Atheist in Pa. Files Complaint Over Restaurant's 'Churchgoer' Discount
A man in Pennsylvania has filed a complaint with the state's Human Relations Commission, stating that a local restaurant's promotion is discriminatory against him because he does not go to church.
John Wolff, 80, a retired electrical engineer and atheist, filed the complaint against Prudhomme's Lost Cajun Kitchen in Columbia, Pa., after the restaurant advertised a discount on dine-in service for any customer that brings in a church bulletin on Sundays.
"It rubbed me the wrong way because the implication is that they reward churchgoers, and I am not one. So, I am not as good as the next churchgoer. That's not true," Wolff told CBN.
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The restaurants co-owner, Sharon Prudhomme, explained that it is only a promotion to bring more people through the doors on a traditionally slow day.
"I live in America," she continued. "I am an American. I am working hard. We are here seven days a week. I will advertise as I see fit."
Prudhomme insists that she is not discriminating against anyone and that religious leaders told her that anyone can walk in a religious building and obtain a bulletin, without attending services.
"Come on in, grab a bulletin, you don't have to stay at church. You can take it in and still have a nice dining discount. So, everybody's covered," she told Lancaster.com.
The restaurant has also received letters from the Freedom from Religion Foundation calling for the restaurant to stop using the promotion.
"I did this not out of spite, but out of a feeling against the prevailing self-righteousness that stems from religion, particularly in Lancaster County," said Wolff.
A Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission spokeswoman confirmed the complaint had been filed and there is currently an ongoing investigation.
"He is alleging he was offered different service based on his religious creed," spokeswoman, Shannon Powers, said in a statement.
