More evidence Snopes is a left wing blog: The War on Christmas and the Starbucks Holiday Cuptroversy

[SheriffJoe]

SNOPES AND THE STARBUCKS HOLIDAY CUPTROVERSY

Posted by Caleb Howe on Nov 9, 2015 at 11:00 AM in Politics Religion | 98 Comments
By Caleb Howe

It all started last week. Not when the change to the cups happened, but when it was first highlighted on Facebook. Joshua Feuerstein, a pastor with over a million followers on Facebook, posted this:

Starbucks REMOVED CHRISTMAS from their cups because they hate Jesus ... SO I
PRANKED THEM ... and they HATE IT!!!! ‪#‎share‬
Use ‪#‎MERRYCHRISTMASSTARBUCKS‬
Follow --> Joshua Feuerstein


The story has been building ever since. The suggestion is that Christmas symbols were removed from the cups because at Starbucks they “hate Jesus,” and a lot of people agree.

As Truth Revolt reports, the video went mega viral:

Feuerstein told CNN his video had more than 10 million views.

“I think Starbucks has gotten the message that the Christian majority in this country has awakened and are demanding that our voice be heard,” he wrote.

In response, Starbucks said it was trying “to create a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity” and that cup was meant to be a “blank canvas” for “customers to tell their Christmas stories in their own way.”

Customers started posting pictures on Instagram and Facebook of their cups with “Merry Christmas” written on them instead of their names.

There is, of course, a less than total agreement about what exactly is going on here. For example, Snopes.com, known pretty universally as the website to go to for debunking urban legends and email myths, for some reason decided to tackle this story that is neither an urban legend nor an email myth. In fact, it is the lead story at the site and has been for a few days now. They rate the story as “FALSE”, deciding that as a matter of scientific fact, Starbucks does not Hate Jesus. Or perhaps they mean none of this is happening at all and it’s just in your mind,t he cups are fine, the cups are fine, there are five lights.​

The narrator in the above-displayed video asserts that Starbucks employees are “banned from saying Merry Christmas” and that the coffee chain removed its holiday symbols because they “hate Jesus.” But there is no evidence to support either of these claims.

In fact, while Starbucks 2015 Holiday Cup doesn’t bear any Christmas symbols, the chain still sells “Christmas Blend” coffee, offers gift cards with holiday symbols, and even vends Advent calendars:

​

The author then proceeds to show other products for sale that have “holiday’ symbols such as ornaments, snow men, and poinsettias. No other mention is made in the article of the banning of saying Merry Christmas, despite the giant “FALSE” at the top of the page.

Has Snopes “debunked” anything at all? Well, no. They can’t “prove” that Starbucks doesn’t hate Jesus any more than Feuerstein can prove that they do. They failed to show any Christian holiday symbols on any Starbucks product, and in no way dispute Feuerstein’s claim that the cups have no Christmas symbols on them, mainly because they don’t. What have they debunked? What’s with the big “FALSE” at the top?

As much as Christians love stories at this time of year about a “War on Christmas”, leftists love stories attacking those stories a thousand times more. They can’t help but sneer and deride. They love the war on Christmas because they love to mock Christians.

Snopes claims to be in the business of dispelling rumors. They are known for debunking myths. What they are actually doing here is just run-of-the-mill left blogging.

Feuerstein claims Starbucks hates Jesus. Christians are mad that their holiday symbols have been ignored or removed by a corporation where many of them spend part of their holiday money. None of this is a myth or a legend, and none of it has been debunked or disproved. Instead, it’s just another typical leftist sneer at the dumb Christians, masquerading as some kind of half-assed fact check.

Here’s my fact check:

CLAIM: Snopes debunked the “myth” that Starbucks removed Christmas symbols from their cups because they hate Jesus.

STATUS:

Read more: http://therightscoop.com/snopes-and-the-starbucks-holiday-cuptroversy/#ixzz3r43cSybA

 

[SheriffJoe]

"fact checking" websites = left wing bullshit

Spread the word: the less people visit them and rely on them, the better off we'll all be!

PS - Starbucks and their commie red "holiday cups" can go to hell!

 

[The Guesser]

As usual, Casper is 100% FOS, and Snopes is exactly correct. Please show ONE SHRED OF EVIDENCE, ONE, that Starbucks Cups Design PROVES that Starbucks hates X Mas or Jesus, or that it is an attempt at Christain Cleansing as the claim states The claim that they do based on their cup design is 100% False, as Snopes has accurrately stated.


[h=1]The War on Christmas Cups[/h] [h=2]While the 2015 Starbucks Holiday Cups feature a plain red design and no Christmas symbols, this is not proof that the coffee chain has an anti-Christian attitude.[/h]

[h=5]Dan Evon[/h] Nov 6, 2015

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Claim: The coffee chain Starbucks removed all mentions of Christmas from their red holiday cups because "they hate Jesus."

FALSE
Example: [Collected via e-mail, October 2015]

Starbucks has removed all holiday info from the red cups in an attempt at Christian Cleansing.
​

Origins: The Starbucks coffee chain's use of special holiday cups during the November-December timeframe is an annual tradition that dates to 1997. Each year since then, the coffee chain has unveiled new designs which typically feature traditional winter and Christmas holiday symbols such as snowmen, ornaments, and reindeer:

​

When Starbucks unveiled their 2015 holiday cup, many customers were surprised to see that it sported a solid red design that featured no symbols other than the standard green-and-white Starbucks logo. In a press release issued on 22 October 2015,Starbucks explained the reasons behind the design choice:

This year's iconic red Starbucks cup features a two-toned ombré design, with a bright poppy color on top that shades into a darker cranberry below.
"We have anchored the design with the classic Starbucks holiday red that is bright and exciting," said Jeffrey Fields, Starbucks vice president of Design & Content. "The ombré creates a distinctive dimension, fluidity and weightedness."
Since 1997 Starbucks has served its holiday beverages in a unique cup, starting with a jazz-themed design in jewel tones of deeper reds, greens and blues. Every year since, the cup has told a story of the holidays by featuring symbols of the season from vintage ornaments and hand-drawn reindeer to modern vector-illustrated characters.
"In the past, we have told stories with our holiday cups designs," said Fields. "This year we wanted to usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories."
"Starbucks has become a place of sanctuary during the holidays," he said. "We're embracing the simplicity and the quietness of it. It's [a] more open way to usher in the holiday."
​

While Starbucks said that its 2015 holiday cup was given a plain red look in order to "usher in the holidays with a purity of design that welcomes all of our stories," others claimed that the coffee chain's plain red cup was a sign of "Christian cleansing":

What I found was deeply disappointing to 17-year-old, macchiato-chugging me. The Red Cups (do I need a trademark symbol after that) are now an anti-Christmas symbol, with Starbucks declaring their formerly Christmassy cups to be "holiday beverages" and shedding any sign of Christmas from them.
​

Rumors about Starbucks "anti-Christian" attitude gained even more attention when a Facebook video about them went viral:

The narrator in the above-displayed video asserts that Starbucks employees are "banned from saying Merry Christmas" and that the coffee chain removed its holiday symbols because they "hate Jesus." But there is no evidence to support either of these claims, and the Religion News Service's Laura Turner noted of the video's creator that:

Joshua Feuerstein is an "American evangelist, Internet and social media personality." He used to be a pastor, but has had some success now as a maker of YouTube videos, which put his raspy voice and confrontational manner to good use.
Feuerstein went to a local Starbucks wearing his Jesus shirt and carrying a gun (because Starbucks hates the Second Amendment, he claimed). He told some unwitting barista that his name was "Merry Christmas," so that they would have to write that Christian message on his cup, and then uploaded a video to Facebook encouraging his followers to do the same: "I think in the age of political correctness we've become so open-minded our brains have literally fallen out of our head," he said.
None of the articles decrying some amorphous group of "Christians" for hating on Starbucks took into account that this whole thing was actually about one guy who makes his living creating outrageous content. But neither have the Christian responses, which have roundly condemned "these people" who want to put the Christ back in Starbucks, because they haven't bothered to see if they actually exist.

​

In fact, while Starbucks 2015 Holiday Cup doesn't bear any Christmas symbols, the chain still sells "Christmas Blend" coffee, offers gift cards with holiday symbols, and even vends Advent calendars:

​

It should also be noted that Starbucks could not have removed any overtly Christian symbols from their cups, because they never used them to begin with. Starbucks' holiday cups typically feature general winter holiday symbols such as snowmen, carolers, and ornaments, which (although they may be associated with Christmas) are either secular in origin or not exclusively Christian:

It's true that the 2015 Starbucks Holiday Cup features a plain red design that bears no holiday-related artwork, but while some people may be disappointed that Starbucks chose not to include any symbols associated with Christmas this year, that is not evidence of that the chain is engaging in "Christian cleansing" or "hates Jesus."
Last updated: 5 November 2015
Originally published: 5 November 2015

 

[TomGshotput]

Of course Starbucks is fighting in the War on Christmas. Every retailer does, because if they ever do let up for even one year, we might stop spending so much money this time of year. They don't "hate" Jesus, they're just strongly against his position on consumerism.

 

[SheriffJoe]

As usual, Casper is 100% FOS, and Snopes is exactly correct. Please show ONE SHRED OF EVIDENCE, ONE, that Starbucks Cups Design PROVES that Starbucks hates X Mas or Jesus, or that it is an attempt at Christain Cleansing as the claim states The claim that they do based on their cup design is 100% False, as Snopes has accurrately stated.

Starbucks said it was trying “to create a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity” and that cup was meant to be a “blank canvas” for “customers to tell their Christmas stories in their own way.”

Culture of "belonging, inclusion and diversity"..."blank canvas"....what the hell is that????? uke1:

Snopes and The Guesser Logic 101:

Deliberately avoiding the word CHRISTMAS isn't hating on Christmas or something...

Just like you, Snopes is a left wing joke.

FALSE ointer:

 

[The Guesser]

Starbucks said it was trying “to create a culture of belonging, inclusion and diversity” and that cup was meant to be a “blank canvas” for “customers to tell their Christmas stories in their own way.”

Culture of "belonging, inclusion and diversity"..."blank canvas"....what the hell is that????? uke1:

Snopes and The Guesser Logic 101:

Deliberately avoiding the word CHRISTMAS isn't hating on Christmas or something...

Just like you, Snopes is a left wing joke.

FALSE ointer:

Casper 3 to 9 Logic:
I have no FACTS on my side, but since I Think and Feel Snopes is wrong, even though they have FACTS on their side, I'll just call them Left Wing or something. hno:

 

[ScottL]

Christmas used to start the day after Thanksgiving. Now it starts as soon as the Halloween ghosts stop saying Boo (except for you ya frikkin' Jew)

 

[JudgeWapner]

Keep Christmas in your heart and nobody can take it away from you. And just an open question for the forum here, what do snowmen and reindeer have to do with Jesus? Did Jesus ride a reindeer into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday?

 

[JudgeWapner]

Costa Rican Starbucks must REALLY hate Christmas. They gave me a regular cup this morning.

 

[festeringZit]

Keep Christmas in your heart and nobody can take it away from you. And just an open question for the forum here, what do snowmen and reindeer have to do with Jesus? Did Jesus ride a reindeer into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday?

What do Easter bunnies have to do with the resurrection?

 

[JudgeWapner]

Nothing at all. So if someone takes them off their cups, it won't bother me.

 

[JudgeWapner]

I don't live there anymore but it seems as though these days in the good old US of A, people just look for reasons to get pissed off. And I mean on the left and the right both.

 

[festeringZit]

Nothing at all. So if someone takes them off their cups, it won't bother me.

I think we have more important problems to address...

 

[JudgeWapner]

God, one would think so.

 

[JDeuce]

Starbucks is run by a CEO who demonizes capitalism, but doesn't seem to have a problem with collecting the rewards of the system he pretends to hate.

That being said, who gives a fuck what Starbucks has on their coffee cups? It isn't their obligation to put any kind of Christmas decorations on their merchandise...they could superimpose porn pictures on them for all I care. The reason I'm there is to have a cup of coffee (well, actually I mostly dig their breakfast sandwiches, not the coffee). But if this really upsets people, then keep your cups from last year and have them refilled.

Amazing. ISIS just executed 200 children at point-blank range, but this is somehow a major topic of discussion and cause for concern? Jesus, already.

 

[JudgeWapner]

Bingo.

 

[Dave007inVegas]

What does this say about our country when a drinking cup can garner this much attention?

 

[JudgeWapner]

Walk into a Starbucks down here and it looks like Christmas exploded. Decorations everywhere. Christmas music has been playing for at least two weeks. And yes the have the plain red cups. This company is anything but anti-Christamas.

 

[Willie99]

I know Huskygal sends me to buy Christmas gift cards at Starbucks

 

[Dave007inVegas]

I don't live there anymore but it seems as though these days in the good old US of A, people just look for reasons to get pissed off. And I mean on the left and the right both.

People who get worked up over something as meaningless as a coffee cup either have too much time on their hands or no life.