The Lord's response, contained in D&C section 89, covered far more than just tobacco; it also restricted the consumption of wine, liquor, meat, and hot drinks (today interpreted to mean tea and coffee of any temperature). Although many Mormons understand this scripture as suggesting that all caffeine is bad and should be avoided, this idea isn't official Church doctrine; the Church allows members to decide that issue for themselves, and some members choose to drink cola.Sounds a little strange to me, but then I'm not the intended audience.
Having said all of that, yesterday I decided to restrict my consumption of coffee (and other caffeine-containing comestibles) to one mug in the morning (about 12 ounces). Yesterday I was really sleepy for a good portion of the day and today I'm more awake in general, but still feeling a little disconnected. Why put myself through this? Although this is the season of Lent (where many people decide to give up something and reflecting on how they are connected with "things" in this world), my reasons are more personal... I hate being addicted to anything and I had begun feeling the morning coffee ritual was necessary to get through the day. Also, my sleeping patterns have been screwy lately, so I figured it couldn't hurt.
What, if anything, are you giving up for lent? And what do you think of coffee/caffeine from a drug/ethics perspective?
