Confused Christian Evangelists Pissed About ‘Anti-Jesus’ Starbucks Cups
By Jacob Geers
Starbucks recently transitioned to their iconic red holiday season cups, and the religious right are mobilizing against them.
The movement started when social media evangelist Joshua Feuerstein visited his local Starbucks, and saw that the plain (!?) red holiday cups didn’t say “Merry Christmas” on them. He was irate, and posted this short video to rally the faithful:
Do you realize that Starbucks wants to take Christ and Christmas off their brand new cups? […] Do you realize Starbucks isn’t allowed to say Merry Christmas to customers? Well, I decided, instead of simply boycotting, why don’t we start a movement?
So when I went in and asked for my coffee they asked for my name and I told them my name was ‘Merry Christmas.’ So guess what Starbucks? I tricked you into putting ‘Merry Christmas’ on your cup. […]
And Starbucks, guess what? To offend you, I made sure to wear my Jesus Christ shirt into your store, and since you hate the second amendment, I even carried my gun!
His video kicked off the movement, #MerryChristmasStarbucks, which encouraged Christians to go to Starbucks and tell baristas that their name is “Merry Christmas,” thereby forcing Starbucks to put the phrase on their cups.
Challenge Accepted!🎄 Let's put Christ back in Christmas! #MerryChristmasStarbucks
— aurelie (@aurelierose1011) November 6, 2015
https://twitter.com/Lkjar/status/662408517366784002
https://twitter.com/Rain_Fire75/status/662490042296885248
Im asking Starbucks to put Merry Christmas on my cup. #MerryChristmasStarbucks pic.twitter.com/CuZIBxZ6oS
— Marsha Brady (@RuWaPsalms100) November 6, 2015
The kicker, of course, is that Starbucks didn’t remove the phrase “Merry Christmas” from their cups this year, because it was never there to begin with. The tradition of special holiday cups date back to 1997, but they have never had text that mentioned any specific holiday.
Somehow I don’t think Jesus would give a fly about a reindeer or snowman being removed from a paper cup, and doing such is certainly not an “anti-Jesus” or “anti-Christian” move, seeing as neither have nothing to do with the Christian faith.
Some others on Twitter seem to agree:
Being so wrung up about a cup design should be reason enough to prove Christians are NOT persecuted in America #merrychristmasstarbucks
— Basic Library Cat (@BasicLibraryCat) November 6, 2015
Must be exhausting living a life where a cup that's usually white is red, is offensive. #MerryChristmasStarbucks #MerryWhateverYouCelebrate
— K. I. Pines (@KIPines) November 7, 2015
If you believe that @starbucks is starting a war against Christians by having a plain red cup, you need help. #merrychristmasstarbucks
— Beefy McWhatnow (@1RayOfKayleigh) November 7, 2015
Because nothing should say "Jesus" like a soy milk decaffeinated cappuccino in a Santa cup. #MerryChristmasStarbucks
— April Fiet (@aprilfiet) November 8, 2015