Athiest Group Really Upset By Pizza Parlor’s Church Discount

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.”

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!”

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?”

Good point.

Crossed at Pirate’s Cove. Follow me on Twitter @WilliamTeach.

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