What in the heck? No caffeine?

[RachelleDrew]

So I was chatting in a message board today with some people who were asking me about the church, and were asking about the coffee/tea issue.

Well, there was another Mormon there that made the claim that NO caffeine whatsoever was supposed to be consumed. None.

I've never heard this, i've just heard coffee and tea. I tried to tell her that what she heard was nonsense, but is there any truth to this?

I have reason to believe that she's just a fanatical anti posing as a member to stir animosity towards the church, but that's another story entirely. Has there ever been a rule about caffeine within the church? Heck I see kids with pop at church all the time.

[Loudmouth_Mormon]

The church strongly counsels against ingesting addictive substances. It takes absolutely no stand on caffeine specifically one way or the other. The closest we've got, is an interview with Larry King and President Hinckley, where Larry is naming off things unique to mormons, and Pres. Hinckley is nodding his head and saying yes. Larry says something like "Mormons don't drink Coke" and Pres. Hinckley says something like "Yes, that's right, we don't".

That's the strongest evidence I've heard supporting the notion that the church prohibits caffeine. And from where I'm standing, if the Lord wishes His servant Pres. Hinckley to reveal new doctrine to us, He ain't gonna have him do it on Larry King.

LM

[RachelleDrew]

Originally Posted by Loudmouth_Mormon

The church strongly counsels against ingesting addictive substances. It takes absolutely no stand on caffeine specifically one way or the other. The closest we've got, is an interview with Larry King and President Hinckley, where Larry is naming off things unique to mormons, and Pres. Hinckley is nodding his head and saying yes. Larry says something like "Mormons don't drink Coke" and Pres. Hinckley says something like "Yes, that's right, we don't".

That's the strongest evidence I've heard supporting the notion that the church prohibits caffeine. And from where I'm standing, if the Lord wishes His servant Pres. Hinckley to reveal new doctrine to us, He ain't gonna have him do it on Larry King.

LM

See, that's what I thought but I had never heard anything about it at all. Mormons seem to drink as much coke as anybody else. My bishop and my husband bond over their passion for Mt. Dew.

[Truegrits]

It is not the caffeine in coffee, or we would be able to drink the caffeine-free variety. It is the tannic acid.
We are not forbidden to drink caffeinated pop, just to do so in moderation. We are to be careful of doing it addictively.

[Heavenguard]

I've seen the caffeine/coffee/tea thing much around here, but what of medicines, whether over-the-counter or prescription, that have addictive substances in them?

[Truegrits]

Just because a medicine has an addictive substance in it, does not mean one will be addicted to it. If you use the medication only when you are sick, fine.
If you cannot get through a day without a caffeinated pop, then you should probably give it up. (IMO) Switch to a caffeine free pop. If you enjoy one occasionally, then you are not addicted.

[Bookmeister]

Actually, if you want to follow the "no caffeine" route, then no church member should ever eat chocolate again!

[Loudmouth_Mormon]

Originally Posted by Heavenguard

I've seen the caffeine/coffee/tea thing much around here, but what of medicines, whether over-the-counter or prescription, that have addictive substances in them?

A worthy question. I believe (and don't quote me here) that legitimate medication under a doctor's orders, for righteous reasons, trump the counsel against addictive substances. Unless it's medicinal marijuana, then for whatever reason, the church fights against making that legal.

I know a good brother who is on a rather strong pain killer that brings with it a strong addiction. He will never be able to get off it, without serious drug rehab. The drug helps him function and live normally, but he is very much not happy about having his well-being tied to a substance with such a vicelike grip on him.

LM

[SkyWishes]

lol and bookmeister, i think that might cancel out the majority of the female lds population!!! -runs to her choccy stash- It's a funny topic, one I've been quite confused about. As a little girl I grew up with the no-caffeine rule. We never had coke/dr pepper in the house or when we went out. It was most certainly off limits. However lots of my YSA friends drink coke and say that its not the caffeine that we're agaisnt its the tannin in tea/coffee and some of those drinking the coke are returned missionaires. I still avoid coke, if anything, because at a mechanics college we used to clean the rusty bike parts by putting them in a class of coke and they'd come out shining the next day! And also because the head of coka-cola said some thing (or perhaps its just a rumour) but I think they said, if we can get some one addicted to coke from a young age, we've got a customer for life. And also it's how I've grown up and caffeine is an addictiv substance.. tho I drink it in lucozade and ultimatly eat it.. in choclate !

[Islander]

Caffeine is clear, odorless and tasteless. Drinks manufacturers add it to beverages because it is extremely addictive. The (ONLY) reason for drinking coffee and tea is to ingest caffeine. There are many other infusions that actually taste better but they enjoy absolutely no popularity because they have only medicinal value rather than stimulant appeal.

I think is is naive and rather a poor attempt to rationalize when we say that drinks that contain caffeine are OK because the WoW does not describe in detail such drinks. I suggest that the spirit of the law has always been a better indicator of what we should do than the letter of it.