"World's Best Dad"? "Soccer Mom"? Some business logo? Footprints?
How about this?:
"Why in moments of crisis do we ask God for strength and help? As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance? Why not search inside ourselves for the power to overcome? After all, we are strong enough to cause most of the catastrophes we need to endure."
This quote, from a man named Bill Schell, is what an Ohio Catholic found on the side of her Starbucks cup (my apologies, readers, for linking to WorldNetDaily). And she's not happy about it.
Here's my question: Why should something like this be so offensive, particularly when it may generate discussion, as Starbucks says is its goal in offering these cups as part of a campaign called, "The Way I See It"? And is the complaining Starbucks customer aware of another cup with an overtly religious quote from Pastor Rick Warren? More importantly, is she aware that the vast majority of the quotes on these cups have nothing to do with religion?
I don't want to sound like a Starbucks cheerleader here. After all, Starbucks undoubtedly designed the cups to generate publicity. But, in my mind, this controversy is just another example of modern day outrage that is produced only because of a lack of context.
2 comments:
Moments like these I love my fellow Christians. When it comes to attempting to achieve a rational discourse we are our own worst enemy.
It's always been odd to me. In the Gospels Jesus mentions that we do not belong to this world, or are not of this world. But we are very much in this world, at least Jesus was. That was a huge part of his ministry. But 20th and 21st century Christians seem to think we need to be a completely separate society, or make everyone else into our own society. How, ever will there then be discourse. So frustrating.
I'll stop preaching now.
But I will mention an oddity, in my move to CT, I've been here for a week and have only seen one Starbucks in all my travels! How could that be?! They must be slipping.
All good points, Scot.
It's interesting--In Jewish tradition, criticizing or being angry at God is commonplace and even expected, even if the criticism amounts to questioning God's very existence.
I go back to my original point, though--If this angry woman knew the whole story behind the campaign, maybe she wouldn't be so outraged. Even though the campaign is primarily a ploy by Starbucks to make money, the company isn't discriminating based upon viewpoint.
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