Should we drink Starbucks?

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I'll agree with what some others have said here. If I were to avoid every business that supports immoral causes and beliefs here in Portlandia, then I'd have to basically move away.

A group from our church frequently meets at a local Starbucks for Bible study and other small group get togethers, and they're very happy to have us. One time the manager even walked up to us afterward and gave us some free drink coupons saying how she appreciated that we always cleaned off our table and put our chairs back nicely.
 
Pilgrim said:
I remember seeing it somewhere within the past 2 years or so, but I cannot remember where.
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Well, I took some time to try to find something. I came up with websites saying Howard Schultz is an evil New York murdering Jew, that he has told Christians "to go to....", etc.

But the only factual thing I've come across is his statement at a 2013 shareholders' meeting responding to complaints about Starbucks's support of the Washington referendum:

At that point the audience interrupted in cheers and applause. Then Schultz concluded, “If you feel, respectfully, that you can get a higher return than the 38% you got last year, it’s a free country. You can sell your shares in Starbucks and buy shares in another company. Thank you very much.” More cheers.
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Howard Schultz to Anti-Gay-Marriage Starbucks Shareholder: 'You Can Sell Your Shares' - Forbes

Another reference to the incident: Did Starbucks CEO Really Say, 'We Don't Want Your Business'?

I don't have time to track down the positions of all CEOs of various companies. I do disregard websites or email blitzes that misrepresent even my enemies' statements.

Now if someone has something else, fine. I'd like to see it. Otherwise, Starbucks is no different from any of the other many corporations, governments, or agencies of government (US Army?--extending marriage benefits to homosexual "spouses").
 
True providential story. I am in Los Angeles with my wife for a conference and the hotel room did not have a coffee maker. So I went against my scruple and paid $5 bucks for two regular cups of coffee (no foo foo coffee for me). As I walk in the room with the coffee I drop my coffee on the ground. Now I really have a problem with dropping my Starbucks WHICH I PAID 5 bucks for. Well it was $2.50 since I did not drop my wife's coffee.

Now I have to get over the scruple of paying $38 dollars a day for parking which I already broke.
 
Well, at least Firefox is free and I got it long before that happened! I just want to know if this is not up to personal discretion free of browbeating, what is the rule exactly and where are the lines drawn?
 
"All things are lawful, but not all things are profitable. All things are lawful, but not all things edify. Let no one seek his own good, but that of his neighbor. Eat anything that is sold in the meat market without asking questions for conscience’ sake; for the earth is the Lord’s, and all it contains. If one of the unbelievers invites you and you want to go, eat anything that is set before you without asking questions for conscience’ sake. But if anyone says to you, “This is meat sacrificed to idols,” do not eat it, for the sake of the one who informed you, and for conscience’ sake; I mean not your own conscience, but the other man’s; for why is my freedom judged by another’s conscience? If I partake with thankfulness, why am I slandered concerning that for which I give thanks?

"Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. Give no offense either to Jews or to Greeks or to the church of God; just as I also please all men in all things, not seeking my own profit but the profit of the many, so that they may be saved."

I Corinthians 10:23-33; NASB

Speaking for myself only, I've swallowed way too many camels to be excessively straining at gnats.

The take away here is, do not sin against your own conscience.
 
VictorBravo said:
I like Starbucks French Roast beans, grind them fresh and make it strong. I buy bags cheap at Costco in bulk, but I rarely go to a SBUX coffee stand. If I do, it is only to get drip coffee to go.

If I opposed every entity that supports homosexual marriage, I'd have to quit paying my Washington State taxes.

For what it's worth, the local Starbucks places gladly welcome people who gather together for Bible studies over coffee. It's become quite the popular venue for a number of local Christians--go figure.
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Part of what we have to deal with in our culture is the ecumenicalism of secularism. (Maybe that should be a book!)
If they stand up and down for all types of marriage, then they need to stand up and down for everything else. That allows Christians to have Bible studies at Starbucks next to the gay couples sipping their Chai Soy Latte Green Tea Swirls (because we know Reformed believers would never drink such a thing.) We can say we choose not to do something but to make it a mandate is, as said a number of times before, impossible.
 
thbslawson said:
A group from our church frequently meets at a local Starbucks for Bible study and other small group get togethers, and they're very happy to have us. One time the manager even walked up to us afterward and gave us some free drink coupons saying how she appreciated that we always cleaned off our table and put our chairs back nicely.
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This is exactly how I think we are to "heap hot coals", "love our neighbor" and "bless those who persecute us." Jambo has it right too. We should become known for peacefulness and respect towards outsiders despite their treatment of us and the name of Christ. Double down to borrow a gamblers phrase and deliberately patronize a coffee shop, provided the coffee is decent, that is ran/owned by homosexuals. If we are tossed out of a store, we should kindly express our regrets for decision and leave respectfully. God can handle the unbeliever and his blasphemy, foul language, idolatry and temper tantrums. He doesn't need our shouting and calls for "fire and lightening." I would even go a notch farther and deliberately patronize a coffee shop, provided the coffee was decent, that I knew was ran/owned by homosexuals. A Christian (American Christian I say as I know it is different outside the USA), In my humble opinion, should also be a good tipper too. Alas, we have a reputation for being the worse tippers despite the quality of service and attention given.
 
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KS_Presby said:
I think the work situation is worth considering..how should we treat a boss that is homosexual? Do as little as possible for what we are paid? Maybe find ways to say tacky and inappropriate things under our breath lest he think we approve of his lifestyle? I was told by my pastor that there are unbelieving businessmen in the area that only hire home schooled (of whom the majority are Evangelical Christians) teens to work for them because of the teens' work ethic. We can reasonably guess that these hiring practices have absolutely nothing to do with any boycotting habits of their parents.
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We're back to the very point that we in opposition have explained from square one. I've seen a few here (and another thread) throw out the very misdirected, 'well, if you're only going to by from Christians, you only have like two options.' First, I've never heard anyone in this thread say, 'Christians should only buy from other Christians' so let's dispense with that caricature/misunderstanding/strawman or whatever is.
 
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Please stick to the topic at hand. If you have questions or issues on related, but different topics, please feel free to start another thread.
 
I love Chai Soy Latte Green Tea Swirls, I don't remember seeing a prohibition for that drink in the Westminster Standards.
 
If your going to boycott every company that supports gay marriage you best move out to the woods and raise your own livestock for food along with a water well and a vineyard. Pretty much every corporation I know of in America supports it in one way or the other.
 
My second paragraph belonged on a separate thread indeed. Forgive me for the carelessness.
 
SolaScriptura said:
Again, it isn't that Starbucks is a pagan company. It's that it is a pagan company that openly scorns Christians. And yet we continue to give them our business. They snicker because they know our "moral indignation" won't rise to the level of actually taking a stand.
"Shame on you for supporting immorality and for belittling and mocking the moral framework that has been set in motion by our Creator... here's my money... now please hand me my latte frapucino! And don't you forget that lesson I taught you! What? I'm short a nickel? Oh... here's the rest of the money I owe you."
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I think Ben has articulated the issue well, and I have a mix of agreement and disagreement.

Issue 1 (already identified): factual basis that Starbucks openly scorns Christians.

I haven't seen it. I've seen false representation of the accusation, but what is evident is that Starbucks has an openly acknowledged policy supporting what it calls "diversity." I grant that it has spent money furthering a political agenda I oppose.

Point on this: if Starbucks is not openly mocking Christians, then the reason for treating Starbucks differently from Microsoft, Apple, Google, etc., is gone.

If, in fact, Starbucks has said, "we don't want your business," fine, I'd not buy from them. But if they have not said that, then let's not impute ill motives where none exist.

Issue 2
They snicker because they know our "moral indignation" won't rise to the level of actually taking a stand.
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Whether they snicker or not is nothing to me. The real question I think we are grappling with is "taking a stand."

What is our duty in taking a stand? For example, I participated in getting signatures to get the Washington referendum on the ballot, forcing a vote on the issue. I even got some signatures from Starbucks customers. We rallied in the political realm and lost.

Now my name is on a list "homophobic haters" circulated among the political opposition. Sobeit, it goes with the territory. I took a stand. I don't think I had a Christian duty to do it, but I nevertheless chose to put my energy into that effort.

Am I, or any other Christian, required to put such effort into every buying decision?

In the 90s I boycotted things made in China because of their slave labor and anti-Christian policy. I took to task the CEOs of various companies for advertising "made in America" when in fact it was assembled in America using Chinese manufactured parts. The CEO of New Balance even called me once to explain why he had to do this, asking for my understanding.

The net result of all this pot-stirring (others were involved too) was the FTC rule that now requires labeling you often see: "Assembled in America from ____ parts."

But I've abandoned that fight now because the juggernaut has rolled over all of us.

At this point, unless a vendor or company obviously is hostile toward me or mine, I purchase based on price and quality. It's a stewardship issue: not just of money, but of time.

Issue 3 (addressed by others already, and I think acknowledged by Ben). Is a Christian obligated to shun a business based on the morality or political activity of its owners or owners' representatives?

I think this is muddy enough that one cannot make a blanket rule or implicitly chide those who differ in opinion.
 
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