Okay. A friend of mine told me this story, and I’m a bit suspicious. Supposedly, Mormons aren’t allowed to drink beverages containing caffeine, but a few years back, the church started selling sugarcane to Coca-Cola, and suddenly they changed the rules so that their members are allowed to drink Coke, but not Pepsi.
The sources I was able to find about this had information about a UL that the company was owned by the Mormons, which is ridiculous, of course. Also I’ve found that Mormons are allowed to drink caffeine, but it’s discouraged. Anybody know anything about this sugarcane rumor?
Hmmm, did you hear it from a “friend” or a “friend of a friend’s cousin”? Just ribbin’ ya.
This is an old UL. I heard it as “The Mormon Church bought stock in Coca-Cola, and then it became ok to drink it…” etc. I am not certain, but I believe that some of the church’s vast financial holdings had been invested in Coca-Cola stock (not controlling interest, as one version of the UL states) at one point, and hence the source of the legend. Again, I can’t verify this. (And I don’t think we own much sugar cane, AFAIK…)
Speaking as a Mormon, the Coke-drinking policy varies depending on whom you speak to. In Utah, drinking Coke is culturally verboten [the other kids look at you funny when you order it], while back east it’s not a big deal. In any location, a Bishop/Stake President (ecclesiastical authority) cannot hold you morally accountable for drinking caffeine. The letter of the law says no coffee, no tea, no booze, no tobacco (and by extension no recreational drugs). Mormon authority can suggest that you’ll be healthier by abstaining from caffeine, but cannot subject you to Church discipline if you partake thereof.
Any other questions? Fire away!
Akash
Who Only Survived College by Doping up on Caffeine
I lived in Utah for four years, and never heard that one. The Word of Wisdom explicitly forbids “hot drinks”, I believe, interpreted as coffee and tea. Once it was realized that coffee and tea contain caffeine, the use of soft drinks containing them was, if not proscribed, at least frowned upon. Mormon kid’s parties are infamous for “green punch” and other non-caffeinated refreshments. Socializing along he Wasatch front, in the absence of coffee shops and bars, tends to cluster around ice cream shops like Snelgrove’s.
The word was that there were no Coke machines on the campus at Brigham Young University until they introduced caffein-free Coke. I haven’t tried to verify that myself, but it’s plausible.
Incidentally, the WOW says you shouldn’t eat red meat, but I don’t think it’s stopped the advance of Burger King and MacDonald’s. And I think Mormons drink hot chocolate, even though it is both hot and contains caffeine. But to argue that this is a serious moral lapse or inconsistency is like condemning a Catholic for eating a hot dog on a Friday in Lent.
Astute observation, CalMeacham. I was always puzzled by my friends who were like, “Coke? That’s an unhealthy drink and I am blessed in body and spirit for not partaking of it!” as they hefted a juicy McDonald’s burger to their healthy lips.
The Word of Wisdom does indeed suggest that people should emphasize grains in their diet over meat, but somehow that passed most Mormons up. As Cal suggests, though, little piddling hypocrisies should not invite condemnation of religious folks. God knows, I have enough hypocrisy for the whole species…
Hey CalMeacham, when did you live in Utah? I grew up there, and conditions were indeed as you describe (and I always thought Snelgrove’s ice cream was NASTY). From around '97 onwards, though, Salt Lake has been a surprisingly lively and vibrant place. There are decent bars and nightclubs, and a flourishing of cafes. (And, thank God, the ethnic cuisine is remarkably diverse and high-quality now!)
Akash
Likes Salt Lake Better, but Still Don’t Wanna Live There
AkashJ and AW have covered this pretty well but there’s a glimmer of truth to the sugar part of the story.
At one time the Mormon Church owned U&I Sugar, which marketed sugar made from sugar beets (not cane). Sugar beets as a crop do pretty well in the Utah and Idaho (U&I, get it?) farmlands and, historically, any large commercial enterprise in Utah had ties to the Mormon Church. U&I Sugar is no longer extant due to a combination of divestment by the Church and the economic non-competitiveness of sugar beets.
When I was a lad growing up in Spokane, which is not necessarily in the Mormon corridor, the available sugar brands at the local grocer were U&I, from beets, and C&H (California & Hawaii), from cane. I don’t know if this was just a regional phenomenon – they did grow a lot of sugar beets in Central Washington, as well.
However, as outlined above, this was not a basis for purchasing stock in Coke, etc.
My own experience with cola drinks (growing up Mormon) was that Coke, Pepsi, etc., while not actually forbidden, were seriously frowned upon. My opinion for the origin of this peculiarly Mormon UL is the association of caffeine with coffee, which is expressly forbidden. But, as pointed out above, why doesn’t the ban extend to hot chocolate?
But having grown up in a Coke-free household I now have a very low tolerance for caffeine and a can of Mountain Dew in the afternoon will keep me up all night. So I’ll have a 7-Up, thank you, or Sprite.
Just ribbin’ ya.