Coffee-cup holy war escalates

joy

Dunkin’ Donuts has parted the coffee and unveiled its Christmas-themed coffee cup, which some say is a rebuke to Starbucks, whose non-religious cup has prevented people from feeding the poor, housing the homeless, and loving their neighbor.

Some evangelical groups are urging a “buycott” of the East-Coast-based coffee shop because the word “joy” and an image of a stylized wreath are on the coffee cups, the Boston Globe reports.

“By creating cups that specifically message the Joy of the Christmas Season — in sharp constrast to Starbucks’ ‘blank canvas’ – Dunkin’ Donuts has specifically welcomed Faith Driven Consumers, and all Americans who love Christmas.”

Faith Driven Consumer said it has rated 330 major brands for their compatibility with its efforts, and its supporters are expected to spend $30 billion this Christmas season.

Starbucks’ new holiday cups — colored a featureless, warm red around its green logo, instead of its usual white – sparked anger from some Christian groups who protested that the cup didn’t include any explicit acknowledgement of Christmas. The controversy surrounding the cups grew even louder Monday when Donald Trump suggested people boycott the chain.

The cup controversy began when an evangelist started a campaign to boycott Starbucks because their cups, which didn’t force people to embrace a religious holiday, “removed Christmas from their cups because they hate Jesus.”

Related: The Inanity of the Starbucks Christmas Cup ‘Controversy’ (The Atlantic)