Saturday, May 12, 2007

coffee cup wisdom


red tag is reporting that some people don't like some of the quotes appearing on Starbucks cups.

Controversy erupted this week after a customer became steamed reading what they called an "anti-God" quote that stated:
"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."
The quote was written by Bill Schell, a Starbucks customer from London, Ontario, Canada, and was included as part of Starbucks' "The Way I See It" campaign to collect different viewpoints and spur discussion.

A WND story posted Sunday afternoon publicizing the cup became a hot topic on national radio shows this week including Rush Limbaugh and Laura Ingraham.

A more recent cup has this message [photo above]:
#230 Heaven is totally overrated. It seems boring. Clouds, listening to people play the harp. It should be somewhere you can’t wait to go, like a luxury hotel. Maybe blue skies and soft music were enough to keep people in line in the 17th century, but Heaven has to step it up a bit. They're basically getting by because they only have to be better than Hell. - Joel Stein, columnist for the Los Angeles Times.
I don't seem to remember too much fuss when there was a Rick Warren cup:
#92 You are not an accident. Your parents may not have planned you, but God did. He wanted you alive and created you for a purpose. Focusing on yourself will never reveal your purpose. You were made by God and for God, and until you understand that, life will never make sense. Only in God do we discover our origin, our identity, our meaning, our purpose, our significance, and our destiny. - Dr. Rick Warren, author of "The Purpose-Driven Life."
Why do some Christians get so upset up over minor things.
  • Schell's quote is what I expect in our world. I don't expect Starbucks to present accurate theology.
  • Stein's quote... I agree with. If that's our view of heaven then "big deal". I don't think it's a biblical view but again I don't expect that from my coffee shop.
My words of wisdom to people who get upset by words on a Starbucks cup...
Get a Life!

4 comments:

michael lewis said...

Sleeved, triple grande caramel macchiato, please.

(And why is it spelled triple instead of tripple?)

oncoffee said...

There's enough calories in that to feed a small african nation for a week!

michael lewis said...

Well, at least it's not what my housemate orders:

Venti caramel macchiato, extra caramel, extra whip.

That's got at least a thousand calories!


And to be honest, I've been taking just "normal" coffee lately, with an infusion of half & half, so that I can use the extra change to buy that amazing oat fudge bar. MMMMmmmmm.

dave said...

great post..

besides...if one doesn't like the starbucks sayings..they take submissions..(like church should):

http://www.starbucks.com/retail/thewayiseeit_customer.asp

And thank God there won't likely be any cheesy Christian mottos accepted(:

so intelligent Christians, submit a "word" to St. Arbucks..