Posted on 03/26/2012 11:21:01 AM PDT by CHRISTIAN DIARIST
Starbucks held its annual shareholders meeting last week, during which the Seattle-based coffee company affirmed that support for same-sex marriage is one of its core values.
Following the meeting, the National Organization of Marriage announced a Dump Starbucks protest campaign.
The majority of Americans, said NOM President Brian Brown, believe that marriage is between one man and one woman. They will not be pleased to learn that their money is being used to advance gay marriage in society.
Browns remarks, and NOMs protest campaign, fomented predictable yelps of outrage from the LGBTQIA (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, Intersex, Aesexual) community, which considers opposition to same-sex marriage prima facie evidence of bigotry.
But it also elicited unexpected criticism from certain leaders within the evangelical community, who think that Christians ought not join NOMs protest campaign.
Its not that Im saying a boycott in and of itself is always evil or wrong, blogged Dr. Russell Moore, Dean of the School of Theology and Senior Vice President for Academic Administration at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky.
Its just that, in this case (and many like it), he continued, a boycott exposes us to our worst tendencies. Christians are tempted, again and again, to fight live the devil to please the Lord.
Well, I respectfully disagree with Dr. Moore. I believe that NOM, whose stated mission is to protect marriage and the faith communities that sustain it, is standing in the gap for those of who are not homophobic, but who believe that God intended marriage to be exclusively between man and woman.
I had no idea Starbucks had waded into the same-sex marriage debate. As a customer, I do not expect the coffee company to embrace my point of view on the issue. I do, however, expect the company to be neutral.
As Brown suggested, I am deeply offended that Starbucks is using the money I have spent on its lattes to support public policy that offends my religious sensibilities. Just as I am deeply offended that the Girl Scouts are in bed with Planned Parenthood, the nations leading abortion providers, while they are asking me to buy their cookies.
Well, I am no longer buying Girl Scout cookies, though the girls actually selling the cookies know nothing about the organizations tacit support for abortion. And I will no longer buy my lattes at Starbucks, though the baristas working there have nothing to with the companys misguided core values.
Companies like Starbucks, organizations like the Girl Scouts, dont care if they offend the faith community. Thats why neither will get another dollar from me.
Let’s see...last month I was supposed to patronize Starbucks because of their stance on gun rights, and this month I’m supposed to boycott them because they support gay marriage.
It could hurt my brain if I let it.
easy for me, I don’t go for overpriced coffee and have my money further their agenda which I do not go along.
I have never given them one red cent of my money. I am just one small consumer, but I do care where my money goes. No Starbucks, Ben and Jerrys, Homo Depot, Heinz, Govt. Motors, or Girl Scouts.
I know I am in the minority here, but I honestly don’t give a shit what political stance a company takes. You paid for your latte, the money is no longer yours. It now belongs to Starbucks. They can do whatever they want with their money. If they want to support anything, even if a majority of the country doesn’t agree with them, well, it is a free country. I won’t join the boycott. Might even buy a second coffee just for the heck of it. They are following their conscience. Can’t fault them for that.
I quit Starbucks after getting cold coffee...twice. Why should I pay big bucks for cold coffee? I can make my own and it will be hotter and cheaper.
The first two words in the title sums it up nicely.
In my little corner of the world we don’t have a Starbuck’s. I have seen them other places but never had a cup of coffee. One morning, a couple of weeks ago in Atlanta I was invited by a factory rep for coffee at a Starbuck’s. He ordered. I saw the bill, all most $20 for 2 coffees. I don’t care what they support,whether I agree or not, which I don’t in this case, they won’t see me again.
StarBucks has a lion’s share of the “Coffee Cafes” in mega-churches across America. Hopefully these churches will go back to ‘grocery store’ coffee and homemade cookies.
Well, that’s it. I will have a few extra bucks each month now. Won’t hurt Starbucks. But I’ll feel better.
I have to agree with not participating in a boycott. I know a lot of people who boycott because they are sure that their money goes straight to the abortionist. This would only be true if the people at Starbucks corporate and everyone else in the chain were machines, not humans with free will. The idea of not engaging in trade because you are certain of where the money will go is a bit dehumanizing.
It also makes no sense to cut off the only relationship with the local barista when the company’s finances assume greater loss if they were to switch position. The boycott has (in Just War Theory terms) no reasonable chance of success.
Everyone sins. Some sins are public. Unless you are some form of Anabaptist, you should not be in the practice of shunning. You would end up shunning everyone eventually, and there goes any chance of bringing a community together. We are still mandated to engage activity with sinners - just not participate in the sin.
IMHO, the only real reason to boycott is making a bad product, since trade is the prime motivation to improve the product. Other motivations seem only spiteful to me.
Seraphicaviary
Having no values is core values in diversity speech.
When traveling I stop at McDonalds for coffee. It’s hit or miss, as to whether or not I’ll get good coffee, or crap, but by the time I’m ready to stop for coffee, its the caffeine fix I’m after, not the taste.
I buy my coffee from a local business in owned by a Tea Party Patriot. As I mentioned a few days ago in another thread, anyone who traverses Route 17 in Southern VA, and would like a much better gourmet coffee for the morning commute.. AND support the business aspirations of a fellow Patriot .. shoot a private mail over and I’ll give you the location and other particulars.
never visited one... never will...
Thanks for reminding me why.
It’s idiotic business strategy to take a stand on a controversial issue when you have stores on every block and depend on a huge volume of customers. Is Starbucks trying to outdo Carbonite?
Their coffee tastes burnt. Fast food and convenience store coffee tastes better.
Who's surprised that a Seattle based company (home to aging, leftover hippies) would oppose a conservative value like families?
Anyone?
Anyone at all??
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