The Seal Beach Atheist Meetup Group held its last meeting at Hennessy’s Tavern in Seal Beach on Sunday. They meet monthly to discuss issues important to the local Atheist community. They’ve never experienced trouble before, but Sunday was different. Tavern patrons asked management to have the Atheist Meetup Group remove a sign the patrons thought offensive. The sign, and A4 sized document with one inch black type, showed this message, “Seal Beach Atheists Meeting” along with a picture from the last meeting. I would not call this offensive and in my experience with meetup groups, it is common to have a sign advertising your event. I think asking for its removal is unfair treatment.
Claire, one of the meetup organizers, had this to say.
The manager came over and told us to take the
sign down. Flabbergasted, we asked why; she said she'd received several complaints (from who, she wouldn't say - though the gray-haired man at the bar who kept giving us evil stares definitely aroused our suspicions), and the signs had to go.We asked the manager if she'd tell a Christian group to take their signs down, and, although she said she would, we doubt very much that she would ever be faced with that situation.
We did find humor in it, though - the thought that the
easily-offended, anti-free-speech, close-minded intolerants were spending their Sunday morning not in church, but propping up a bar.
Hennessey’s tavern bills itself as “Your Neighborhood Meeting Place”. I don’t think they lived up to their slogan. Please join the Seal Beach Atheist Meetup Group in protesting their treatment. They suggest writing a letter to the local store or sending an email to corporate headquarters at Info@hennesseystavern.com.
- Hennessy's Bar & Grill, 143 Main Street, Seal Beach, CA 90740.
The Seal Beach Atheist Meetup Group plans to find another venue to hold its future meetings. I’d suggest the Irisher a few doors down on the north side of street, but it’s not family friendly.
***update
This story was picked up by the Orange County Register. See Atheist group says it was bullied at Seal Beach tavern by Jaimee Lynn Fletcher.
Logging you in...
Baconsbud 96p · 804 weeks ago
TexasHeather · 804 weeks ago
And you can bet that if the tables were ever turned, the Christian group would raise quite a fuss at taking the sign down, claim discrimination, etc. One day they'll realize -- tolerance, discrimination, censorship, etc. are all two-way streets. The more (we) Christians try to censor everyone else, the wider we open the door to being censored ourselves.
People, it's not worth it! Live and let live, folks; live and let live.
Jaimee · 804 weeks ago
I tried going to the Meetup site to talk to a member but I have to be part of the group to access any e-mails.
Your help would be much appreciated. I will also do a redirect to this blog on our Web site and give credit to this blog for first reporting the story.
Thanks!
Jaimee
Mojoey 107p · 804 weeks ago
Vince @Avangelism · 804 weeks ago
Mojoey 107p · 804 weeks ago
Jack 119p · 804 weeks ago
Jack 119p · 804 weeks ago
Mojoey 107p · 804 weeks ago
Richard Wade · 804 weeks ago
Put it to the test. Once everyone is seated, put a sign on the table saying "Seal Beach Christian's Meeting" and see what happens.
Of course that would require patronizing the place one more time, so maybe just forget it. I guess the proprietor has too many customers, so he favors Mr. Grayhair over a whole group. The natural consequence of such treatment is loss of business. Bye.
Richard Wade · 804 weeks ago
To the proprietor:
If a customer complained to you that a group quietly meeting in your tavern had a sign on the table saying, "Seal Beach Jewish Meetup Group," or "Seal Beach African American Meetup Group" would you have asked those groups to take down their sign? That is how ugly is the bigotry that you supported by conceding to your complaining customer's intolerance. According to reports, the Seal Beach Atheist Meetup Group was behaving appropriately, and the only basis of the complaint was that they were indeed, atheists.
Take a long hard look into your heart and rid yourself of bigotry against people who have done you no harm, and have the courage to stand up to people who ask you to go along with their bigotry.
Mojoey 107p · 804 weeks ago
AZAtheist · 804 weeks ago
steve p · 804 weeks ago
talkingsnake · 804 weeks ago
"Just a quick note to hopefully get someone to stop and think about the small act of telling the Atheist Society to take down their placard in the face of a complaint.
What a wonderful opportunity missed! To be able to explain to someone that we live in a free country, where open and free speech is valued and is indeed
one of the cornerstones of our society. No one has the right to NOT be offended - and that has to be pretty liberal use of that term in this context, wouldn't you agree?
It is disingenuous to claim the same action would have been taken had the sign read "Our Blessed Lady of the Holy Ointment Gathering" - it's just not true.
I hope the management team at the establishment has a moment to reflect on the opportunity missed and the double standard so frequently applied.
Non-belief is the fastest growing segment in America, with California likely leading the way. And it is precisely because of scenarios like this, where there is some
dire need on the part of believers to push their beliefs on others, or at least discriminate against them in any way possible.
And this really strikes at the ultimate heart of it for Hennessy Tavern - this group will meet elsewhere, the Tavern will be avoided by other non-believers, but their
one or two noisy patrons will be happy.
Congratulations."
butch · 804 weeks ago
No2Religion 85p · 804 weeks ago
I hope their business suffers from this but somehow I think it will become a favorite fundie hangout.
Mojoey 107p · 804 weeks ago
No2Religion 85p · 804 weeks ago
nedclark
The sign is starkly different from aggressive `proselytizing' because it is mute... if you don't like what it says, you have the power to STOP READING IT.