Religion in restaurants

[Broken English]

You've completely misunderstood me about Good News - I'm talking about good News, period. Not "vs Bad News" and not "if you don't believe this, you're going to hell" (I think I said that pretty clearly). What if Christians actually believe that they are trying to be helpful, that what they're doing might actually help? Seems kind of positive to me. I don't object to the Dalai Lama commenting on world situations, nor do I think he's trying to make me a Buddhist. Again, while I'm a Christian, I couldn't be less offended by images and symbology of Asian religions in a restaurant. A friendly suggestion to pray and to be grateful, in a world that is increasingly uncivil and ungrateful, seems pretty inoffensive. If anyone finds that so offensive, they absolutely should have the courage of their convictions and leave. The fatc that you have said that you don't find Asian religious imagery offensive but are offended by Christian imagery say quite a lot.

The "Bad News" is always implied, regardless. You really don't get it though, do you? Most people don't want to be preached at, it doesn't matter what your intentions are. This is how Christians got their bad reputation in the first place ... well, one of the reasons, among the wars, executions of the innocent because they were "posessed by satan" and the crap about the eternal damnation of sections of society.

Anyway, we're now way off topic.

[Andrew Fenton]

I fail to see how this is even a thread. If you don't like the ambiance in a restaurant, including the decor, music or, yes, the religious messages, take your business elsewhere. It's really that simple.

[munchymom]

You've completely misunderstood me about Good News - I'm talking about good News, period. Not "vs Bad News" and not "if you don't believe this, you're going to hell" (I think I said that pretty clearly). What if Christians actually believe that they are trying to be helpful, that what they're doing might actually help? Seems kind of positive to me. I don't object to the Dalai Lama commenting on world situations, nor do I think he's trying to make me a Buddhist. Again, while I'm a Christian, I couldn't be less offended by images and symbology of Asian religions in a restaurant. A friendly suggestion to pray and to be grateful, in a world that is increasingly uncivil and ungrateful, seems pretty inoffensive. If anyone finds that so offensive, they absolutely should have the courage of their convictions and leave. The fatc that you have said that you don't find Asian religious imagery offensive but are offended by Christian imagery say quite a lot.

I'm really not making myself clear here, I guess, but the line I draw is "Is this imagery trying to convert me?" If so = offensive, if not = not offensive. Which is why I said at the beginning that it was the particular verse - a suggestion to pray - that made it offensive in a way that a picture of a cross or a verse that does not include the imperative mood is not. There is no way to be friendly to me while suggesting that I pray.

I specifically said that I don't think anyone in this thread is explicitly saying "repent or go to hell" - but it is an implicit part of any attempt to proselytize. I don't think the Universalists are knocking on doors much these days.

I think that some Christians, especially in the United States, are so used to being in a society suffused with Christianity that it's like the old saying about how fish don't know what water is.

I think we have wandered a bit afield from food here, and I can't stay here all night just because "someone is wrong on the Internet!" so y'all carry on without me. If anyone has something to address to me specifically, you can send me a private message.

[violetfox]

Well, I tried unsuccessfully to show that the restaurant may not have intended to cause offense.

Edited August 30, 2011 by violetfox (log)

[Arey]

//This particular verse - an instruction to pray ...//

It seems to me that at least grammatically it is an instruction on how to pray rather than an instruction to pray.

I don't see it as an instruction to pray addressed to the general public, or proselytizing. It reads to me as an instruction from the author to people who he knew were praying regularly and might have anxieties or concerns or as the King James version puts careful (i;e full of care) to stop worrying just be sure to include all your cares in your prayers. A small plaque on the host's stand seems neither hostile nor unwelcoming. It certainly seems preferable to convey this message by playing "Be happy don't worry " as background music for the diners.

Hostile and unwelcoming would be if I ordered a steak and was told I couldn't have steak because it was Friday. Since this is a food forum and it was a "good meal" the op should have included what was eaten and could have added that their enjoyment of the meal was diminished because prominently displayed on the host's stand was a plaque with a quote from the bible that was both inappropriate in a restaurant environment and could offensive to a person not of the faith which was source of the quote. Expressed that way it might have left some readers wondering what the quote said rather than immediately putting some readers on the defensive about a topic which was food only for thought and was sticking in some readers craws and making them dyspeptic.

Edited August 30, 2011 by Arey (log)

[annabelle]

I don't think it's "bashing" or "bigotry" to not want to be evangelized at a restaurant. I was especially sympathetic to the person who said that it would be acceptable in certain contexts, because I kind of felt the same way but didn't really know how to verbalize it. If the restaurant had been a barbecue or soul-food or down-home country cookin' restaurant, I wouldn't have been as surprised as I was (and I might have even thought it added to the "authenticity".)

Added to the authenticity? Are you for real? I can't believe that you are finding the benign presentation of a religious sentiment in a non-ethnic setting to be inauthentic. Unreal.

[prasantrin]

We all pray, but in different ways. Have you ever said anything like "I hope so-and-so does well on his test," or "I hope I get the job"? You may not be praying to a god, but you are praying.

And we all try to convince others that our beliefs are "correct", whether it be a belief that particular restaurant or brand is better than another, or a belief that a particular way of living is better (which is how I view religion). Why is the latter considered inappropriate when the former is more accepted? Because of political correctness? Well, we all know what George Carlin said about political correctness (or euphemisms, as he called them).

The restaurant was not trying to "push" their religion with one simple sign; and contrary to an earlier post which stated the op was "commanded" (or similar forceful word) to pray by the sign, it was not even telling people they had to pray. There is nothing wrong with stating a belief, and they did so only once (in a sign, no less, not even verbally).

Mountain. Molehill.