Bells
Staff member
Firstly, I have to say, the very notion of offering discounts for praying is foreign to me. At first, I thought it was a joke thread, to be honest. The mere thought of it had the explosive "baahahahaaa ahahahaaa" moment. I mean really, it's come to this?
Now that I realised that someone actually offered discounts for patrons who prayed, I have to say, all sorts of wonderful things entered my mind. The things you could do.. Satanists for example.. One could have a field day with it and enjoy a 15% discount. Sadly, as is often the case with such things, it is reserved for only one group or type of patrons and would exclude all who do not fit that particular group.
Secondly, while private business owners have the right to run their business as they see fit within the confines of the law, the whole notion of 'prayer discount' sets aside a portion of society, or in this instance, customers, who would benefit from it and others would be wholly excluded because a) they are not the same religion, b) do not fit what the business owners saw as 'prayer', c) would deny any chance of a discount at anyone who did not fit into the personal category of the owners.
And that is where it becomes tricky. Would the business offer a 15% discount to a group of atheists who had a declaration of thanks to friends and loved ones instead of prayer, in lieu of a prayer? Would they offer the same discount to theists of other faiths, such as Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, for example? I would imagine not. I would imagine that the discount would only apply to a particular religious group or portion of the community. And I would imagine a Muslim family laying down their prayer mat in the restaurant to pray and give thanks to Allah would not gather the same level of support a Christian family holding hands and praising Jesus would have. In short, while both are classified as 'prayer', only one would benefit from the discount.
Enter discrimination and the illegality of such policies. Certainly, the business is free to offer discounts to its customers, but the law also dictates that discrimination based on one's religious leanings or beliefs will also not be tolerated. And what this restaurant tried to do was just that. It attempted to discriminate against its non-Christian customers while discriminating for its Christian customers and the end result was that the favoured portion of their customers gained some benefits for eating there because they were of a particular religion or religious group at the exclusion of all others. If the business owner had stated that families with all white children would get a discount, no one would bat an eyelid at the illegality of such a policy. Because it distinctly discriminates against anyone who is incapable of fitting into that criteria and the result is a gain for those who do.
It's illegal and simply bad business. It's downright rude and unwelcoming and skirts illegality because it so directly discriminates against people who do not fit into the group the business wants to support more over any other, and all based solely on religious belief and religious affiliation.
Now that I realised that someone actually offered discounts for patrons who prayed, I have to say, all sorts of wonderful things entered my mind. The things you could do.. Satanists for example.. One could have a field day with it and enjoy a 15% discount. Sadly, as is often the case with such things, it is reserved for only one group or type of patrons and would exclude all who do not fit that particular group.
Secondly, while private business owners have the right to run their business as they see fit within the confines of the law, the whole notion of 'prayer discount' sets aside a portion of society, or in this instance, customers, who would benefit from it and others would be wholly excluded because a) they are not the same religion, b) do not fit what the business owners saw as 'prayer', c) would deny any chance of a discount at anyone who did not fit into the personal category of the owners.
And that is where it becomes tricky. Would the business offer a 15% discount to a group of atheists who had a declaration of thanks to friends and loved ones instead of prayer, in lieu of a prayer? Would they offer the same discount to theists of other faiths, such as Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Jews, for example? I would imagine not. I would imagine that the discount would only apply to a particular religious group or portion of the community. And I would imagine a Muslim family laying down their prayer mat in the restaurant to pray and give thanks to Allah would not gather the same level of support a Christian family holding hands and praising Jesus would have. In short, while both are classified as 'prayer', only one would benefit from the discount.
Enter discrimination and the illegality of such policies. Certainly, the business is free to offer discounts to its customers, but the law also dictates that discrimination based on one's religious leanings or beliefs will also not be tolerated. And what this restaurant tried to do was just that. It attempted to discriminate against its non-Christian customers while discriminating for its Christian customers and the end result was that the favoured portion of their customers gained some benefits for eating there because they were of a particular religion or religious group at the exclusion of all others. If the business owner had stated that families with all white children would get a discount, no one would bat an eyelid at the illegality of such a policy. Because it distinctly discriminates against anyone who is incapable of fitting into that criteria and the result is a gain for those who do.
It's illegal and simply bad business. It's downright rude and unwelcoming and skirts illegality because it so directly discriminates against people who do not fit into the group the business wants to support more over any other, and all based solely on religious belief and religious affiliation.
