Coffee Shop Kicks Out Atheists
The Universists explain:
[Cool Beans] owner Amy Anderson said on Monday “I am a Christian, and I am not comfortable with your group putting fliers on our table or having meetings here.” Other local religious groups do meet at the business, which gladly hosts fliers for Christian groups including CASBA (Catholic Singles in the Birmingham Area) and Elevate College Ministry. Confronted with the discrimination, Universist Movement Director Ford Vox informed Anderson that “Over the years, businesses have discriminated against people for reasons of race, gender, sexual orientation and religion. Your policy is part of that sad history.”
Anderson's exclusionary policy, made on the sole basis of our religious views, is in violation of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which stipulates that "All persons shall be entitled to the full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, and privileges, advantages, and accommodations of any place of public accommodation, as defined in this section, without discrimination or segregation on the ground of race, color, religion, or national origin."
The Universists say that they have tried to discuss the issue with Amy Anderson in order to change her mind, but it appears that her religious prejudice and bigotry are simply more important than simply ethical fairness — much less following federal law. A court battle would be costly for everyone and it’s unlikely that people would feel especially happy regardless of the outcome. Thus, a boycott is being worked on instead.
I try to patronize local business rather than large corporations because I believe in supporting the community. Thus, it’s a shame for a local place like Cool Beans to become the target of a boycott aimed at hurting its business, but the cause is indisputably just and I hope that they are successful. Cool Beans has a web site you can use to contact them to express your opinion, but if you do please be polite and civil. Their actions may mean that they don’t deserve civility, but you should be better than them and show it anyway.
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Comments
Amy shouldn’t have done that however athiest are posers trying to get pity for themselves since they don’t believe in anything. A real athiest shouldn’t acknowledge that there is a God and shouldn’t follow a group acting as if they were a religion. So in a way I understand how Amy feels when posers are trying to inflict their believes on others.
It’s a lie that atheists “don’t believe in anything.” Atheists simply don’t believe in any gods.
Now, why do you assert that atheists are “posers”?
Some religions are atheistic in that they either have no gods or explicitly reject the existence of gods. This means that there is nothing about being a “real atheist” which preclude having a religion.
That makes no sense whatsoever. The mere fact that some group meets in a coffee shop doesn’t mean that that group is “inflicting” their “believes” on others.
Austin – The link for Cool Beans doesn’t work. When I type in http://www.coolbeansweb.com I get an atheist resource website?
Dominic Bellefleur (1). I have never tried to “get pity for” myself. I believe strongly in the physical and biological sciences. Would you be interested in discussing geophysics or cosmology with me? No? Choose any physical science…
Maybe they went out of business and some atheists bought the domain name when it became free?
Austin, I am a bit confused. You consistantly say on your blog that atheists are not a ‘religion’. I don’t understand how atheists are feeling descriminated in this article since the Director Ford Vox stated it was about race, gender, sexual orientation or religion.
I do agree that they should NOT have thrown atheists out. I just want that to be clear.
Victoria, stop being disingenuous. These people are obviously being discriminated against on the basis of religion. Duh.
Unfortunately the web link given does not work. I tried to find such a site, and did not succeed. I suppose it’s too much to hope they are out of business?
Atheism is not a religion. Universism is a religious group whose religion, Universism, is atheistic.
Theism is not a religion and not all theists are religious. Christianity is a religion which is theistic.
You will almost never hear me side with religious people of any kind (except in my role as president of church and state), but isn’t it a private business and if so, aren’t they allowed to let in who they want, and kick out who they don’t want?
Atheist do believe things, just not in any gods.
You stated:
“…trying to get pity for themselves since they don’t believe in anything.”
Trying to get pity for themselves? No they’re are standing up against bigotry directed at themselves which is what anyone should do if they found themselves int he same situation.
Also it does not follow that someone is trying to get pity for themselves since they “don’t believe in anything”. That doesn’t make any sense.
Sounds like the atheists were trying to meet in the coffee shop and she was too bigoted in her views and decided to kick them out.
No one is “inflicting” anyone with anything. Besides, is imaginary god that weak and useless that it can’t stand up to a small group of atheists?
No. It’s illegal to refuse to serve people on the basis of characteristics like race, gender, religion, and disability.
amay should have done any objection to atheist as he
should have taken part to discuss and understand the
veiw of atheist and their reality about God and Relifion. After all this is buseness for coffee shop not
programme of atheist. If this programme belong to retiered seneoer citizens, old officers group, military group, or sport group for same coffee shop to discuss
different subject then what was his reaction
LETS HOPE THAT HE MAY JOIN TO-MARROW ATHEIST
GROUP AND THEN COME TO KNOW YOUR GOD LOST SOME WHERE
Dominic, you clown
Cool Beans is still in business. Actually, cool beans coffee house USED TO have a web site. It is now mine. They have tried to trick me into thinking it was under new management so I would release the domain name but I checked with the Secretary of State’s office. Not fooled.