Food & Drink
Baylor University Starbucks has pulled cup #43 with the quote from the homosexual novelist I discussed before.
Baylor Dining Services oversees two coffee shops. One of them has a scriptural reference in its title. The other was recently asked to remove a series of cups that some would argue "promote homosexuality."
Late last week, the Baylor Starbucks pulled about 500 cups with a quote by gay author Armistead Maupin after a faculty member complained.
(HT: Starbucks Gossip)
Joe Thorn responds to Jack Graham's "Total Abstinence" article in BP.
I believe the cure for drunkenness is not abstinence or moderation, but the gospel itself.
Oh man. The SBC is just a delight. Joe Thorn finds a gem of an article by Jack Graham in today's Baptist Press on the need for total abstinence from alcohol. Uh, all that was sarcasm. This is a mess of an article.
I expect that Joe's post tomorrow will register on the Richter Scale. Look for it.
It looks like some conservative groups are getting all itchy now that Starbucks has started their "The Way I See It" cup quotes. Baptist Press has run a story today on it.
What's the issue? Well, it seems that Starbucks is pushing the homosexual agenda because cup #43 gives a racy quote on homosexuality. As I read this BP article, I noticed my grande skim 3 pump mocha was being carefully and providentially cradled in cup #43 which reads...
My only regret about being gay is that I repressed it for so long. I surrendered my youth to the people I feared when I could have been out there loving someone. Don't make that mistake yourself. Life's too damn short.
- Armistead Maupin, author
Of course BP inserts the word [expletive] for "damn" and blacks it out on their pic of the cup, but their larger concern is what the cup teaches. But, is the cup and quote meant to teach? Or simply open doors of conversation? From the Starbucks website on this campaign...
Starbucks has long been dedicated to creating a unique "third place" between home and work. We also draw on the centuries-old tradition of the coffeehouse as a place to gather, share ideas, and enjoy delicious beverages. We see this program as an extension of the coffeehouse culture – a way to promote open, respectful conversation among a wide variety of individuals.
And they mean wide variety. Sure this quote is racy from one perspective, but they also entertain quotes from staunch conservatives like Michael Medved and Jonah Goldberg. So if Starbucks "blatantly pushes the homosexual agenda" on cup #43, what are they pushing on the cups with flame-throwing right wingers? A conservative agenda?
Given: We will all read from cups that we disagree with. That's a sure thing. That's the point, really, to start conversations not push agendas. And conversations are best started by racy ideas, not bland ones. By the way, on the cups and on the Starbucks website it even says the quotes don't necessarily reflect the view of Starbucks.
Christians are too good at missing the point, and I'm afraid that's what's happening here.
Don't we look fearful? We look like we are afraid of the open discussion of ideas. These quotes are meant to be conversational, and coffee shops are perfect places to list racy quotes worthy of discussion. We believe that in the world of ideas the redemption Story stands supreme as the best and most beautiful explanation of reality and truth. We shouldn't fear other ideas out there.
One person quoted in the BP article says,
It's not enough not to go to Starbucks anymore. You really need to visit your neighborhood Starbucks and ask to see the manager and just say, 'You know, I've gone here a lot and I would love to go here but I have to tell you your company's promotion of something that is against my values prevents me from having coffee here anymore, and I've found alternatives ... You make a great product, but you deserve to know why people aren't buying your product anymore.'
How about instead we enter the conversations of our culture knowing that our Story makes sense of the world like no one else's story or quote. I think Starbucks has a great idea, and Christians should be thankful for the opportunity to join more discussions on huge and even ultimate issues.
I like Starbucks. I like Caribou Coffee better, but there isn't one near enough to visit frequently. But I also think it's helpful to find good independent coffee shops and support our local businesses. Delocator.net is a place where you find these coffee shops with a zip code and a click. From the site...
Cafés are vital social outposts that have historically provided subjective, social, local, and at times, irrational interaction, inspiration, and nourishment to artists, hipsters, musicians, activists, intellectuals, radicals, and others alike. Currently, independently owned cafés around the world are under aggressive attack; and their numbers have been sharply decreasing for many years. Delocator.net is a means to preserve these local businesses.
Dinner tonight at Rippy's Smokin' Bar and Grill. The ribs were mediocre at best, baked beans were great, coleslaw was peppery and good, and the atmosphere was awesome. Good ol' country music. We heard Rocky Top, Smokey and the Bandit theme song, Dixieland Delight. Two really phenomenal guitarists and singers played for about 45 minutes or so.
Great first night in NashVegas. And I mean NashVegas. A strip of bars were hoppin' with live music and packed with people.
We also located the Gaylord Entertainment Center, and it's a site to see, especially at night. Should make for a comfortable place for thousands of Southern Baptists to meet.
Joe has a great post tonight that's less newsy and more reflective.
In the active downtown of Woodstock, Illinois (where I pastor) they hold Fair Diddley every year. It's basically a craft fair where people set up similar sized booths and sell things they make with TLC that are remarkably better than something at WalMart or World Market. It's really a small collection of amazing and beautiful things alongside some of the typical craft fair cheese like wooden wall hangings that say "Kiss the Cook."
A staple of this craft fair (and most others around the country) is the kettle corn booth. It boasted a line of no less than 10-12 people for hours. You could watch them pour in the popcorn and sugar and salt and stir it with an imitation boat paddle. We finally made our way into the line and shelled out six bucks for a bag of just made, still warm kettle corn.
I tried to pinpoint the reason that kettle corn is so beloved. Why not buttered or something else? My conclusion? Kettle corn is the less predictable popcorn. One bite is sweet, the next is salty, and the next is almost completely without added flavor. Every bite is a surprise, and that makes it fun to eat. I think I'll go grab some now.
