Archive for the ‘General’ Category

Starbucks announced changes to its loyalty program that will mean some customers will have to spend more money at the coffee chain to earn free food and drinks.

Source: Starbucks Tightens Loyalty Program’s Rewards

Any suggestion that this can help a customer or not slow them down is a crock.  This really is nothing more than an attempt to hide that they are increasing the level for a bonus drink for their “loyal” customers.

Let’s say my wife and I go to Starbucks, she and I each get a drink at about $5 and I get a pumpkin bread at $2 and change.  Currently that is 3 bonus stars if we get each item as a separate purchase.  That is 25% of the way to a free drink.  Under the new program, this would be 24 or 26 bonus stars which is only around 20% towards that free drink.

If Starbucks was really trying to be consistent while changing to a money-spent model, they would have set the bonus drink at 100 stars.  They knew they couldn’t get away increasing the bonus threshold to 15 stars, so they took this path instead.

They have already changed their birthday treat policy.  It’s only on the day of your birthday, not until the end of the month as it used to be.  Of course, people don’t find that out until you go in on Friday or Saturday night after a mid-week birthday with your “somebody special” for a date.

Shame the loyalty doesn’t go both ways.

It is open season on Catholics and Evangelical Christians.

Source: Oregon silences bakers who refused to make cake for gay wedding | Fox News

I’m really getting tired of being right on things like this.  The basics of this story is that the bakers were fined $135,000 for refusing to bake the wedding cake for a gay wedding.  From everything I’ve been able to learn – and I’ve followed this story since it originally broke, this particular case, at least, is a real religious objection.

In addition to the fine, though, Oregon slapped a gag order on the couple prohibiting them from even talking about the case.  Yes, not only the religious liberty side of the First Amendment has been compromised, but their free speech rights have been excluded as well.  In this case, there is no compelling interest for shutting them up except that it is politically embarrassing for the State of Oregon.  This is the precise reason that the First Amendment exists.

That we even know about this, means that they have obviously violated the order.  The good news is that according to the couple God is providing for them.  However, they have had to ask themselves will they be willing to be jailed for their belief in God.  Their answer is, “Yes.”  What’s yours?

A married Montana man has taken his wife and his girlfriend to the Yellowstone County Courthouse and told the clerk: Marry us – if the Supreme Court OK’d “gay” unions, then we should be allowed to join together in holy polygamy.“It’s about marriage equality,” said Nathan Collier, who filed for a marriage application to two […]

Source: Polygamous TRIO applies for marriage license

Mere days after hearing how we are being paranoid about how the Supreme Court opinion on gay marriage would lead to polygamy, this story comes out.

The reason for defending marriage has nothing to do with (more…)

1434484716960Time for a harsh reality check… You can change the label, but you cannot change what marriage is.  Whether you believe it to be a sacrament instituted by God or evolutionary process forming a permanently mated pair in h. sapiens, gays may try to copy what marriage is; they may even maintain a long-term relationship and do so better than some heterosexual couples, but it will still be an imitation.  To change the label cannot ever change that.

The real problem didn’t begin with same-sex marriage, but in people forgetting what marriage is even between men and women.

Beyond this, regardless of the “out” for religious objection, Christians are the real target of this ruling.  Regardless of the First Amendment right being protected by law, there is no protection from the cost of the lawsuits that will be used to persecute the Church.  If there’s any doubt of this latter, Justice Roberts reminds us,

Indeed, the Solicitor General candidly acknowledged that the tax exemptions of some religious institutions would be in question if they opposed same-sex marriage. See Tr. of Oral Arg. on Question 1, at 36–38.

Christians are already losing their businesses and homes over their Faith here in America.  They already face being fined.  Being jailed for your Faith – if Canada is any example – is not that far away.  I don’t believe those who say it won’t come to that.  Back in the mid-90’s we were told gays weren’t after marriage – remember the Civil Union?  Back in the mid-2000’s we were told they weren’t after our religious beliefs.  I guess that’s only true unless you’re a baker or photographer.

The president of the Southern Baptist Convention has a message regarding the looming Supreme Court decision on same-sex marriage: We will not obey.

Source: Southern Baptists: Supreme Court is not final authority on gay marriage | Fox News

Now that it is coming to the point of stand for what God teaches or lose your job, your home or even your freedom – as in jail – here in America, it will be interesting to see how many people are Christians-in-name-only.