In Theory: Is the coffee-cup controversy a serious one?

Some Christians are steaming over Starbucks’ Christmas cup design — a simple red coupled with the coffee company’s green and white mermaid logo.

A video of a self-proclaimed American evangelist and social media personality criticizing the cup design as evidence of Starbucks’ “War on Christmas” was shared widely online in November, prompting national news coverage.

Even Donald Trump made mention of the cup issue, suggesting maybe a boycott was in order during a rally in Springfield, Ill.

“Do you realize that Starbucks wanted to take Christ, and Christmas, off of their brand-new cups?” Joshua Feuerstein says in the now-viral video. “That’s why they’re just plain red.”

Previous Starbucks cup designs featured holiday or winter themes and illustrations, but never anything to represent religion.

Emma Green wrote in an article for The Atlantic:

“Doing what newspapers do, they dutifully show both “sides” of the “issue,” treating Feuerstein’s post as if it’s a Serious Cultural Thing.”

Q: Is the so-called War on Christmas a real and serious social and religious issue?

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The “War on Christmas” is a legitimate issue in our society, but I believe for the most part it’s a “cold war” more than outright antagonism. Changes in our society over the last four or five decades have made it more acceptable, and to some even preferable, to publicly reject whatever looks like biblical truth and morality. It’s considered “intolerant” to believe there are absolutes any longer, to the point of paranoia over saying, or printing, simple traditional things like “Merry Christmas” or “Happy Easter.” But the “bottom line” will always be that businesses like Starbucks are going to watch the “bottom line” of profits, and they will do and say whatever they need to make sure their customers are buying.

Some businesses hold to a code of corporate and social ethics. Starbucks does, but it’s decidedly unchristian. Starbucks has never been a Christian company and it’s probably counterproductive to try to force it to become one. Organized boycotts aren’t overly productive in my view. I believe that if a business’ practice contradicts my faith I should just shop elsewhere and let them answer to God.

The Christian faith (and my personal experience of it) has never been subject to the shifting tide of popular opinion, whether it’s friendly or antagonistic. Sometimes a culture is closer to biblical morality. Sometimes it pulls away, and sometimes it becomes blatantly hostile. Cultural opinions constantly shift, but “the word of our God stands forever” (Isaiah 40:8). Our only Savior “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). In Malachi 3:6 my God and Savior promises that he does not change therefore I will not be destroyed by what comes against me. So as long as God doesn’t change, it really doesn’t matter whether or not there’s a snowflake printed on the coffee cups in December.

Pastor Jon Barta
Burbank

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In a word, “No!” For the life of me, I can’t figure out why all the hoopla over the Starbucks’ Christmas cup design. I mean, they didn’t have Christian emblems on them before, right? So why expect them to put them on now?

It is certainly true that mainline Protestantism is hurting, but it’s not because there is a “War on Christmas,” for crying out loud. There are definite changes going on in Christendom; younger people aren’t going to church the way their parents did, but that fact doesn’t mean there’s a “War on Christmas.”

The truth, as I see it, is that we are now a multifaith and multiethnic society. We are no longer a “Christian” society if we ever were. Many of us hold to certain Judeo-Christian principles, but these days we don’t all flock to church or any other house of worship.

What I really believe is that God is doing something different, and maybe we won’t do “church” in the future the way we did “church” in the past. The late theologian Phyllis Tickle said that every 500 years or so there is a gigantic disruption in the Christian faith; 500 years ago it was Martin Luther and the Protestant Reformation. These days who knows what will happen and what will shake out?

But one thing for sure is that there is not a “War on Christmas” — and I just bet that those who think there is one don’t even go to church themselves! Happy Thanksgiving, turkeys!

The Rev. Skip Lindeman
La Cañada Congregational Church
La Cañada Flintridge

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“Then the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 16:10-11 NKJ).”

The above Bible passage is the reason for the season. It’s why there are particular colors, why light is a primary feature, why there are any festivities at all. This is Christmastime, and retailers enthusiastically jump into the celebration with holiday foodstuffs and decor, and Starbucks has always been onboard with that. They made an effort in years past, so the recent reluctance to be more Christmas-forward has been noticed by celebrants. And while it may seem ridiculous to whine about missing festal images depicted on paper cups, many consumers are just tired of the annual erasures of faith by various companies who backtrack and say they aren’t about religion, they’re about profit. Fair enough, and we recognize that there is hardly any reason that a pagan company should feign spiritual interest, but Starbucks has festooned its facilities with the appropriate seasonal fare for its customers before, so what’s up?

Jeffrey Fields, Starbucks vice president of design and content, said of the generic and messageless cup design, “the story is sort of a silent story. Kind of like ‘Silent Night.’ But definitely, definitely not ‘Silent Night.’” Mr. Fields may not know much, but he is quite definite about having no room at Starbuck’s Inn! The fact is, that the story of Silent Night is the greatest story ever told and it is not without content. The only reason to say nothing, is because it means nothing to the stopped mouth. And yet Starbucks did produce a Ramadan cup to cater specifically to Muslim consumers during their religious period. Politically correct favoritism?

Look, in light of all the current terrorism in the world, un-Christmas cups are a puny concern, but it is just another cultural reminder that this world is not our home. So what should coffee-swilling saints do? Bring Christmas cheer with them to Starbucks, or just “put one foot in front of the other,” and take it elsewhere? Nobody should let this spoil their “great joy” for another second.

Rev. Bryan A. Griem
Tujunga

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No, it is not a real and serious social and religious issue.

With real acts of war happening daily all over the globe, Joshua Feuerstein has a lot of nerve and apparently no sense of proportion to use “war” in connection with the complete nonissue of what Starbucks’ cups look like in the winter.

Readers can see that Christmas is in no danger — the front page one day last week of the Glendale News-Press had “Christmas” in a headline regarding a Christmas tree lighting in La Crescenta and then four more times in photo captions.

I do see an issue here, namely that a few Christians cannot cheerfully accept that Christmas is one among many wintertime religious or spiritual celebrations in our pluralistic, diverse culture. Neither religiously inclusive nor strictly secular public and marketplace practices at this time of year are attacks on Christianity.

Roberta Medford
Atheist
Montrose

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There is an important discussion in America today about the place of religion in public life. We trivialize it by focusing on Starbucks’ holiday cup design.

Those who are religious, regardless of their specific faith, have a constitutional right to express their beliefs. It is true that there are certain limits, but the right is well established. This doesn’t mean, however, that we should expect businesses to incorporate religious or holiday greetings in their marketing campaigns and packaging. To me, it seems particularly ironic that some condemn Starbucks, whose founder, chairman and chief executive is Jewish, for not putting a reference to Christ on its cups.

Members of the LDS church who are observant, or in our parlance “active,” don’t drink coffee and as a result have paid little attention to this particular controversy. In my personal view, however, it reflects a larger and more troubling issue of how easily, or even eager, some people are to take offense.

Why should anyone be offended if Starbucks did have cups bearing the greeting “Merry Christmas,” or for that matter, “Happy Hanukkah” or “Happy Diwali?” I am neither Jewish nor Hindu, but I can appreciate a heartfelt invitation to share in the spirit of hope and renewal that underlie their holidays. By the same token, why is it cause for offense if Starbucks chooses not to have any greeting at all?

My personal wish for the holiday season is that we all relax a bit from the so-called culture wars and take a moment to appreciate the good that is reflected in our diverse beliefs, regardless of their source.

Michael White
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
La Crescenta