DiscussMormonism.com

https://www.jw.org/en/library/series/mo ... iew-blood/

It’s always sad to consider how much completely unnecessary damage religions do in the name of God until they’re finally begrudgingly forced to stop doing that damage.

Much like Mormons not drinking coffee, this was a well known ridiculous restriction that JW’s had to follow. It led to countless deaths including of children.

Mormonism, 7th Day Adventism, JWs, and other restorationist religions are finally starting to regret that their quirky peculiarities are a big liability. Changes are slowly trickling out. Garments that show shoulders. Softer messaging about the sins of homosexuality. Caffeinated sodas in the BYU vending machines. You can almost imagine a revelation that the Book of Mormon is ahistorical in the distant future.

It’s progress of a kind, and perhaps DCP can include this good news about this sister religion in his Hitchens file entry.

The coffee thing is interesting because it isn’t part of the scriptural doctrine of the Word of Wisdom. That doctrine forbids hot drinks. Period. The amendment to rule in all hot drinks that aren’t tea or coffee complicates matters. People have assumed that’s to do with caffeine content, but then all sorts of products that aren't embargoed include caffeine. And Church leaders have said caffeine isn’t specifically embargoed. So in what way is tea and coffee harmful outside of the caffeine content of both, and say hot chocolate isn’t? Church Leaders won’t answer that, they will simply say God has decided that distinction, for some unknown reason.

Caffeine is in coffee and tea and usually absent from ordinary hot chocolate (though cocoa naturally contains small amounts). Too much can cause insomnia, anxiety, palpitations, or headaches. The WoW covers moderation, so no need to single coffee out. Tannins are abundant in tea. They can contribute to astringency and may reduce absorption of non-heme iron when consumed with meals. Coffee-specific compounds from roasting such as acrylamide and furan, which form during roasting. They aren't unique to coffee and occur in many roasted/cooked foods, usually at relatively low dietary levels. Tea contains various polyphenols and, depending on the tea and preparation, substances such as fluoride. These aren't inherently “harmful” at normal consumption levels. Hot chocolate isn't automatically healthier, though. Cocoa products can contain added sugar and saturated fat, and cocoa can contain small amounts of caffeine and theobromine. Darker/higher-cocoa products may also contain trace amounts of heavy metals such as cadmium and lead, depending on where the cocoa was grown and how it was processed.

I don’t think Church Leaders have a defensible position that says they are right to single out tea and coffee for health reasons. And, as it happens, the notion that hot drinks are bad “for the belly” is unsupportable.

I think the general principle about eating things in season, having a balanced diet, minimise meat consumption, exercise regularly, avoid alcohol and recreational drugs, is sensible health advice. And the key word is moderation. I know many members who don’t drink tea and coffee but who consume without moderation. They are temple recommend holders - how?



I note that the retraction by the JW’s on blood transfusions goes to great lengths to say that they were right to embargo’s it in the first place. Even though they are changing the policy now.