David Barton: No to Starbucks, Yes to Amazon

Update: Now (11/19/13) Barton says drinking Starbucks is treason to God.
I grew up occasionally attending a church where one might hear the following: “We don’t go to movies even if they are G rated because even those movies support Hollywood.” While I didn’t buy that kind of thinking, I knew a lot of people who did.  The impulse to retreat to the monastery is strong in some Christians and often is voiced by boycotts of various entertainments and products. Recently, our old friend David Barton has gotten himself into one of these controversies by telling the Whitesburg Baptist Church that Christians shouldn’t drink Starbucks coffee since the company supports gay marriage.
Lots of people seem upset or amused about it. To me, it just sounds like a silly fuss about which conservative Christians debate.
Barton’s case, he wants Christians to avoid Starbucks, but he is apparently fine with selling his books on Amazon.com. Amazon, like Starbucks is gay friendly and committed to support for gay causes. And Amazon’s founder and leader, Jeff Bezos, has made a pretty hefty financial commitment to gay marriage. By Barton’s logic, I guess he is contributing to gay marriage every time The Jefferson Lies or Original Intent sells on Amazon.

16 thoughts on “David Barton: No to Starbucks, Yes to Amazon”

  1. You think that we should boycott no one, if we can’t boycott all and everyone whose behaviour we don’t want to support?
    Sounds insane to me.
    Do you think we shouldn’t avoid some sins, if we can’t avoid all and everyone?

  2. Not that I haven’t read that kind of logic before.
    Some weeks ago, Stephen Hawking decided not to take part in an Israeli conference (in the honour of the questionable Shimon Peres). And some Israeli journalists challenged him to shut up his life.saving apparatus because it had Intel inside.
    That’s a convincing argument only as long as you are an interested party.

  3. My sagacious Dr Throckmorton,
    Weren’t you aware of this tactic employed by the charlatans to assuage their less educated listening audience to join their cause, it’s call ‘Boycott by Convenience’.
    Case in point, the prideful Linda Harvey pontificated on her blog Mission America, how she refuses to shop at Macys, JCP, Home Depot, The Gap, etc. She furthers by stating that she will not allow her family members to shop these corporations who support the ‘Gay Agenda’. What Mz Harvey conveniently omits is that she uses an IPhone(Apple), and her blog is supported by Windows(Microsoft). Apple and Microsoft both support same-sex marriage.
    I chuckle at the hypocrisy of the likes of Barton and Harvey. It is testimony to how truly ‘convicted’ they are…NOT!
    Just yesterday, Harvey, LaBarbera, Barber, and Diane had a ‘Press’ conference in front of the HRC in Wash DC. The selected social media used to convey their message…YouTube(Google). Does Google support the homosexual community? In the immortal words of that illustrious Governor from Wasilla AK, Churchy Spice, “You Betcha!”

  4. Not that I haven’t read that kind of logic before.
    Some weeks ago, Stephen Hawking decided not to take part in an Israeli conference (in the honour of the questionable Shimon Peres). And some Israeli journalists challenged him to shut up his life.saving apparatus because it had Intel inside.
    That’s a convincing argument only as long as you are an interested party.

  5. You think that we should boycott no one, if we can’t boycott all and everyone whose behaviour we don’t want to support?
    Sounds insane to me.
    Do you think we shouldn’t avoid some sins, if we can’t avoid all and everyone?

  6. Hypocrisy notwithstanding, as well as practical concerns regarding actual effects, I will side with Barton in this one respect only: it is the prerogative of Americans to choose to support–or withhold support from–companies, by virtue of their social positions. I have done this myself on several occasions. There are companies I do not support right now for such reasons, and I support Americans of all persuasions in their right and prerogative to do the same. As an employee of Chick-fil-A, I blogged my support for such rights of those who boycotted our restaurant last year, regardless of how I felt about their position.
    And that’s all I have to say about thaaaa–aaaat…

  7. Warren, I never thought of this before. Ha-ha-ha, that is pretty funny.

  8. Hypocrisy notwithstanding, as well as practical concerns regarding actual effects, I will side with Barton in this one respect only: it is the prerogative of Americans to choose to support–or withhold support from–companies, by virtue of their social positions. I have done this myself on several occasions. There are companies I do not support right now for such reasons, and I support Americans of all persuasions in their right and prerogative to do the same. As an employee of Chick-fil-A, I blogged my support for such rights of those who boycotted our restaurant last year, regardless of how I felt about their position.
    And that’s all I have to say about thaaaa–aaaat…

  9. Warren, I never thought of this before. Ha-ha-ha, that is pretty funny.

  10. My sagacious Dr Throckmorton,
    Weren’t you aware of this tactic employed by the charlatans to assuage their less educated listening audience to join their cause, it’s call ‘Boycott by Convenience’.
    Case in point, the prideful Linda Harvey pontificated on her blog Mission America, how she refuses to shop at Macys, JCP, Home Depot, The Gap, etc. She furthers by stating that she will not allow her family members to shop these corporations who support the ‘Gay Agenda’. What Mz Harvey conveniently omits is that she uses an IPhone(Apple), and her blog is supported by Windows(Microsoft). Apple and Microsoft both support same-sex marriage.
    I chuckle at the hypocrisy of the likes of Barton and Harvey. It is testimony to how truly ‘convicted’ they are…NOT!
    Just yesterday, Harvey, LaBarbera, Barber, and Diane had a ‘Press’ conference in front of the HRC in Wash DC. The selected social media used to convey their message…YouTube(Google). Does Google support the homosexual community? In the immortal words of that illustrious Governor from Wasilla AK, Churchy Spice, “You Betcha!”

  11. Logic is not the strong suit of people like Barton.
    That’s being charitable.
    Otherwise it’s about the Benjamins, and hypocrisy.

  12. Logic is not the strong suit of people like Barton.
    That’s being charitable.
    Otherwise it’s about the Benjamins, and hypocrisy.

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