I'm a Christian. I love Jesus. I am NOT boycotting Starbucks.
I disagree with the instant boycotting of Starbucks because they support gay marriage.
The reason I'm not boycotting is because I don't think Jesus would have boycotted. I mean, He hung out with the "sinners" and when he hung out with sinners, he hung out with the bad ones. The tax-collectors were thieves, the woman caught in the very act of adultery was, well, you know... and the Samaritan woman was a) a woman and b) not a full-blooded Jew and thus was someone that people turned their backs on; the disciples were fisherman (I'd love to hear THOSE campfire stories...) and they had some fiery folks amongst their crew (James and John were called Sons of Thunder - I don't think these boys were at all softspoken gents) ...
Jesus loved these people. He loved every one of them. Their lives were changed because of it.
If you wonder why the LGBT community hates Christians so much, it's because all they experience from most of them is judgment and bigotry and hate.
I'm not going to be one of those Christians who judges them and adds to the hate.
Why?
Because I have friends in the LGBT community. And I'm not going to do something that is going to slap them in the face with a message that says "I hate you," because I don't!
My heart breaks. My heart breaks because Christians, the very people who Jesus said will be known by their love, are known by their hate instead. And it makes me wonder how "Christian" Christians really are.
Jesus never addressed the sin when He ministered to a person. He never pushed away sinners and turned his back on them. And by sinner I mean anyone living and breathing, because by God's standards we've all sinned, you know. Jesus pulled them in to His embrace, let them wash His feet, He washed their feet, He ate dinner with them, He shared life together with them. He didn't hate them and push them away. He didn't say "because you don't meet up to God's standards, I'm going to turn my nose up at you and walk the other way." NO! Never! He addressed the person and their needs.
So if going to Starbucks means doing life with people who aren't quite "perfect," let me in the doors! And if my going to Starbucks means you don't want to be my friend anymore because I'm "supporting a company that supports gay marriage," then sayonara! :)
James 2:
My brethren, do not hold your faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ with an attitude of personal favoritism. For if a man comes into your assembly with a gold ring and dressed in fine clothes, and there also comes in a poor man in dirty clothes, and you pay special attention to the one who is wearing the fine clothes, and say, “You sit here in a good place,” and you say to the poor man, “You stand over there, or sit down by my footstool,” have you not made distinctions among yourselves, and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my beloved brethren: did not God choose the poor of this world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom which He promised to those who love Him? But you have dishonored the poor man. Is it not the rich who oppress you and personally drag you into court? Do they not blaspheme the fair name by which you have been called?
If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, “YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF,” you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all. For He who said, “DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY,” also said, “DO NOT COMMIT MURDER.” Now if you do not commit adultery, but do commit murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. So speak and so act as those who are to be judged by the law of liberty. For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown no mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.
*sorry if this post is a bit scattered or lacking in complete sentences/thoughts... I'm not quite caffeinated yet this morning :) but I hope my point has gotten across
