Nov 11, 2015 4 min read

We’ve pretty much ceased to be amazed by the things that outrage people these days. In 2015 in the United States of America, it seems almost everything holds the capacity to offend someone. You half expect to wake up one morning to learn that people have their skivvies in a twist over a wooden spoon, a rake, a side of beef or a coffee cup.

Wait, that last item is a bad example, because it’s actually happening.

More on that later, but first some words about holiday greetings.

There are more than a few Christians who get themselves worked into a lather if a store clerk or anyone else wishes them “Happy holidays” instead of “Merry Christmas.” They often argue that “Jesus is the reason for the season.” It’s that bogus “War on Christmas” thing. Well, for them, Jesus is the focal point, but for many others, Jesus is not the main reason December is special. Jewish people will be celebrating Hanukkah. Some Muslims will be marking the birthday of the Prophet Muhammad around the same time as Christmas. Many black Americans will be celebrating Kwanzaa. A large number of atheists and agnostics, while not holding religious beliefs, will nevertheless enjoy the trappings of the season – the gift-swapping, the shopping, the dinners with family and friends, and even the religious music heard during that time of year. Those other observances, and even the absence of belief, are every bit as legitimate and worthy of our respect as Christmas. So, if you’re a Christian or a Jew or a Muslim, and someone offers you a generic “Happy holidays,” why not take it in the spirit of communion in which it is offered?

We seem to remember the Bible suggesting, “Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.” Showing some tolerance toward the beliefs of others, and their celebrations of those beliefs, wouldn’t be a bad way to model that teaching. You go ahead and say “Merry Christmas,” but let others express their holiday greetings in the manner they choose.

Now, back to the coffee cups. Coffee behemoth Starbucks has gotten flak from some Christians outraged that this year’s red holiday cups bear no symbols of the season. One vocal critic who has gained a considerable amount of attention on the Internet is Joshua Feuerstein, a self-described “evangelist and social media personality” who posted a Facebook rant titled “Starbucks REMOVED CHRISTMAS from their cups because they hate Jesus.”

In years past, Starbucks cups have been adorned with reindeer, snowmen, ice skaters, even a sled-riding dog – not exactly symbols that bring to mind a manger scene or three savior-seeking wise men. But in this year’s “naked” red cup, Feuerstein sees an anti-Christian plot, and he’s not alone. His post was viewed more than 11 million times in five days.

But Feuerstein has a “clever” way to get around the coffee purveyor’s apostasy. He’s suggesting that when devout Christians go to Starbucks, instead of giving their real name to be written on their cup – as Starbucks does when taking someone’s order – they should tell the barista their name is “Merry Christmas.” That’s what he did.

“Guess what, Starbucks?” Feuerstein said on Facebook. “I tricked you into putting ‘Merry Christmas’ on your cup.”

If you’re someone who thinks like Feuerstein, and you want to pull a fast one on Starbucks, now you have the blueprint. But if you’re not familiar with Starbucks’ offerings, let us give you a tip on what to order. Go with the grande gingerbread latte with two shots of paranoia, topped with persecution complex cream.