WASHINGTON 鈥� The familiar red cups that Starbucks uses to mark the holiday season have gotten some people outraged 鈥� not for what they say or depict, but for what they don鈥檛.
The annual red cups have never read 鈥淢erry Christmas,鈥� at least going back several years, but their illustrations have on occasion depicted聽of reindeer, Christmas-tree ornaments, evergreen trees and such. This year鈥檚 model is a plain red cup, and that鈥檚 got some Christians riled.
as an “American evangelist, Internet and social media personality,” got the ball rolling by 聽of Starbucks, it hates Jesus.
He added that he 鈥減ranked them鈥� by giving his name, to be written on the cup, as 鈥淢erry Christmas.鈥� The barista evidently complied without incident.
“So guess what Starbucks,鈥� he says in the accompanying video. 鈥淚 tricked you into putting Merry Christmas on your cup.鈥�
He went on to challenge 鈥渁ll great Americans and Christians across this great nation鈥� to do the same, and post photos of the results with the hashtag聽s. Many have.
Feuerstein adds, referring to Starbucks, 鈥渢hey HATE IT!!!!,鈥� but the company says in a statement that messages such as Feuerstein鈥檚 are the point of the cups, calling them 鈥渁 blank canvas鈥� that allows 鈥渙ur customers to tell their Christmas stories in their own way.鈥�
鈥淥ur core values as a company is to create a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity. Each year during the holidays we aim to bring our customers an experience that inspires the spirit of the season and we will continue to embrace and welcome customers from all backgrounds and religions in our stores around the world,” the statement adds.
Several commenters on Feuerstein鈥檚 posts questioned the logic of protesting a company鈥檚 actions by buying its products.
earlier this year after he recorded a video of a phone conversation between himself and a Florida baker in which he asked the baker to make him a sheet cake reading, 鈥淲e do not support gay marriage.鈥�
After she refused, he posted the video, reportedly leading to threats against the baker. Feuerstein eventually pulled the video from YouTube. Recording conversations without consent is a felony in Florida, and the baker was considering charges.
Christmas is Dec. 25. Hanukkah is Dec. 6-14; Kwanzaa is Dec. 26-Jan. 1.
