Camp Quest Oklahoma fundraiser nixed by Christian business owner.

[rug]

April 8, 2013
By JT Eberhard

Camp Quest Oklahoma was running a fundraiser with the help of a restaurant called Oklahoma Joe’s BBQ. The organizers of CQ OK met with the restaurant a full month ahead of time. In that meeting, the representatives of the restaurant signed off on this flyer.



And it’s not like Camp Quest makes their mission a secret. So the restaurant had to know what they were getting into. So over one hour into their fundraiser, this happened:



- snip -

UPDATE:

Joe Davidson has now changed his story up a little bit as people are calling in. He is saying the CQ OK people showed up to hand out literature at the restaurant, without permission, and the people who showed up with the flier were given the 10% back and said they should donate it as they see fit.

The first part is untrue, according to the organizers. They say they had permission, and that the brochures were sitting on a table by their fundraiser. They also said the 10% was only given back after massive complaints.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wwjtd/2013/04/camp-quest-oklahoma-kicked-out-of-their-own-fundraiser-by-christian-business-owner/

[edhopper]

1. Science

is so unchristian.

[Jim__]

2. What caused the change of heart?

Why did the restaurant back out after one hour of fund-raising? Were customers complaining? Did something happen at the restaurant? I didn't see anything in the article that gives a reason. The sign in the window indicates that the restaurant owner came to some new conclusion about the nature of Camp Quest; but the article doesn't tell us what caused this to happen.

[longship]

3. They found out science meant EVILution?

No info on why yet, but apparently somebody complained.

[rug]

4. In the update it's stated CQ was handing out literature in the restaurant without permission.

CQ denies it.

[Jim__]

6. I hope something more specific comes out.

I wonder if Joe Davidson was ok with the flyer, but found the brochures offensive.

[Phillip McCleod]

5. pretty obvious that the restaurant mgmt didn't know..

..what camp quest is until they got there. once they were there and reality set in, they had to put a stop to it because it didn't comport with their 'christian organization'. at least that's what the sign on the door implies.

[Rob H.]

8. That theory really doesn't hold water

unless the restaurant representatives didn't know what the words "free-thought" and "humanist" meant on the flyer they saw and approved a full month in advance of the event. ("Free-thought" I could almost understand as it's not as common as "agnostic" or "atheist," but I find it really hard to believe that they don't know what a humanist is.)

Here's an attendee's contribution to the comments on the page linked in the OP:

Melissa says:
April 9, 2013 at 12:40 am

Thanks for posting this. I was there and can verify some things. We were asked to leave. We did not hand out pamphlets (we didn’t even have any–they were brochures and few stickers, for the people who came to the event to take home) or talk to any customers that weren’t already with our group. (He’s really dialing this story up on the local news. Now he’s got us “handing out pamphlets and promoting atheism”. Not true.) He also did not act until two other workers took one of our brochures into the back of the restaurant. Before then, he and the manager actually came out and made small talk with us.

The most important point, I think, is that this happened an hour after the event started and we had paid. We had paid with the agreement that 10% would go to the cause. Originally, he backed off on that. He said, “I can’t support this cause” (never mind that it’s still our money, not his–money he wouldn’t have at all if we hadn’t come in to eat for this event). When I spoke with him, he still did not budge on donating, and finally agreed to give me the 10% of my ticket back. I don’t know when he decided to donate everyone else’s after all (if he’s not lying about that too…) but it was by no means an immediate decision. At first, he was going to kick us out and take our donations for himself.

Think about that for a while.

Edited for clarity

[Act_of_Reparation]

9. I, too, find it difficult to believe

We're talking about the Bible Belt, where pastors routinely preach against the evils of "secular humanism". I think it more likely the owner perchance did not actually read the flyer before approving it.

That said, in either case, the confusion is entirely on him.

[Phillip McCleod]

10. exactly he's that dumb.

didn't bother to read the flyer

[Goblinmonger]

14. Or he started getting complaints from customers

and thought it better to shit on the atheist group than piss off the Christians.

[backscatter712]

7. How Christian of that restaurant...

[cleanhippie]

11. If a restaurant owner were to throw out a group that prayed when they sat down to eat because prayer

"doesn't align with the atheist philosophy of our organization", this country would be in full-fucking crisis mode, all networks all the time.

The silence about this outright discrimination and bigotry is appalling, yet so expected.

[rug]

12. What silence? You're reading about it right here.

[cleanhippie]

13. Were this to have happened as I described above, it would be headline news right now.

People from coast to coast losing their collective minds at the persecution, the bigotry, the hate.

Yet when exactly that happens to others...meh.

[Goblinmonger]

15. you mean all the posts LOOKING for some reason why the guy did what he did?

Yeah, I read all those. I don't see many of the usual vocal theists in this group coming in here to say how much of a shitty move this was by the restaurant.

[rug]

16. What posts?

[Goblinmonger]

17. Of course

there is nothing upthread that supposes that the brochures (which the atheist group says weren't being handed out without permission) were offensive. You get that, right? Couldn't be that the owner is an asshole. Must be that the atheists were being offensive.

[Phillip McCleod]

18. yeh apparently they had..

..stridently put militant brochures on the table.

[Jim__]

19. "We did not hand out pamphlets (we didn’t even have any–they were brochures and few stickers ..."

Imagine looking for clarification from people with that kind of clarity on their side.

[Goblinmonger]

20. Yeah, it's not that hard if you aren't looking to apologize for the Christian asshole.

He is saying the CQ OK people showed up to hand out literature at the restaurant, without permission

So the owner is claiming
1. they were handing out literature; and
2. they didn't have permission to do so.

Then comes the line you think is unclear:

The first part is untrue, according to the organizers. They say they had permission, and that the brochures were sitting on a table by their fundraiser.

So, the part you don't understand is answering both claims by Christian asshole business owner. Specifically:
1. they were NOT handing out literature; and
2. they DID have permission.

But, hey, continue to look as hard as you want to find a way to make the atheists assholes in this scenario.

Do you get it now, rug? (Yes, I know I'm not responding to rug, but he was the one claiming that nobody in this thread was looking for ways to excuse the asshole Christian owner).

[Jim__]

21. You're the only one using the phrase "atheists assholes" - I didn't call any names.

I just wanted to know the details of what happened. If someone asking for details is offensive to you, you must be afraid of the details.

[rug]

23. Since you're addressing me, I'll be happy to correct you.

It was you complaining about the responses.

I asked you what posts.

You didn't provide any.

You are clearly reading something into this that is not evident. Far be it from me to read your mind but your words are certainly reflecting a heightened sensitivity.

For the record, if this guy cancelled the event after an hour because he belatedly realized it was an atheist group and not a kids' camp, then he's an idiot, a coward or a bigot. Perhaps all three.

On the other hand, if the group was handing out literature in the restaurant without telling the owner, then they're presumptuous idiots.

As it is, neither you nor I know what the facts are.

Feel free to produce some. I can supply my own projections and suppositions.

Also for the record, I would welcome a flyer on freethought about as much as I would welcome a copy of Watchtower while I'm gnawing on a spare rib.

[rug]

22. Do you have a post to point to?