Coffee addiction

[Christ Follower]

In the Question Foe Baptist  forum, somebody said that, when asked, what "strong drink" is, which God allowed, in Deuteronomy 14:26, their reply was "coffee is strong drink".

is coffee sinful? Is a coffee abused. Some studies have shown that caffeine is as addictive as smoking. It also can be abused that people, like my wife, is highly sensitive to caffeine and can not drink it. Many people feel they cannot function without it.

Paul said that he would not be brought under the power of anything.

is drinking coffee sinful?

 

[John81]

Some people do become addicted to coffee and can't function without coffee and if they are cut off from coffee they react, physically and emotionally, in similar manner as those addicted to cigarettes or other drugs. For such, coffee has become sin in their life. 

At the same time, many drink coffee simply because they enjoy a cup. For them coffee is a refreshing drink, not sin.

Caffeine is found in many things besides coffee (tea, cocoa, etc.). For most people the caffeine in these are not a problem. As with many things we eat or drink, things with caffeine can have health benefits for some, be rather neutral for others, and potentially be a problem for some.

Coffee isn't a "strong drink", as referred to in Scripture. Even today folks refer to "strong drink" when speaking of alcoholic drinks such as whiskey (for instance).

A Christian shouldn't be addicted to anything, whether it be coffee, ice cream, mashed potatoes, a TV show, hunting or knitting. If addiction is a part of it then sin is involved. One man can walk by a donut shop on his way to work with no sin involved while another who is addicted to donuts is sinning when he chooses to walk by the donut shop as he flirts with temptation and often gives in because he has place himself in easy position to give in to his addiction.

We have to guard ourselves from anything that would entangle us, giving the devil place in our lives. This applies to obvious sins as well as the less obvious.

Coffee can be a sin for some, but coffee itself is not sinful.

[Alan]

Any Mormons listening? Any Mormons want to comment? Just in case, before you can comment, in order not be be called a hypocrite, you need to sell your stock in the Alpha Beta Grocery Store chain, and, for those closet Mormons, their stock in Folgers coffee.

[John81]

3 minutes ago, Alan said:

Any Mormons listening? Any Mormons want to comment? Just in case, before you can comment, in order not be be called a hypocrite, you need to sell your stock in the Alpha Beta Grocery Store chain, and, for those closet Mormons, their stock in Folgers coffee.

The Seventh Day Adventists fall into this category as well. I knew a nice lady, who I hope was a saved Christian who had been deceived into the group (God knows), who would literally cringe when she saw Christians drinking coffee.

False religions have in common many man-made rules which they feel special for following and believe places them closer to their god than others.

I've known Mormons who will drink coffee if other Mormons are not around. Much like I knew some Muslims who used to eat pork when there were no other Muslims were around to see them.

[Christ Follower]

By the way let me state, I do drink coffee. Everyday. I actually by my beans from a roster by my house. They usually have been roasted a day or two previous. Believe me, there is a difference.

[John81]

Our senior pastor, like most pastors, drinks a lot of coffee. Our associate pastor doesn't drink coffee at all. I sometimes jokingly ask him when he's going to become a "real pastor" and start drinking coffee!

[Invicta]

Tea also has a lot of caffeine in it especially very strong tea.  I knew someone who had his teas so strong people said jokingly that his spoon would stand up in it.  

As a child we used to sometimes had a coffee roasting machine in the window and the smell of the roasting coffee made me feel sick even though I always walked on the opposite side of the road.  I hated the taste of coffee until long after I was married.  Then suddenly I tried it and liked it and I even got to like them smell of roasting coffee.  My wife and I both dislike instant coffee.  We always buy pure Arabica coffee. (Naturally less caffeine)  My wife makes a pot in the morning and puts it in a Thermos Flask, and we have it during the morning.  My wife only drinks coffee so has it all day, I have tea in the afternoon.  

I don't like Costa or Starbucks.  They both taste like cardboard.

 

[Alan]

Here on Taiwan (as with almost all locations with a Chinese populace), the national drink is tea. In our fellowships at church, Bible studies, and on visitation, hot tea, made of natural tea leaves, (without milk, sugar, or any other ingredients), is always availible. On visitation if we are invited in a house they will serve tea. Tea is naturally good for the body.

Being Baptists, we also drink coffee on an occasional times. Not every day. The exception to this rule is when we are on furlough as every pastor I know enjoys a cup of coffee.

 

[Ukulelemike]

I grew up drinking coffee; I was extremely hyperactive, (now they call it ADHD), and the doctor wanted to put me on Ritalin. Being a fairly new thing at the time, my parents allowed it-they said it calmed me down but completely changed my personality-made me mean. As they said, there was never a mean bone in my body. So finding that Ritalin is actually an amphetamine, an upper, which works on hyperactives because they are paradoxical in their reaction to stimulants and depressants, they started me drinking coffee, and it worked great, with the fairly regular spanking. My father told me that he believed when I was young, due to an inability to control myself, I'd either end up dead or in prison. Instead I became a Baptist preacher, and I guess we're still not sure which was better-lol.

Now, while I enjoy coffee from time to time, I have no addiction to it-and it really has no effect one way or the other on me now, except for sending me to the 'little preacher's room' too often.

[OLD fashioned preacher]

On 1/28/2016 at 4:59 PM, Alan said:

Being Baptists, we also drink coffee on an occasional times. Not every day. The exception to this rule is when we are on furlough as every pastor I know enjoys a cup of coffee.

 

Haha, I'm an oddball -- Former military, truck and bus driver, electrician and pastor BUT don't like coffee!

[Musician4God1611]

10 hours ago, OLD fashioned preacher said:

Haha, I'm an oddball -- Former military, truck and bus driver, electrician and pastor BUT don't like coffee!

Yes, but we all know you are strange!