Does it Matter Where I Buy My Coffee? The Question of Cooperation with Evil
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 20 ม.ค. 2022
- We hear the question again and again in the comments: What should I do if my favorite coffee shop, shoe company, or airline financially supports abortion? Am I cooperating with evil if I buy a product from them?
Today, Fr. Mark-Mary explores this question and weighs in on why we should avoid cooperating with evil and what our uniquely Catholic response should be to the evil of abortion in our world.
For even more on Catholic Morality for everyone, be sure to read Dr. Matthew Minerd's new book, Made by God, Made for God: Catholic Morality Explained (tinyurl.com/ybogpa6a)
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The worst one is in June- July when all the shops and social media are plastered with 6-striped rainbows. My options for shopping suddenly get very limited. Even my bank is infected.
I have scrupulosity and this subject can be so hard...I start to feel like everything is bad and my world keeps getting smaller and smaller....now I know that can be too far and Fr. thank you for handling this subject tenderly.
Please don't worry too much about this. Trust your life to God's grace! All human beings are sinful, so no company is perfect. Just make the best choice you can, and enjoy life! God created things like coffee for us to enjoy. There are hundreds of diners, coffee shops, and bodegas that don't support planned parenthood.
@@phoebejanemiller1671 Thank you for the encouragement!
God bless you and give you strength for your burden🙏✝️
Father mark i can’t believe I met you in person today at the March for life ❤️🔥❤️🔥
I haven't purchased "anything" Starbucks for over 20+ yrs There are many establishments we can avoid for the common good
Yes very very good. I’ve always tried to stay away from a certain coffee company but sometimes I just want a drink from there (what a terrible reason to donate my money to abortion)…
Just think what an incredible impact it would have on these companies if everyone who was truly pro life stopped giving money to them.
I do the same. I try to avoid it as much as I can…sometimes I just feel like a drink from there; I’m trying to being more mindful of this! As well as contributing to other companies that support abortion as well (ex bath and body works..ugh)
Yay Father Mark Mary! The whole "Cancel Culture" thing needs to be challenged, and what better way to challenge it than to give them the same treatment? "Cancel" evil. and cancel those who promote and support evil.
Cancel evil, yes, but don’t even think about canceling those who promote and support it. We’re called to love the sinner but hate the sin, and that means we should hope to reform those who promote evil, rather than *unconditionally* shunning them from society, which cancel culture aims to do.
Praised be God, I struggle with this ALL THE TIME! Thank you so much for directly addressing my everyday anxieties!
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I avoid any brands that use animal testing, have forced labor/humanitarian/child labor records and poor environmental business practices as well as those who donate to support abortion.
Thank you Father.
I've always struggled with this.
1) how scrupulously do I need to research this business to find out if they endorse organizations against my faith?
1a) what if they support a cause that is simultaneously in line with my faith?
2) what if that "indirect supports establishment" was no other way to earn money, the only opportunity for employment ?
3) what if it's cheaper? I am not earning enough to endorse more expensive but ethically responsible businesses in line with my faith?
4) Vaccines...?
There's evil everywhere...I feel like for all the education we have, if we are unable to choose the greatest good, then picking the lesser evils may be the best we can do...😔
Jezu Ufam Tobie!
"The Lord said turn the other cheek, not look the other way," Well said!!
Fr. Mark-Mary, I really appreciate the fact that you are addressing an issue that a lot of us were wondering about. But I feel like that this can quickly start to put us in a situation where we constantly feel like we're living in a "minefield". It may be easy to simply avoid the place all together when I'm buying coffee for myself, but it's not as simple when I'm socializing with others. During the past few weeks, I've had situations where I was gifted a Starbucks gift card from two past co-workers. And just yesterday, I was out with others and one of them wanted to treat the rest of us with a cup of coffee. The only nearest coffee shop in the area that we can go to was Starbucks. Situations like these are really the ones that make it difficult to know what I should do. In your future videos, I hope that you'll be able to give us some of your advice on how to love/share the love with our neighbors (who may not share the same beliefs), and useful ways to socialize with them more wisely. Thank you Fr. Mark-Mary, you will be in my prayers!
Support ethical brands whenever possible, and trust the rest to God's grace! Anxiety is only going to lead to more anxiety. God is not angry with you for getting coffee with your co-workers. Just choose someplace else the next time. In my humble opinion, local diners/ bodegas tend to have the best tasting coffee anyway. Buying from them supports local and small businesses.Starbucks tastes burnt and is overpriced.
buy from local small businesses. Simple solution
at the end of the day, we just have to remember that man is fallen and we live in an evil, awful, wretched, and sinful world. we simply need to ask Christ for His forgiveness for our sins and our complicity in this fallen world, which is only temporary. pray that we may be delivered from this fallen world and are granted entrance into His Kingdom.
@@cosmogamer9914 Agreed, on the same note, asking for forgiveness for complicity in this fallen world includes an honest effort and resolve to stop being complicit. Presumption of God's mercy is a sin not to be taken lightly. I say this knowing I have fallen into this evil trap.
@@mathieuconklin3146 Well said. We are in a battle between good and evil and the choice is ours. When we choose good, God is on our side(we chose God’s side!).
Not sinful, no need for confession BUT we still hsve to try our best. We have to starve the Beast. It's our duty.
I stopped buying Starbucks because you informed me of what they do with planned parenthood. Thank you!
if u buy your coffee from starbucks you are worshipping a pagan god. starbucks has a pagan god. moral of the story, dont worship a pagan god.
@@NewNoise1 "'you are worshipping a pagan god' That is completely silly. What is worship: it is the feeling or expression of reverence and adoration for a deity. For something that's printed on a cup where a large number of people have no clue about is not what I would consider worshiping.
I believe it would truly be a service to the people you help Shepard, to name companies that support the culture of death
You are exactly correct. Starbucks most profitable stores are in China where all their merchandise is made. Sbux also supports BLM and CRT - critical race theroy. Sbux is totally Socialist Communists.⚰️💉👩🔬👮💲🇨🇳🇨🇳🇨🇳
I'd rather support Fair Trade, organic, shade grown (as in no clearcutting of rainforest involved) than buy big corporate coffee that helps demolish the rainforest and wildlife habitat, and pays farmers a pittance.
Exactly. No Starbucks.
Agreed!
Thank you. I completely agree
Buy fair trade coffe and make it yourself! We have gotten so lazy we can make a cup of coffee? Go back to basics and pray as you are making your coffee🙏💜
Does anyone have or know of a trustworthy comprehensive list of places Catholics shouldn't shop at/ companies we should not support? I was trying to do some research online last night but I just keep coming across lists that are outdated or don't quite match up. Plus it turns Adobe supports Planned Parenthood too so I also need to know services we probably shouldn't use. I'm going to be honest this is giving me a lot of anxiety and now I'm not quite sure where to look, how much I should do research before I even go shop, and even if I can be allowed to shop just for fun at certain places. Please send reliable trustworthy help.
Walmart, McDonalds, Nike, Pepsi are a few that I have been told.
Such a great video! I haven't been to Starbucks in years solely because they donate to Planned Parenthood. Imagine the impact pro-lifers could have on our brands and companies if we got serious about supporting these places. 😁
God bless everyone
I was just at the March for Life 2022 today. I was so close to talking to Fr Mike but then he was called to speak. I would to anything to be able to talk to him. I was next up…🙄😥
Thank you for helping Catholics continue to develop well formed moral consciences
What comfort are we willing to sacrifice for what is right? Coffee, I LOVE coffee, but I can survive without it!
Thank you so much Fr. Mark-Mary!
I am with you 100% Fr. Mark-Mary! 🙏🏻✝️
We are grateful for this kind and clear video! God bless!
Thank you Ascension and Father Mark Mary!
I have a fund manager who invests for me yet I never really questioned which companies he invested my money in and what are their policies. Thank you for this video. Now I need to have a really long talk with him.
I rarely buy coffee from Starbucks. The biggest reason why I don't support Starbucks is purely political. If more people did that and it hurt companies bottom dollar, they would probably change a few things.
Father Mark Mary….you are a blessing. Your talks have brought Christ’s love into sharp focus and show us how we too, can love. You are the most down-to-earth “preacher” I’ve ever heard Thank you for being such a good teacher. None of this is about you…..it is all for God….thank you for your sincerity.
Well said! Thank you!
When it comes to Starbucks, the cooperation itself doesn't actually donate to Planned Parenthood. The Starbucks employees are given a chance to donate a small percent of their salary to any charity they choose. Some choose Planned Parenthood, some choose St Jude's children's hospital. It depends on the employee. Every single company does this. Of course this is an issue, but we can't boycott every single company. I was so sad when people told me that Starbucks donates to PP, but sooo happy when I realized it didn't. I do believe we should boyott companies that openly decide as a whole to donate to PP.
I agree with you! I have prayed about this for a long time and I think especially when it concerns aiding, no matter how big or small the contribution to any of the grave evils it should be avoided if possible. In this day and age I think especially with all the things we have available we can and should avoid to contribute as much as we can.
God bless you father
I like your viewpoint! Thanks for making the video 👍🏻
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I appreciate this and would also appreciate greater knowledge about what companies give to Planned Parenthood.
Thank you.
Just Google "companies that support planned parenthood"
I’ve commented on this before so I’ll be brief. I’m in the healthcare field and almost every employer I’ve had has mandated that everyone in my position lie, mislead, and cheat each and every customer out of thousands of dollars. I’m constantly baffled by how almost all staff members openly cooperate with this - the college educated, the holders of advanced degrees, and the ones that are heavily involved in their church. Only rarely you’ll hear of a whistle blower like myself in the news because they refused. And for good reason - people could go to jail if they were caught. I wonder what all these staff members teach their children at home and in church - perhaps that it’s wrong to lie, cheat and steal - unless you’re over 18 and your employer tells you to do so. It’s as if everyone is morally blinded by something as simple as a paycheck. At any rate, I’m very accustomed to bad people attempting to corrupt me. They always try to get me to do the little lies first, then build up from there. It’s all very predictable. People eventually learn that I’m far more afraid of God than man. I’d never insult God so much as to turn my back on Him to cooperate with evil. I’m constantly baffled by how many people do though. I don’t understand it but it appears most people are unable to sense God and sense evil. It’s pretty obvious to me but I’ve heard of studies where people were told they had to act unethical in some way to keep their job. Most people willingly do so - citing that it’s not unethical because they were following their boss’s orders.
That's a sound, nuanced discussion.
God bless, everyone ✝️
Excellent video, father!
Thank you so much! I had that questions last time and this videos are helping me.
Thank you for doing this video. Coffee is truly a gift from God for most of us. I like to close my eyes and do what is easy to get what I want. In so many ways we support evil with what we purchase. It's difficult to find a cell phone provider, retailer, restaurant etc. that supports God's Truth and does not influence others to what is evil. I just canceled my Panara Bread Coffee Subscription. I have known for awhile the things they support, but I love the convenience and their coffee. When I walk in and see their company shirts supporting prevision and know they give to pro-abortion politicians. There are definitely alternatives and I will quit being lazy and cheap and support our brothers in Christ. God Bless and Thanks again.
Great video. Thank you for making it and God bless :)
Does anyone here know of a comprehensive list of companies that Christians should avoid supporting?
Let's not the ignore the coffee that is planted from child slave labour. I believe that is far more important on whether a company supportd abortion or not.
That's a very important issue, but I don't think it's more important than murder, especially since a far higher percentage of people are already against child slave labor.
This was so well handled, Fr. Mark. Thank you for inviting us to make behavioural changes where at all possible and I accept the challenge in the broader context of the inconvenience here (I'm not a coffee drinker but a coffee 'sniffer'' only!). Legalism and impracticality may overtake the mission we are called to fulfill with our limited time here on earth and if that consumes us then it may get in the way of our spreading God's love and inviting others into His love. In a reverse play on this subject, again that was sensitively given, may I ask for clarification on the following, please? I think Mother Theresa was ok with accepting money to feed the poor without fact-checking where it came from. God bless you.
Great video
I also stopped buying coffee at the drive through. Deleted their app from my phone.
If we can't sacrifice that good cup of coffee from that shop supporting Abortion.
Who are we to say that we're pro-life.
Let's be True Catholics
AVOIDING ALL EVIL!
no excuse brothers and sisters let's do better for God. After all he's a good God worthy of it all 💗 love you guys, see you in heaven ☁️
I remember when the pill was discovered and it is so evil BUT we find out some of the Vaticans investments in their portfolio INVESTED in those companies ……..🤦🏼♀️……..thus, I dumped my broker & TRY to be educated on mine!!
Okay, I do have several questions if that is alright. I suffer from scruples so I usually need help in discerning things like this. My first question is, to what extent am I supposed to do research? Do i have to research everyplace I shop? Lets say I want to drink at Starbucks, Am I supposed to research everything they support? Technically speaking one does not need coffee, so the safest thing to do would just not get coffee from anywhere or at least from big chains, but what if there are only big chains around, is it okay to get coffee from them? or if I'm shopping at a comic shop that I know sells "adult oriented books" or other salacious materials but I go there for more appropriate things, am I supposed to not shop there anymore? Because again, one does not need comics so the best thing to do to avoid corporation with evil would be not to shop there at all. Also what do I do if i already own something from a company that does evil, can I keep it or do I have to throw it away? I guess my biggest concern is that a lot of companies do evil things. Most things are made in China under bad business practices and unjust treatment of workers. With all this in mind am I required to stay away from unnecessary things to avoid cooperation with evil unless I know for certain that everything is alright? (I would appreciate some guidance from someone that works at Ascension Presents, mostly so I can feel more comfortable trusting it. I hope I didn't come off as rude or nit-picky, I just feel like this put me in a bit of a bad head space right now)
My first thought is that it’s best to support Catholic or Christian businesses, either advertising themselves or such or simply through word of mouth. Also, if a business (like Starbucks) is openly supporting abortion or other evil practices, then don’t go there. If you’re able to look into it and it’s easy to find links to evil, I also wouldn’t go there. If you already own something I would keep it. The Holy Spirit is with you always, pray to Him for help and guidance! God bless you ☺️
I understand how you feel! When it's difficult to get an immediate or a clear answer to a problem that is making you feel uneasy, I feel that it's important not to remain in your uneasiness, but to take it to Jesus right away and ask for his help. Offer up your anxiety and tell him what is going on in your mind. Ask him for the grace to discern what's the right thing to do and for the grace to realize your faults if you've done something that saddens him without knowing. And importantly, ask him to give you his peace if this anxiety is coming from unneeded scrupulosity. Ask Mother Mary and your guardian angel to pray for you. Then, be patient and go about your day with joy, having great hope that Jesus have heard your prayer and will answer you when the time is right. :) This is what I personally do whenever I start to feel anxious about various scrupulous thoughts. God Bless!!
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very much relate, stay strong friend
I have scrupulosity too and these things are so hard for me....I start to feel that nothing is ok, sometimes pushing me into despair and anger. And even pushing me away from my faith because "its too great a burden".....at this point I know I have taken things too far.
Buy good quality organic coffee and make your own coffee at home. The plastic coffee lids release BPA into your coffee. Did I mention that they are ridiculously overpriced? I heard that they buy the cheapest coffee from Colombia. Remember, many restaurants and drive through coffee places are trying to make a profit and the quality of the coffee is not always the best.
There's a Starbucks right next door to my work and I'm often sooooo tempted
That was difficult to watch. Thank you.
Is it material cooperation to vote for a political party that makes abortion on demand a key part of its platform? Thanks Father for this video! 🙏✝️
yes
In Massachusetts we run on Duncan’s…nuff said.
Buy Mystic Monk coffee and make it yourself. Much cheaper and less worry. ❤️
🙏🙏🙏
Thank you for standing for life and truth. Praise God! As Bishop Strickland said, God is in the eternal now. Every aborted baby that we use their fetal stem cells for research on or for deriving things from is still a precious soul loved and known by God. I know it’s nearly impossible to avoid every instance of something supporting or relating to abortion, but we have to do what we can. Let’s pray a Hail Mary for these innocent souls.
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I try to focus on researching the things I buy regularly. For instance, I LOVE clothing shopping. But I consider child labor/ slave labor to be a grave moral evil. So, I focus on shopping second hand (preferably from a thrift shop that does something philanthropic with their profits) or from a company that sources fair trade fabrics and labor. I also need to buy skincare and makeup often, so I look into the brands I'm buying from to see how they treat the environment. I only buy from brands that are cruelty free/ have some policy to support the environment. I try to make food and coffee at home, but when I buy these things out, I try to find the best option. My advice is to do research on the things when they are a daily part of your routine. But if your friends want to meet at Starbucks or something, don't stress too much about it. Just think big picture about what message you are sending with where you spend your money. Support ethical brands whenever possible, and trust the rest to God's grace.
So I’m raised Catholic but don’t really fully believe in all the aspects of it and identify more as non-denominational Christian, but of course I still believe in the Bible and some of the aspects of the Catholic faith make sense to me. That being said, this video was really informative and I appreciate it because I haven’t heard too many people talk about this specific issue of purchasing from companies that are owned/run by people that don’t have the same moral stance as us. Thank you for that ☺️
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Absolutely not!
I also don't get Girl Scout cookies because they also support abortion. For the most part it IS a small sacrifice to make but it can be wearying keeping up and keeping track. But sometimes you HAVE to patronize a business whose current business model or advertising you don't agree with or support simply because there is no choice. You do the best you can.
Make your own
Hey Ascension Presents, could you please make a video on 'What happens if God keeps changing my plans? / Why does God keep changing my plans'
#AskAscension
I think in general where we spend our money says a lot like Christ says in the gospels. Use your money to promote good: recycled toilet paper, local conservative businesses, small catholic thrift instead of goodwill or savers. Etc! Nothing but love💗💗 amen y’all
So, what companies should I be avoiding then and why?
I totally agree!! Is anything too much to offer for God?... We just have to look at a crucifix to answer that question. We could give up coffee and offer it for the souls of the people who own or work at the shop so Jesus doesn't lose a soul because we supported the company. 😃
if you're wondering what "take up your cross daily..." means, this is it.
Dang.
basically every large corporation serves moloch. amazon, Walmart, Starbucks, facebook, twitter, 3m, etc... buy local even if it's a little more pricey
Yes! And it supports your local community!
I agree, but a fraction of a fraction of a fraction of still a lot when you consider their revenue; however, like you say, if there's another place, especially locally, support that place. It's hard nowadays, you can't buy salt without seeing the pick ribbons(they support planned Parenthood also)
In God, we cannot negotiate with evil.
Never again will I buy Starbucks I mean it’s such a little sacrifice considering we could get coffee from so many other places! Especially if you live in California
Great video but one part confused me. At 3:50, you give 3 examples (streaming service, accountant for energy company and secretary at Planned Parenthood) and I can’t tell if you said that the streaming service is proximate cooperation or if you were trying to imply that it wasn’t!
God bless and keep you!
Dont get your coffee from starbucks. Thats very easy. Just ignore this company.
Make your own coffee at home. Its not that complicated.
I’m just curious, where does this stop then? Most coffee shops (big chains and small one offs) are liberal minded and support things that don’t align with our Catholic faith. So is it just if they financially support something? Because it’s just super hard to draw the line. I just want my coffee 😂 but I also know that so many companies beyond just coffee are going in directions I don’t like.
@@katien3022 Abortion is the big thing. Avoid other evils when you can but within reason.
If you know... then avoid it.
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What about voting for political people who supports abortion?
Simple answer, no you can't.
God bless.
If it bother you to drink coffee then stop drinking. Maybe offer it up. I get the same thing with my favorite tea. I sense the Blessed Mother wants me to offer it up. More than once. JanetMarie
Abbey Roast is a safe option. They give support & proceeds to prolife
I love coffee
Well, I almost never go to Starbucks, most of the time I buy coffee from the grocery store and brew it at home. Starbucks doesn't even have very good coffee it's mostly sugar. In all honesty yeah I agree that people should avoid going to that place, in the end you don't really need coffee and can go without it for a day. I'm saying this as someone who drinks coffee daily. I know that in reality though our wills are very weak, it's the tragedy of modern life where everything is about what's convenient and we are all so rushed and pressured. Also though the issue isn't only whether the coffee you are buying is going to fund money to abortion, it's also an issue of whether the coffee you are buying is going to fund communism. There are multiple things you have to think about. My mom says don't buy coffee from Venezuela or you are supporting communism. Just something to think about.
Can you go to confession and ask for repentance for sins you're inadvertently committing?
Forgive god for my sins
What are some evils - other than abortion- that one might avoid by withholding one's patronage? Is it just the one?
Companies that use slave labor, abuse their employees, discriminate against Catholics or Christian’s just to name a few, but there are SO many companies that do horrible evil things.
Fr what if we didn't know that coffee company cooperates with evil and have shopped there frequently?
You tube gives to United way which gives to plan parenthood. So many grocery stores and my insurance companies gives to either one. Uggg!
I actually quit my job with a company that supported acts abominable to God.
So I was wondering if this situation would apply to this. I really enjoy listening to music from games and shows I watch and play, but usually they’re copyrighted and not officially released. So people post them on TH-cam and SoundCloud, or use music I think is copyrighted in videos as well. I know channels and people aren’t supposed to be monetized if they include copyrighted content, but I still see these ads pop up. Would watching and listening to this stuff be the same deal as what was talked about here because I’d be sort of supporting stealing in away? My best arguments for doing so is just that I have a tendency to be scrupulous and want to try not to stress too much and lose sight of God bc I’m being strict to myself and that I just find it helpful for relaxing and kind of helping my mental health for small periods at a time. Any opinions would be helpful.
Hard to know all the evil, and some evil may be more good than bad. Grey areas when it comes to human law, ethics.
Starbucks was obvious, but who were the other companies Father Mark-Mary was referring to?
Right! Wonder if there is a site that lists all these companies and what they support with their funds...🤔
Rather than pay $8 for a coffee milkshake give some money to the poor and make your coffee at home
What does a life where I'm maximally not cooperating with evil look like?
Perhaps nearly impossible and that's not exaggerating in the modern world
Definitely agree avoid it. Goodbye Carmel drizzle frappechino ✌️
How does one contribute to your diocese when you find out one of their portfolio investments contributes to planned parenthood?
I've never gone to Starbucks because I think the coffee is terrible.
Kind of missing the point...
I see my post has disappeared.
Don't support palm oil destruction of the rainforest!
I personally have been struggling with this hard. In my situation I need a job, almost any job, so I can pay for my needs. So I applied for Starbucks, which I know they support planned parenthood, and stores that sell condoms as a couple examples. Is it truly okay for me to work for these places when they support evil practices?
What are some companies that support abortion?
What about if I work in a place where they promote ideas that are against God teaching. I pray for protection and the removal of the person responsible for promoting the false teaching.
I guess you could go one step further and also pray for their conversion
Pray for guidance and discernment. I went to adoration and the Lord put in my heart that I had to leave. I was kind of sad and scared to so I put it off but months later God made things even more clear when sacrilegous aspects were brought into the project I was working on in the company that really solidified my decision. I found a better paying job by God’s grace afterwards
What about big name grocery stores that promote abortion? What about eating their products?
You guys should put a channel on the Rumble platform. LIke youtube but free on cancel culture.