Im probably going to ruffle a few feathers with what I have to say about this, but thats a risk any of us take when we share stuff thats on our minds, especially when we share it on Facebook... I honestly have to say that I am glad that they have stopped doing this...It is not because I dont think people shouldnt be praying in public if thats what they choose to do, but rather because praying in public should not be grounds for receiving a discount...Why should anyone receive a preferential discount for praying? Would they also be offering this discount to non-Christians who are also praying to their respective higher beings? Are they screening the prayers for certain key words or actions to determine if the prayer is a legitimate prayer or being prayed to the right god? Im not saying that anyone who chooses to pray in public should not do so, it is the choice of those who do it to do so if they see fit...However, to be rewarded by a business that is open to the general public and which caters to ALL members of the general public, cannot realistically favor one demographic of the public over another... Think of it this way, if these same people were being charged 15% more for praying in public, then they would be up in arms over this, and I would not be one to disagree with them about that...It wouldnt be right...At the same time, it is exactly what is happening to their non-praying customers, who are in the same establishment and receiving the same services from the owners... This is not a matter of taking away anyones religious freedoms at all...The owners can still practice this policy if they want to...They chose to stop for whatever reasons they have at the moment, and they are free to resume the practice at any time really... They received some backlash over it because it was viewed as being discriminatory, or rather, non-preferential to some customers who are not religious, or practice a different religion or who choose not to pray in public... I honestly dont believe that the issue is praying in public...People are going to do it, just like people are going to do whatever it is that makes the happy and gives them a sense of peace, be it exercising, meditation, helping others, etc.... Giving a specialized discount becomes a matter of preferential treatment when it is being given to one set of customers over another...Especially when it is based upon religious practices, and not something more universally tangible like customer loyalty, etc., which all of their customers should be eligible for... If they want to reward public prayer, then they need to reward all religious groups and their respective prayers, not just that of the Judeo-Christian denominations...Actually,if you want my full opinion, they should not be rewarding public prayer at all when they are a public entity, which is there to serve the public, in the public when the public is not a universal religion... The owners made that choice when they opened a business to the public...If they wanted to serve only other Christians, then they should have a sign posted stating such, and I think we all know that such an action from anyone regardless of who it was would be met with pitch forks, flaming torches and vocal angry mobs of people... If they choose to resume and continue to offer the discount, that is of course their choice to do so, but they also need to be prepared to take whatever criticism they receive for doing so...They are alienating a large portion of the public, and while I believe that they are honestly not saying that the non-Christian public isnt welcome, it is definitely the tone that is being set and received when they choose to show preferential treatment to one set of customers over another...
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 19:15:55 +0000
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