Mormon Caffeine Policy Clarified, Coke And Pepsi Officially OK For Latter-Day Saints

[cbayer]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/09/01/mormon-caffeine-policy-cl_n_1848098.html?utm_hp_ref=religion

Salt Lake Tribune | By Peggy Fletcher Stack
Posted: 09/01/2012 9:18 am



SALT LAKE CITY (RNS) Maybe now, reporters, bloggers, outsiders and even many Mormons will accept that the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints does not forbid drinking cola.

On Wednesday (Aug. 29), the LDS church posted a statement on its website saying that "the church does not prohibit the use of caffeine" and that the faith's health-code reference to "hot drinks" "does not go beyond (tea and coffee)."

-snip-

"I can understand why the church is cautious," Jorgensen wrote in an email. "Saying that caffeine is OK might sound like saying that caffeine is healthy, maybe even an endorsement of caffeine. Plus, I think members need opportunities to work through questions of right and wrong for themselves."

Caffeine, he said, "is the perfect, low-risk testing ground for members to make decisions for themselves."

more at link

[Siwsan]

1. This would be big news to the LDS people I've known

One friend, in particular, would only drink cola as a treatment for bad migraines and he always felt uneasy about using caffeine as a medicine, because of his church rules.

Perhaps it is just my suspicious mind, where most religions and their rules are concerned, but this makes me suspect the LDS church has investments with coke and pepsi.

[earthside]

3. Not the LDS I knew.

My former neighbor was(is) Mormon.

This was in the 1990s, early 2000s.

I never saw his 300 pound bulk without a gallon-sized 'cup' of Mountain Dew in his hand.

Of course, very Repuglican.

[cbayer]

4. I am surprised that he felt uncomfortable about using it as medicine.

Caffeine is an excellent medicine for some things, including migraines. It is one of the active ingredients in Excedrin.

Unlike the 7th day Adventists, Mormons embrace modern medicine and, I would think, would embrace the use of caffeine as medicine, but not as a general stimulant.

[Siwsan]

7. I thought that, too, but maybe it was the 'forbidden' aspect overrunning the need

He had to be in agony before he'd drink some cola. It would almost be like giving him honey with some whiskey for a sore throat. It would definitely be medicinal, but there was alway something akin to a slight guilt feeling. This was a guy who followed the faith to the nth degree and no equivocating on his beliefs. I had to admire him, even if I didn't agree or understand.

[cbayer]

9. I have a Jewish friend who keeps kosher and rather strictly observes the sabbath, and I

understand the feeling of admiration, despite also not agreeing or understanding.

It's an act of faith and really impacts no one else, unless he is a dinner guest! Then it effects me, but I have learned to accommodate him easily.

[Leontius]

12. Seventh Day Adventists have no problem with modern medicine.

[cbayer]

13. Shows what I know, doesn't it? I thought they didn't take any medications.

[Adsos Letter]

17. I wanted to add this because I initially overlooked Leontius' post as well as your response...

As one of my favorite old History profs used to say: ..."careful reading"...

You're not actually that far off in thinking of SDA's as eschewing medications, at least historically. The confusion probably arises from some of the writings of E.G. White, one of the church's original founders who wrote widely on issues of health during the mid/late- nineteenth century. She was adamant in her counsel that people should not use the medications being prescribed by doctors in her time, believing that natural remedies and proactive health care (diet, exercise, rest, etc.) were the better route. Given the toxicity of much of the stuff making the rounds in the mid-nineteenth century (strychnine, alcohol-and-opium based patent medicines, etc.) I'm not sure she was so far off in that respect.

For some modern SDA's the issue is confused by the fact that Ellen White was/is accepted by most as a prophet whose writings were/are only marginally less authoritative than scripture; this subject and its antecedents, has been/is a source of real division in the church since its inception and has been especially divisive since the 1960's.

Anywaayyy...some still hold to her teaching about drugs (and I'm sure it's a sliding scale for most) often without considering the context of the original writings.

[cbayer]

18. I thought I had run into this as an issue previously, and I greatly appreciate the clarification.

I think I was also wrongly conflating some of their ideas with the Jehovah's Witnesses.

I don't have a lot of contact with either group, though, so my knowledge base is admittedly shallow.

Thanks again.

[Adsos Letter]

19. Hey, no problem! It's a common enough conflation.

I think the beliefs of both groups are commonly misunderstood/confused, to the extent that they even appear on most people's radar screens. Same with the Mormons, although that's probably about to change some (but it probably won't be much clearer for most, is my guess).

EDIT: ... punctuation, the very bane of my existence...

[Adsos Letter]

16. Seventh Day Adventists don't embrace modern medicine?

That would be news to me.

The church's Fundamental Beliefs don't allow "recreational caffeine" in any form (soft drinks, tea, coffee, etc.) but I'm not aware that they prohibit the use of Excedrin.

BTW, the proscription against caffeinated beverages, while maintained on church school grounds, is widely disregarded by the laity from what I've observed.

I'm pretty sure the church's hospitals and medical schools embrace modern medicine...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Seventh-day_Adventist_hospitals
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Seventh-day_Adventist_medical_schools

Even though their Fundamental Beliefs deny evolution in favor of creationism they accept post-Fall evolution as it relates to medicine (and other things).

[kestrel91316]

8. I thought the LDS church bought major stock in Coca-cola way back in the 70s and then

had a revelation that it was ok to drink Coke, but not Pepsi, lol. I may be remembering this incorrectly, but I do sort of pay attention to their follies.

Oh, and if it's not the caffeine they disapprove of in "hot drinks" like coffee and tea, and it's the "hot" part that's the problem, then why are hot cocoa ok, and hot milk, and hot Postum, and herbal tisanes?

They need to make up their minds what is the BAD THING.

[Rob H.]

14. That's a good question

I had an LDS boss for three years, ending nine years ago, and I rarely ever saw her without a mug of hot chocolate. She didn't drink sodas, either.

[kestrel91316]

15. Hot chocolate is HOT, and it has caffeine, so if it's NOT a "stimulating" beverage I don't know

what is.

[LiberalLoner]

2. I think I heard once they do own Pepsi or something like that? I might be wrong.

[longship]

5. LDS needs to listen to Bach's "Coffee Cantata"

They'd learn about the futility of coffee bans. In it a father and daughter are having an argument about the daughters love of coffee, with the daughter singing the pro-coffee side and the father the "coffee is evil" side.

It is a delightful little gem. Of course, it ends on a positive note (no pun intended) as the two settle their differences over a couple of nice steaming hot cups of -- what else -- coffee.

[cbayer]

6. I thought for sure you were making a joke or talking about a spoof,

but it's a real Bach Cantata, lol!

Alas, I can not watch it myself due to a connection that is working about as fast as changed does on Capitol Hill, but here is a link for others.

[longship]

10. LOL, it's one of Bach's few secular cantata.

He wrote them for just about every sabbath of the year, a little over 200 of which were not lost. This is high art in choral composition, generally a small instrumental ensemble with choral solos.

I really love them. The Coffee Cantata is one of my favorites. I don't speak German, but the word for coffee in German sounds the same. It is funny to hear the first words sung by the soprano basically be, "Coffee. Coffee. I just love my coffee." (or some such -- not a translation).

It ends in a wonderful duet as father and daughter have a cup together, the daughter having won him over.

Bach had a great sense of humor and loved to play games with his music. But this is the only Bach work I know of that delves into outright satire.

Please do check it out.

[cbayer]

11. I will check it out on Monday evening after these blasted tourists leave.

They just eat up the limited bandwidth here at an incredible rate.



See you in church, my friend.