Posted on 03/03/2008 11:08:00 AM PST by greyfoxx39
Religious and cultural traditions collide in odd ways.
• Is it right to tell election poll workers, assigned to Mormon church meeting houses, to not bring coffee, sodas or anything else caffeinated to refresh themselves during their long day tending to voters?
-SNIP-
First, let’s look at the polling place duties and sipping Maxwell House in the meeting house.
Longtime Tempe poll worker Mary Ann Hemmingson has signed up to work the polls for the March 11 election. She’ll spend her 14- or 15-hour day in a church, but no longer one that belongs to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
“I never sign up to work at a Mormon church because the board workers there are not allowed to have any caffeine on the premises,” she said. “That means no coffee in the morning and no Diet Coke in the afternoon. ... You don’t want to see what I look like without my daily dose of caffeine. It’s not a pretty picture.”
“The Word of Wisdom” portion of the Doctrine and Covenants, put forth in 1833 by church founder and prophet Joseph Smith, says that “hot drinks are not for the body or belly.” Add to that what H. Burke Peterson, first counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, said in 1975: “We know that cola drinks contain the drug caffeine. We know caffeine is not wholesome nor prudent for the use of our bodies. It is only sound judgment to conclude that cola drinks and any others that contain caffeine or other harmful ingredients should not be used.”
Advising followers to restrict what they take into their bodies is one thing, but applying that mandate to those people who perform a public job inside their buildings in a one-day stint seems to be taking things too Far.
(Excerpt) Read more at eastvalleytribune.com ...
Tannic acid. The reason my dad looked so young before he died.
Ya but....I prefer going back to age 19 and go to a church dance in Panguitch. With my fifth of Jim Beam out in the car.
Coming in and sweeping the sweet 16 year old off her feet, breathing heavily so she gets the whiff of the good stuff and she follows me out to the car with her half empty can of church approved 7 Up, and fills it to the brim. Back in to the dance we go...
Ahhhh....those were the days my friend, I wished they’d never ended.
Banning COFFEE normal? Quite far-fetched. However, IMO, there should be no polling in places where religion of any kind sets the rules for those not of that religion. Specifically because THERE IS NO ALTERNATE CHOICE FOR VOTERS IN THAT PRECINCT!
And I wouldn't be comfortable if ONLY poll workers of a specific religion would choose to work under these circumstances...never know when a candidate of said specific religion would need some extra "help".
Move the polls OUT of religion-controlled venues.
Sounds like we went to different schools together! Half the boys at the church dances I attended had that little “pick me up” under the seat in the car.
http://www.ulcseminary.org/faqs/mormonFaq.php
2. Why do Mormons abstain from all drinks with caffeine in them?
Well, it’s not really a hard and fast *rule* that Mormons aren’t supposed to drink caffeinated beverages. There are the “black and white” guidelines that we’ve all come to know and love about Mormons, who consider these rules to be commandments. These include things like “no smoking”, “no alcohol”, “no premarital sex”. You know, all the good stuff.
There are also the “gray areas”. These are things that have been strongly suggested - but according to my knowledge aren’t going to get you in serious trouble. You’re just supposed to avoid them. These include things like drinking Coke or Pepsi, or perhaps watching rated “R” movies.
Why no Coke? Well, it has to do with another Mormon belief about always being in control of oneself. Things that can cause addictions are generally bad. Since we all know that caffeine can be addicting - that’s bad.
3. If Mormons can’t drink coffee or Coke because of the caffeine, can they eat chocolate which also contains caffeine?
They are not actually officially told not to drink caffeinated drinks, as seen by another question, but strangely enough, some choose not to drink beverages with caffeine but will still eat chocolate.
The health principles are found in the “Word of Wisdom” on the official church web site.
It’s from the book of Doctrine and Covenants. “Hot drinks” means tea and coffee, as it was 1831 and those were the only drinks that were hot back then. So yes, hot chocolate is okay (I’ve been asked that before).
The essential thing is exercise, have a good diet, don’t be enslaved to any substance, whether it’s alcohol, marijuana, coffee, Pepsi, chocolate, cereal, or french fries, or whatever... and some don’t use at all, period. Because coffee has a lot of caffeine some people, in the spirit of the law, point out examples of people who MUST have their six-pack of Pepsi each day or who truly are addicted to Coke or Mountain Dew or whatever. That in itself is against the Word of Wisdom, but the occasional soda is not specifically stated against. It’s a fuzzy, occasionally lightly debated subject among church members. A person can hold a temple recommend while still having drunk a Coke or Pepsi. If they’ve had an alcoholic drink and not repented yet, then they can’t.
My mistake on #46. I thought I was on a LDS site but it wasn’t, it was a “Universal Life Church” site. Probably not the least bit accurate. My apologies.
Careful there, don’t want to lose your head ...
......The song from the band playing “Summer Place.”
We drank Everclear in our 7-Up. It’s a good thing we’re all not blind.
"No (Heavenly) soup for you!"
You keep bringing up that song. Put your ear up to the keyboard. I’m singing it now.
Last time I tried Everclear, I was wasted after three of them.
Pace yourselves brethren and sistren.
Series question? How can you infidels vote in your area? Don’t you have to have some kind of “ticket” to get in the door?
Up periscope
Wow, you should taste the batch of Mushroom soup I made yesterday. Key elements are butter and cream. Most important though is a half shot of dry sherry stirred in to each serving. Serve with fresh baked wheat sourdough bread.
A tall glass of beer completes the ecstasy.
Now, you’re making me hungry. Sounds great.
I think you are allowed to comment in THIS forum ;)
Well, DUH! (Hitting myself in forehead!) Of course!
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