The Boston Herald has published an article titled: “Latter-day Saints: A Look at the Mormon Church.”
They don’t do too bad a job until the very last line which states: “Cold drinks with caffeine are also forbidden.”
I wouldn’t hold that too much against them though. I grew up a Mormon and my parents were pretty strict about caffeine. So for many years I thought that we weren’t allowed to drink Coke and Pepsi. It wasn’t really until I served a mission that I observed Mormons drinking caffeinated sodas and learned that the subject was debatable.
NOTE: the linked article allows readers the opportunity to rate the article anywhere from one to five stars.
1David Brosnahan on Dec 14, 2006 at 1:34 am:
(D&C 58: 26) For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward.
I choose not to drink caffinated soft drinks because #1 I don’t like the taste, #2 caffeine gives me a headache. #3 I don’t want an addiction If I don’t need one. That said, I don’t consider anyone else less righteous if they choose to drink it. I just know I don’t prefer it.
2danithew on Dec 14, 2006 at 9:00 am:
David, I think I share your ‘preferential’ approach, if you would call it that. While I no longer strictly abstain from caffeinated sodas (I accept if it’s offered to me) I prefer non-caffeinated sodas, fruit juices, etc.
3adam on Dec 14, 2006 at 3:24 pm:
I know we as LDS debate Caffeine in Soda, but what about other products like Chocolate. Milk Chocolate has 6mg of Caffeine per oz. while Dark Chocolate as 20mg per oz. Coke has 2.83mg of Caffeine per oz. Chocolate seems to have twice as much caffeine per oz. then Coke. (Mt. Dew only has 4.5 oz of Caffeine per oz. still lower the chocolate) It appears to me that we consume more caffeine in our chocolate then soda, especially when we eat more then 1 oz of chocolate per setting. How do we as LDS argue the consumption of Chocolate over coke?
4Lezhai on Dec 15, 2006 at 3:21 pm:
I knew I didn’t like chocolate for a reason. I agree with Davids response, I don’t drink much of it because of the taste…although I do like the Diet Mt. Dew. It is the only diet soda that doesn’t taste so “diety” (if that is even a word)
5Floyd the Wonderdog on Dec 16, 2006 at 9:42 am:
It seems that caffeinated beverages allow the Latter-day Pharisee yet another chance to practice ostentatious orthopraxy and a procrustian bed when judging others