Baylor Univ. Yanks Gay Cups
Baylor Univ. Applauded for
Yanking Starbucks Coffee Cups
By Jim Brown
October 3, 2005
(AgapePress) - A pro-family leader is praising the largest Baptist university in the world for pulling coffee cups from its Starbucks store that featured a quote from a homosexual author.
Baylor University in Waco, Texas, has removed the offending coffee cups from its Starbucks store, citing the school's opposition to the homosexual lifestyle. The cups that were removed display a quote from homosexual author Armistead Maupin lamenting that he waited so long before embracing his homosexual identity.
Bob Knight with the Culture and Family Institute in Washington, DC, says his group has challenged the Starbucks Coffee Company by asking why it has a pro-homosexual quote, but not one from a former homosexual.
"Starbucks shouldn't be putting a cup like that out, certainly not on college campuses," says Knight. "And I think Baylor was right in saying [it was] not going to distribute something like this [because] it goes against [the school's] mission." He also suggests the school stand firm on its convictions and tell those who would criticize Baylor "that's the way it goes."
According to the CFI director, the popular coffee retailer has a history of supporting pro-homosexual and other liberal causes. Knight points out Starbucks' sponsorship of the San Diego Gay Pride Parade and Festival, which he says included "nudity, sex acts, and even a float from a porn store in the parade" as well as a children's garden."
"I don't think they ought to be mixing those things," Knight states. "And when it was brought to Starbucks' attention that they shouldn't promote this kind of thing, they just said 'tough, we're going to do it anyway.'"
Knight suggests that opponents of the homosexual agenda either let Starbucks know they do not appreciate its support for pro-homosexual causes -- or buy their coffee elsewhere.
The coffee cup controversy began after a staffer with Knight's group wrote a column for WorldNetDaily revealing that Starbucks has been shoveling dollars into the homosexual movement.
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So here's a story that is TRUE...although at first glance I thought it was fiction. I am so confused!
If you can't read the quote on the cup, it says:
“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.”
The quote is from Armistead Maupin, who wrote “Tales of the City,” a bestseller-turned-PBS drama.
Bottom line: Christians are idiots. And a Baptist University of higher-learning is an oxymoron.
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In an effort to be balanced, here are related articles from various news agencies and journalists regarding this story:
The Lariat (Baylor's Online Paper)
KXII News
Also, this editorial by Damian Good from the Seattle Times is quite excellent on the topic.
Updated at 3:59 P.M. on October 5.
posted by Steve at
10/05/2005
12 Comments:
Starbucks has the right to choose what "causes" it supports. If they wanna quote a homosexual on their coffee cups, they certainly can.
Baylor University however has the same right to express opposition over it, but not demand the coffee cups be put away. They overstep their bounds when they tell a multi-million dollar corporation what they can and can't put on their merchandise.
Chrisitans continually shoot themselves in the foot with this type of nonsense. The way you handle this if it's such a huge offense to you is write to Starbucks and tell them "I will not be frequenting your stores anymore because I am against your support of the gay lifestyle" or something along those lines.
All a stunt like this does is generate sympathy for the homosexual movement. The world sees that they're still being persecuted by evil Christians who want to force their way of life on to everyone else.
If you wanna change the world do it through education, not blatant attacks of a specific group that you don't happen to agree with. Remember it's sin God hates, not the sinner. Believe me God makes no distinction between homosexuality and the lustful thoughts of all those Baylor students that they can't act on, but really want to.
Here's something that just occured to me too. Maybe Starbucks isn't openly defending the gay lifestyle. Maybe they just thought that this quote was kewl because it basically says "be who you are. Don't let anyone tell you what to do or what to think. Be proud, no matter how you live."
Sounds like a pretty positive message to me. So the author is gay, so what? Get over it. He has a point. Be who you are, whether it be straight, gay, bi-sexual, Republican, Democrat, right, left, Black, White, Hispanic, etc.
I don't think Starbucks really cares who comes thruogh their doors, as long as they have money in their pockets, they're welcome. Why can't Christians have the same attitude? Wait a minute, we do! We love people with money that come to church and give it to us. Maybe we should be as understanding as Starbucks. They seem to get it. They love you no matter who you are or what you've done. Just like Jesus does.
There is no argument made here for anyone's "rights" in this instance. Certainly Baylor has the right to pull the cup.
Just because you have a right, doesn't make it right. In this case excercising this right just makes Baylor appear stupid and, in my opinion, biased against gays.
Other cups in Starbucks "The Way I See It" campaign include New Age author Deepak Chopra among others...I am sure that Chopra doesn't quite reflect the missional values of the University either, but no mention of pulling his cup.
The gentlemen quoted in this article complains about Starbucks "homosexual agenda" but I am left to wonder about Baylor's "political agenda".
Hey Steve, this topic has got me thinking about what the younger stupid church people aka teens on fire for Jesus, would think about Starbucks and this quote on their coffee cups, and Baylor's anti-Christian actions, yeah I said ANTI-CHRISTIAN LOL.
Maybe I should post about it over at www.teenmania.com
But I need your permission first of course, oh wise mentor of mine :-) :-)
"Knight suggests that opponents of the homosexual agenda either let Starbucks know they do not appreciate its support for pro-homosexual causes -- or buy their coffee elsewhere."
Funny how Baylor University isn't taking this approach isn't it? Baylor Univ. could have told Starbucks they weren't going to support the "homosexual agenda" and buy their coffee elsewhere. But they didn't, they immediately pulled the coffee cups out of the store. So much for live and let live. But that's typical of ego-driven Christians. Do as we say not as we do.
Well, this certainly qualifies as stupid church behavior, along with most of what evangelical Christianity has to say and do about gays.
Sadly homosexuality has become one of the "whipping posts" of our times. It would be interesting to see what would happen if we were this hardcore about the idol of the American dream-Spouse, insurance, salary, BMW's, retirement,vacation, etc.
So, what do we do? The Bible is fairly clear about sin, love, grace, and judgement. I know we're not that clear about those same subjects, but we are His "stupid church people," whom He has chosen to reveal these things.
So, how do we live lifes that are built on values that go against the values of our "no tolerrance for no tolerance" culture? How do we communicate grace without condonement or judgement without condemnation? What would Paul do? For that matter, what did Paul do?
Practice Praxis.
Sean
Jaden said:
Zeke, I am a newbie here, so could you explain 1.) How you know what "most of what evangelical Christianity has to say and do about gays"? and 2.) What should the proper approach be?
1) Because I've been one for over 12 years, and 2) see my blog post on what I recommend "doing about" gays here.
Off the wahl, why are you asking what would Paul do? What ever happened to "What would Jesus do?"
And why, I wonder, does Baylor's mission statement have anything to do with being anti-gay in the first place? Whether their "mission statement" actually says anything about being opposed to the gay lifestyle, they certainly come across (as a Christian University, no less) as being anti-gay as one of their defining features. And then we wonder why Christians get a bad rap about being judgemental, rather than loving.
"Sadly homosexuality has become one of the "whipping posts" of our times. It would be interesting to see what would happen if we were this hardcore about the idol of the American dream-Spouse, insurance, salary, BMW's, retirement,vacation, etc."
Exactly. Christians attack the sins they don't commit, which is a far easier thing to do. If can't come down this hard on anything to do with money, leisure, consumption, or any of the other things AmeriChristians do so well. If Baylor did, they all might have to change their behavior.
Oh, and Baylor's mission statement can be read here.
um.... what about the God cups?
Here is the story about Starbucks and the God quotes
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