A conflict over a promotion offering discounts to restaurant patrons who bring in their "current church bulletin" has been settled — for now.

At least nobody is saying they lost.

Not the atheists who took issue with the web promotion.

Not Sharon and David Prudhomme, who run Prudhomme's Lost Cajun Kitchen, 50 Lancaster Ave., Columbia.

The Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission is allowing the promotion to continue.

But, according to the commission's legally binding settlement order, discounts must be given to bulletin holders "from any group oriented around the subject of religious faith," including atheists, who are considered by the federal courts to have a religious creed.

And, according to commission spokeswoman Shannon Powers, Prudhomme's must better express that intent.

The case was closed Sept. 24, and the parties were notified Thanksgiving week.

Powers said the restaurant has 60 days after the notification to report on how it will comply.

The "church bulletin" phrase that drew atheists' ire had not been changed as of Wednesday afternoon.

Sharon Prudhomme, who is known for her Louisiana cuisine, says she never set out to exclude anyone.

"I'm glad to hear" about the resolution of the case, she said.

Rebecca Markert, staff attorney for the Madison, Wis.-based Freedom From Religion Foundation, said the settlement was a win, too, for her group.

The atheist group, which Markert said got involved in about 30 similar cases last year, had argued in three letters to the restaurant last April that it was showing favoritism based on religion.

A local foundation member, John Wolff, later filed a complaint with the Human Relations Commission.

Wolff could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday.

Sharon Prudhomme said her well-publicized exchanges with him drew worldwide attention and scores of offers by attorneys to represent her pro bono.

Meanwhile, the long-running 10 percent discount has increased weekend restaurant traffic.

"The whole reason I started it was simply a marketing ploy," said Prudhomme, who added that many other restaurants offer similar deals. "The 11-to-4 was a little bit light on a Sunday."

And there were four churches within walking distance.

Independence Law Center attorney Randall Wenger said the Human Relations Commission order bolsters the idea that society should not "treat religion as poison" to be banished from public life.

 "The settlement basically says we'll continue to do what we're doing," added Wenger, whose Harrisburg-based religious liberty group represented the Prudhommes.

Added Wenger in an email: "Changing what was on the website was not part of the deal –– and needlessly would tramp the Prudhommes' freedom of speech."

Powers had a different view.

"We wouldn't side with either party," she said. "Both parties have made the issue into something that it's not. We're not attacking religions."

Or businesses. They're welcome to extend special deals to firefighters, veterans or any group they choose, Powers said. But if they accommodate the public, under the Civil Rights Act, they can't legally exclude anyone based on religious creed.

"We made a suggestion" of a "simple" language change on the restaurant website that would have resolved the issue early on, Powers added, but it wasn't accepted, so an investigation was conducted.

"The word 'church' is problematic," Powers said.

"They could just say 'bring in your bulletin from a faith-oriented group' or however they want to word that."
jrutter@lnpnews.com