'Daily Show' Segment Defends Restaurant Offering Prayer Discount

Comedy Central's "The Daily Show" recently highlighted the plight of a restaurant owner in North Carolina after she was attacked by an atheist group for offering a discount to customers.

Mary Haglund, owner of Mary's Gourmet Diner in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, received a threatening letter from the Freedom From Religion Foundation earlier this year after offering a 15 percent discount to customers if they prayed before their meal.

While the letter from the FFRF argued that Haglund was discriminating against atheists by offering the discount, the restaurant's owner said the purpose of the discount was to promote gratitude, and any type of pause or moment of silence before eating one's meal would earn the 15 percent discount.

Although Haglund discontinue the discount following the atheist group's letter, the restaurant owner recently appeared on an episode of "The Daily Show with Jon Stewart" to discuss the incident.

Haglund told the Winston-Salem Journal that she hopes her appearance on the satirical news show serves as an end to the months-long drama she has endured with the Freedom From Religion Foundation.

The restaurant's owner's Facebook shows her friends and fans adorning her with praise for her performance on the "Daily Show," where Haglund was able to keep a straight face in response to correspondent Jordan Klepper's questions.

Klepper also interviewed FFRF representative Dan Barker, who said the controversy at Mary's Gourmet Diner was a "civil rights issue."

"What atheist would pray to a non-entity? No one does that," Barker argued.

"One who doesn't want to pay full price for a BLT," Klepper replied.