A company that strives to "[create] a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome" has recently taken a lot of heat for a simple red cup. Starbucks currently has 21,000 stores in more than 65 countries, and it aims to "[transcend] language and culture." In order to better achieve these goals and become more culturally accepting, Starbucks made the decision to create a plain red cup for the upcoming holiday season. Many Christians are upset by this, demanding that Starbucks should be boycotted. Some are even going as far as buying coffee from Starbucks and telling the barista their name is "Merry Christmas," forcing the barista to write "Merry Christmas" on the cup – a quite pathetic attempt at "keeping the 'Christ' in Christmas." These people consider this to be a "prank" on Starbucks. If I were a Starbucks Employee, I'd be like, "Ha, ha, thanks for the money. You really got me!"

2016 Republican presidential candidate, Donald Trump, has recently spoken up in outrage against this "issue": "Maybe we should boycott Starbucks... If I become president, we’re all going to be saying ‘Merry Christmas’ again. That I can tell you. That I can tell you! Unbelievable." I simply do not understand how people like Trump could be so bothered by something so small that is not intended to be inflammatory in any way.

This "controversy" is quite telling of the values of our society, and it highlights many of the problems that exist within American Christianity. While there are mass amounts of people being murdered on the streets of Paris, here we are, all arguing about the lack of decorations on a disposable coffee cup. Is it really that big a deal? Do Christians really need to force their beliefs down other peoples' throats that badly? People are claiming that these red cups are an "anti-Christmas symbol," which is a truly ignorant thing to say, considering there is absolutely nothing on the cup but the color red and Starbucks' mission statement, which is, again, to "[create] a culture of warmth and belonging, where everyone is welcome." Is there some hidden message that says, "except Christians?" I don't think so. I am of the Catholic religion, and not only am I not offended by these red cups, but I am embarrassed for Christian religions as a whole to have stooped so low. I can understand religious pride, but I cannot sympathize with American Christians who feel so strongly about their religion that they freak out any time someone doesn't agree with their beliefs. This is bigger than the Starbucks cup, people. Stuff like that happens all the time with Christians. It's honestly embarrassing.

There are Starbucks stores in more than 65 countries, countries where a wide range of holiday celebrations take place. It would be ridiculous for such a wide-reaching company to only create cups representing one of the many religious holiday celebrations that are taking place worldwide. A plain, red cup is simple, festive, inclusive of all winter holidays, and is in no way intended to be offensive to anyone. If the biggest problem you have in your life right now is that a disposable piece of cardboard is offensive to you, you really need to reevaluate your life. There are so many more horrible things happening in our world that are much more deserving of your anger and disgust.

It's just a cup, guys.