By now, most of us have heard about the recent controversy over Starbucks’ new solid red cups.
It all began when Joshua Feurstein, an Evangelical pastor, posted a video about the new red cups, which he believes represents a war on Christ, Christianity, and Christmas. Prior cup designs featured Christmas themes, like snowflakes and reindeer, but this year’s cup is plain, which he finds problematic.
His solution? Order a drink under the name “Merry Christmas” as a way to force Starbucks to acknowledge Christmas on their cups. Not only that, but this Evangelical pastor also suggested Christians should somehow boast and share their successes in forcing Starbucks to write “Merry Christmas” on social media.
No one doubts Mr. Feurstein’s zeal, but it’s clearly misdirected.
His main goal is to force a multinational corporation to acknowledge Christ, but his method is contrary to the Gospel. Lying about one’s name and then boasting about it on social media don’t exactly reflect Christ’s message in the Gospel. Similarly, our Savior did not command us to preach to corporations by force and deceit, but rather, to preach to people by words and deeds.
We are not spreading the Gospel or manifesting Christ’s Church by fighting over the designs of cups, because the fullness of Christianity is not found in such things. The saintly confessor, Fr. George Calciu, tells us where Christianity is to be found:
You are in Christ’s Church whenever you uplift someone bent down in sorrow, when you help someone elderly walk more easily, or when you give alms to the poor and visit the sick. You are in Christ’s Church when you cry out, “Lord, help me.” You are in Christ’s Church when you are patient and good, when you refuse to get angry with your brother, even if he has wounded your feelings. You are in Christ’s Church when you pray, “Lord, forgive him.” When you work honestly at your job, returning home weary in the evenings but with a smile upon your lips, bringing with you a warm and kind light; when you repay evil with love — you are in Christ’s Church.
If we could spend more time doing those things, we will have far more success at manifesting Christianity and changing the world than Starbucks would have had with snowflake and reindeer designs.
We need to remember that Christianity is not found on a Starbucks cup, but rather, it is found in the cup of the Lord’s Body and Blood, which He shed to acquire us as His Church and His living presence in the world. Let us draw people’s attention to that chalice and bring the whole world to it.
Well said Abouna Moses Samaan!! Its true that a cup does not represent Christianity, but I think that people feel threatened by what Starbucks may do next (possibly represent Islam or something, which I doubt would ever take place). I’m not worried about what Starbucks does. We can’t control that.
Interesting
Thank you! And what’s even funnier… Starbucks sells “Advent calendars” lol
Wonderful article Abouna Moses!
So he is protesting the absence of the secular symbols of Christmas, why exactly? Personally a reindeer or snowflake don’t cry out Christ to me.
Yes, it is an odd connection
Reindeer and snowflakes are nice and so is saying “Happy Holidays” but like you said, about the one, neither cry out Christ to me either. I want to boldly and respectfully declare God’s goodness and wish everyone a Merry Christmas despite the secular pressure to be “politically correct”
Abouna im so so so happyyy that u don’t support this like im so so happy this makes me relived
Father, you’ll be sporting some vestments soon that are just about that shade of red, am I right?
Not unless you’re buying!
I read Scott’s comment after I had already posted mine. great minds think alike 😉
plus red is the Byzantine liturgical color for the Nativity fast, no? ^_^
we can thank Mr. Feurstein for Starbucks e-cards going on sale for 33% off today.
Thank you Abouna Moses Samaan for sharing this on Facebook..
Well put. Christmas is too commercialized these days. If a corporation doesn’t want to celebrate Christmas, so be it!! Let’s not loose the spirit of Christmas. Instead of worrying about who is wishing us a merry Christmas or even acknowledging the season, let’s do an active that reflects the spirit of the season. The whole Starbucks argument serves no purpose.
You are absolutely accurate, Christ’s existence and celebrating His birth is not limited to a pathetic cup. However it is crucial for us to stand up for what we believe in. Many retailers use the Christmas Holiday Shopping period as a means to make up for all their revenues for the whole fiscal year. That means they are benefiting from Christ’s birth, and yet fail to recognize Him, or His Existence.
As Christians, we ought to stand up for what we believe in, Our money ought to go to the retailers who respect our belief, and not mute it, else a simple boycott during the Holidays from Starbucks, would be sufficient enough to send a message to Starbucks.
We ought to demand the words “Merry Christmas” , in BIG BOLD letters on our cups. forget the silly images and if someone gets offended, give them a plain cup.
Amen!!!
Thank you Abouna I love it and agree
He is against secularising Christmas which has been the trend over so many years now. So I guess you also don’t care about the words merry Christmas being used or religious Christian decorations put up in malls or not as well as christmas carols according to your argument !! As for evangelicals and what they do, as a COPT I would be very embarrassed and shamed compared to what they do! Another lame excuse to attack other denominations.
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To my beloveds… Salam in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit one true God+++Amen. I remember Abouna our beloved saying to us, not to be judgemental… For every action there’s a reason behinded it. As I who grew up in the west and knowing what was thought to me as being Christmas from my parents and the Roman Catholic etc… And coming to know the the Oriental Orthodox faith of Christianity… I now know and overstand what is Christmas. But what get me is that the people of the East has a more greater love or like towards the Christmas for the West on what Christmas and it’s illusions…Such as with tree, gifts, drinks, eating and partying which has nothing to do with the Church teachings on the true Christmas. How many of you or us have a tree pit out on the western Christmas day? And what do we do with the tree? Think! Isn’t it a form of worshipping and idol? What am saying is this that if Starbucks decides not to acknowledge Christmas is not that he/her does not acknowledge that there’s a God… But rather the things which represents Christmas. Let’s also ask ourselves this question?… How many of us go out and buy food from restaurants? Such as from a Gentile or Jewish owner of the restaurant …is there a difference between you buying from Starbucks and them who does not believe in Christ Jesus?
My beloved kirollos there are some of us who does not believe in what’s in the cup on the left…. Even when he/her partake of it. Cause we at sometimes, do things that are abnormal in the house of God… Such as being on our cell phones, our minds are on our business’s, children, families and even on food… While service is conducting.
Let us just pray to God, that He may give us the eyes to see and the ears to hear from the Holy Gospels, that we may take with us out into the World and to watch and prayer that we may be wise as (5)Virgins as He was when the Devil came to tempt Him in the wilderness of the World riches and it’s Evil. +++Amen
Please remember me, your weak and sinful brother in Christ Jesus our Lord +++Amem