Tony Perkins, the president of the
Christian conservative Family Research Council (FRC), has joined the
chorus of conservatives calling on Christians to boycott Starbucks
over its support for gay marriage, media watchdog RightWingWatch.org
reported.
Perkins criticized the coffee giant
during his Friday radio bulletin.
“There's more than coffee brewing at
Starbucks. There's controversy too,” Perkins told his audience.
“Starbucks is stirring the pot all
right, but with a liberal agenda that's got customers shaking their
heads. In the fight over marriage in Washington State, the Seattle
company is picking sides. Last week, the chain announced it'll join
the attack on marriage and endorse homosexual unions. Spokesman
Karen Holmes said, 'This important legislation is aligned with
Starbucks business practices. It is core to who we are and what we
value as a company.' Well, it may be at the core of who Starbucks
is, but it's not at the core of who America is. Voters
overwhelmingly believe in man-woman marriage – and they've passed
30 straight amendments to prove it. If Starbucks thinks people like
their radical agenda, I hate to spill the beans. But people can get
their caffeine fix anywhere. So if Starbucks wants to focus on
politics, then its profits are on dangerous grounds.”
Starbucks is only one of the more than
100 Washington-based companies that have come out in support of
Governor Chris Gregoire's plan to make the state the seventh to
legalize gay marriage. The Washington
Senate approved a gay marriage bill on Wednesday by a wider
margin than expected.
Pastor Steven Andrew of USA Christian
Ministries said Starbucks
had “turned against God” in calling for a boycott.
The National Organization for Marriage
(NOM) has
also urged supporters to drop the coffee chain.