1st Amendment Controversy Over Plain Red Starbucks Cups

Recently, Starbucks has chosen this year to use a plain, two-toned red cup design for the holidays instead of the traditional design containing ornaments, lights, etc. The new design stirred up controversy by some who stated that Starbucks’ new cup design is anti-Christmas, making it anti-Christian. A social media personality, Joshua Feuerstein posted a video stating that Starbucks “hates Jesus” for the sole reason of removing the seasonal designs from their cups.

Feuerstein encouraged his followers on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to say “Merry Christmas” instead of their names when ordering their drinks to ‘trick’ Starbucks employees to write Merry Christmas on their cups. He said to use the hashtag “#MerryChristmasStarbucks” to post photos online.

Starbucks is merely trying to promote a culture of belonging, inclusion, and diversity. They say that the blank canvases encourage customers to tell their holiday stories in their own ways. I believe that the company definitely has the right to design their cups however they’d like. The Christians who are offended by this choice are ignorant to the fact the Starbucks sells gift cards that say “Merry Christmas” on them and even sells a Christmas coffee blend. How they can accuse the company of “hating Jesus” or “opposing Christmas” just because there are no reindeer on their cups is unfathomable.

http://money.cnn.com/2015/11/08/news/companies/starbucks-red-cups-controversy/