Oh, gee whiz, Wingnut, lets sacrifice the newbie because he only has one post. You kind of stink at the fellowshipping part of the gospel don't you? A regular welcome wagon ... that's you, eh? Anyway, since you're feeling so defensive, easily offended, incredulous and too lazy to do a search I'll do your bidding for you, hows this: http://www.lds.net/forums/lds-gospel-discussion/8804-word-wisdom.html The following were answers on the first page: "it's up to you to decide whether it's right or wrong. If you drink Green tea and feel it is right, when you're asked whether you live the Word of Wisdom, you should say "yes," in my opinion." then... "I don't think that you should be expected to confess it in your TR interview... ...[if] a psychiatrist told me to [smoke a cigar to calm my nerves] that I don't think it would be breaking the WoW as long as I only did it once in awhile to help my nerves and not make a habit of it." the next reply... "...respectfully disagree with just one thing in your post [the cigar part]" (ie. but apparently he thinks they should not confess drinking green tea in the TR interview like the ex-cigar-lover poster thought) later ... "If we are not specifically commanded in scripture, then it is up to the individual, not the Bishop, or the Stake President."...wha? then ... "It's up to individuals to to know for themselves and to govern themselves when it comes to issues like this. It is not up to your Bishop, Stake President...eh? Only one person got it right imho on the whole first page: " If when you pray about having made that decision, you receive spiritual confirmation that you can continue to drink green tea and answer the question "Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?" in the affirmative honestly, then you don't have a temple recommend problem." If it was clear cut I wouldn't lean that way (I'd say it was whatever came down from salt lake), but it is a gray-matter (not to be confused with grey-matter which it definitely was not ... at least not the last time it was discussed) the real question is afterall what was a "hot-drink" of the time? Widstoe said "Coffee" and "Tea", but I wanted to know if that included green tea because I was of the impression that the two are chemically as different chemically as grape juice is from wine (at least according the the wikipedia it sounds like they are). In fact it seems fairly remarkable that the last time it was discussed (above) nobody even thought to ask that question whether green tea was a popular hot-drink of the time (although a disappointingly large number of people were sure they had the answer despite having no references to back it up). After what I learned above I'm less that convinced that green tea was among the "Tea" that Widstoe mentioned, but I do think modern leaders have suggested that it is, and that's where I take my guidance from - I don't drink it and would avoid it to be safe but it being a gray-matter I think I'll seek God for my answer like the one post the got it right suggested if I'm ever at that cross-roads. And having done a little more due diligence I hope I'd qualify for the answer that Heavently Father would dictate to me. Anyway, it went on for 7 pages like the above woefully misguided ideas (everyone had an opinion, most of them non-doctrinal - certainly non-cannonical, but few even thought to study and pray for personal guidance, and a surprising number thought you should "not be expected to confess" and I read nobody that raised any alarm bells over that kind of suggestion). I don't want that to happen here ... I didn't post the above to raise a stink, but I do think there's some pretty interesting stuff I discovered (in fact faith-promoting for me, or at least I choose to take it that way) and thought others might as well. Incidentally, I've never had the gall to think that the reason we're not supposed to drink Coffee or Tea, or Alcohol is because they have these certian ingredients we've since learned about (as if doctors are more spiritually endowed than Joseph Smith was when he received the W of W). For me I've always replied to people who've asked why: "merely because our recent leaders have told us our worthiness is contingent on obeying it" - it has nothing to do with modern science (although it is nice when it seems to support what was divinely revealed almost 200 years ago). What more proof do we need than the spirit ... I don't need a doctor to tell me it's bad and why it's bad. And Wingnut don't be so shocked that people are generally way off base on this subject. I have brother-in-law who still holds me in spite because 2 years ago I dared to forward a BYU devotional where his beloved Red-Bull was critisized (apparently he thinks it saved his life one night - thptpt, not I just can't help but think he's stupid). Talk about shooting the messenger ... kind of like you did. But my whole point wasn't to stir the pot but point out what I thought were interesting and potentially faith promoting things, and points that might help one further study it out in their mind when they approach our Heavenly Father. But go ahead and fire away and make a list about me. Says more about you than me.
