God and Starbucks

5-16-2007 @10:15PM Allison said... If the quote on her coffee cup is such a big part of her day, she needs a bigger day.

I think the furor is a bit over the top given that this doesn't insult a god, merely question its existence, as an aside to pointing out our responsibility for our own actions.
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5-17-2007 @4:26AM Chef JoAnna said... Bob, come on, are you kidding yourself? This isn't about a food/drink item at all. (See Heidi #19!)

/F is really getting weak these days. Pro-god verses on coffee cups. ANTI-god verses on coffee cups. Faked photos of fish teeth in cans, and every third post is about a beverage.

So... Bob get the most points for posting provocative things that gets lots (and lots and lots) of comments, and Emily #14 gets points for pooping on what I believe, while exalting her own preferred form of deity. Nice.
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5-17-2007 @7:14PM Fash said... HAHAHA - comment #5 said "shit her mouth".
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5-18-2007 @5:48PM Vincent said... If you read cups periodically, there are various viewpoints expressed across the poltiical spectrum (Randi Roads & Dr. Laura have both recently had quotes on cups). And for those who want to stop going to Starbucks because of an idea on a cup, I'd direct them to read The Way I See It #216 and reflect on it:

A very bad (and all too common) way to misread a newspaper: To see whatever supports your point of view as fact, and anything that contradicts your point of view as bias.

-- Daniel Okrent
First ombudsman of The New York Times and author of Public Editor #1.

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5-19-2007 @6:05AM JoeConsumer said... I'm sorry to say that I've never noticed anything on a Starbucks cup, other than the round green logo. (Do the cups have the obligatory, "Warning - Contents may be hot"?) I'm so overwhelmed by the constant bombardment of advertising and promotion that I tend to block out a lot things.
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5-19-2007 @7:33AM Nicholas said... Emily seems to think that any reference to God is automatically a reference to Christianity, and questions where the attack on Mohammed is. Well, the last time I checked, Muslims believe in God too, so they are just as dissed by the quotation as her version of God is. Atheists may feel their point of view is dissed by any pro-religious statement, and they are on the Starbucks cups too. Actually, the quotaton only says that God MAY be a figment of the imagination. If you do not accept the truth of that statement, you do not have faith, you have certainty. I am a Christian myself, but my understanding of this religion is that the standard you are asked for is faith, and that is a close relation to doubt. If you are certain that God is there, rather than trusting and having faith that he is there, you've moved into an entirely different ballgame.

Hey, the Starbucks thing is working: we're talking about things! The sign of a healthy democracy is that the minority views are encouraged and listened to with respect and openness, not that the majority wins out and the minority has to shut up and sit down. I thought that was the principle on which America was founded.
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5-19-2007 @9:31AM Vince said... "(Do the cups have the obligatory, "Warning - Contents may be hot"?) "

The warning is: "Careful, the beverage you're about to enjoy is extremely hot."
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5-20-2007 @10:17AM John1 said... A few comments on Emily, some of which have already been made.
(a) The ‘insult’ to God is that he may not exist
(b) There's no reference to Christianity – it applies equally to all theistic religions
(c) Emily’s ‘proofs’ of Christianity – essentially that it’s had millions of passionate believers for years – apply equally to all major world religions. And they can’t all be right.
(d) To compare this with ‘hate’ slogans against the disabled or minorities, or call it ‘a corporate attack against Christianity’, is ludicrously over the top. Christians think other religions are wrong. Believers think non-believers are wrong, and vice versa. Where's the ‘hate’?
(e) Emily announces ‘To a Christian…’ etc. She appears to think that she speaks for all the millions of Christians. She doesn’t even appear to be speaking for all Christians who've posted here.
(f) If the Christian God exists, my guess is that he’s more ‘insulted’ by poverty, hatred, war et al – not to mention by some of those claiming to speak for him - than by coffee cups.
(g) As I recall, Christians are supposed to bear witness to their faith by love – not paranoid hatred of anyone who dares to disagree with them.
(h) Having said all that, if they want to boycott Starbucks, that’s their choice – it’s a free(ish) country.
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5-20-2007 @12:59PM Vincent said... Just for the record, I am a Roman Catholic from NYC.
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5-22-2007 @11:28AM Lisa said... OMG!!!
How in the HECK can one consider this Starbucks quote ATHEIST?? My goodness...simply because a question is posed...that makes it UN-Christian? Come on you poopy-heads! Once I came home from University with a bumper sticker that said..QUESTION AUTHORITY. My father went into hysterics!! Said that I was questioning the existence of God Almighty himself. NOT..I was simply stating...QUESTION AUTHORITY!! I didn't feel the need to blindly follow...to gather information...research the topic..and THEN arrive at my own well thought out conclusions. Hmmmmmm..
The quote says..."As cognitive beings, why would we ask something that may well be a figment of our imaginations for guidance?" Maybe the professed Christians have an answer for this? But..does merely asking the question...initiating dialog..make one Un-Christian...Un-Believing...Atheist even? I suggest not...Why be afraid of those asking the questions? I am more fearful of those that don't!
Thank you for listening...Peace!
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5-23-2007 @8:52PM Wendy Bethany said... Whether or not someone believes in God or not does not mean He doesn't exist. Everyone can throw this around like Rose and Elisabeth fighting on "The View." I don't think anyone's beliefs are going to be changed by a coffee cup. God is bigger than all of this.
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5-23-2007 @8:51PM Wendy said... Spamie," Your quote God helps them that helps themselves is not biblical. Find it..... Someone just made that up a long time ago....
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5-23-2007 @9:11PM BETTY said... Oh the wailing on Judgment Day! In response to: " where are the anti-Buddha cups? Anti-Mohammed cups? Anti-atheist cups..." They only attack what is real and threatening. The rest aren't real - and they know it! The best thing is God doesn't need any of you to 'believe' He exists. My question is, however, which "God" are you referring to? All religions and cults have their 'gods'. It's at the Name of Jesus that the rubber meets the road people!
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5-30-2007 @1:08PM Jim said... I am struck with the acrimonious debate swirling here. It is a good litmus to the condition this country finds itself in. "That's not my position, what's her problem?" "Why can't she be more 'tolerant' to other 'open minded' views?"

OPEN MINDED????? TOLERANT???? Her opinion is obviously the problem here...Uh, WHAT?

The highest compliment to her for expressing her objection to propaganda which she obviously did not pay for but was forced to accept. The rest of the lemmings can line up and follow the propaganda if they so choose, but here is a lady who stands up for what she believes and pushes back. Bravo!

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6-03-2007 @10:47PM jan said... As a chrisitan what bothers me most about this whole thing is the "disclaimer". Take responsibility for what you say and do. How about just putting positive messages on your cups? Make people feel good. Your Coffee is good. Why mess up a good thing, because of things other people want to say? Let them call the negative talk shows! Then everyone can drink thier coffee and frozen drinks and think of positive things.
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