Starbucks markets more 'anti-God' coffee cups*

Company welcomes national dialogue despite boycott threat by some patrons

Posted: May 12, 2007

Coffeehouse giant Starbucks is standing by its campaign to put
thought-provoking messages on its coffee cups despite a national uproar
and threat of boycott over a message some felt was "anti-God."

Controversy erupted this week after a customer became steamed reading a
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 story posted Sunday afternoon publicizing the cup became a hot topic
on national radio shows this week including Rush Limbaugh and Laura
Ingraham.

One reader, Ken Peck of Lakeland, Fla., has since purchased a coffee
with another message he felt was a slam against his Christian faith, and
snapped a photograph of it.

Ken Peck of Lakeland, Fla., was not thrilled when he purchased this
Starbucks cup with a message he felt was anti-Christian

The message reads:

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.

"There's absolutely no reason to put that out on a cup," Peck said "From
a marketing standpoint, it blows me away. I don't put a picture of
Christ of my business card."

Peck says the issue has energized him to push for a boycott of Starbucks
in favor of other local coffeehouses in Polk Co., Fla.

"Everyone I've shown the cup to has been flabbergasted, whether they
have a faith in Christ or not," he said.

Seattle-based Starbucks, meanwhile, is making no apologies about the
God-related messages, nor its campaign.

"We are committed to this program," Starbucks communications manager
Tricia Moriarty told WND, noting that quotes about matters of faith make
up only a small fraction of the printed quips.

"We cover topics such as theater, film, the environment, food and
sports," Moriarty said. "The cups are not pro- or anti-religion per se."