused to give him the discount and had mandated he present his own church bulletin to get the discount, it would be illegal discrimination.
This sums it up:
So, the next time I go into a hotel or restaurant or insurance company or movie theater that is offering perks to retired persons or members of NAACP, I just have to ask for the same discount and I’ll get it?
I wonder if management would give 10% to a temple or mosque? And nothing is preventing someone from dowloading bulletins off the net to get that whopping 10% off. That is what like $5 off a table of 4 each having a grand slam breakfast. whoopie, ya think the waitstaff gets a bigger tip? doubt it.
Age is not a protected class under that statute.
The size of the discount is irrelevant. It could be $.01. Any difference in price is discriminatory.
The NAACP argument is interesting. Off hand, I would argue that a person can be a member of NAACP regardless of a person’s race. Requiring NAACP membership to get a discount does not have a discriminatory impact based upon protected class status.
People can attend churches and obtain a bulletin regardless of their religious views.
Yes, I see that. That’s why I said it was interesting. 