Is Drinking Caffeine Sinful?
It is a well known fact that in America, and especially the South, alcohol consumption is frowned upon. Some attribute this negative connotation with alcohol to the years of prohibition in the 1920's. Others claim that since alcohol often results in drunkenness, which is a biblical sin, then people should steer clear of it. This is debatable as there are many Christians who drink alcohol moderately and do not struggle with over-indulgence. However, it is safe to say that in the South, alcohol is pretty much taboo for Christians.
Tobacco, while a staple in the South for years, has now recently come under attack over the last 40 or so years that it is addictive and it destroys the body. This, of course, has been proven to be true. And likewise, most Christians steer away from tobacco if they are not addicted.
This brings me to the point of this post. If alcohol and tobacco are classified as drugs (which they are) and if they alter the brain's function, why is the use of recreational caffeine not condemned? Caffeine is also a drug, is also addictive, and also alters your brain and body. Consider these facts from howstuffworks.com:
"Medically, caffeine is useful as a cardiac stimulant and also as a mild diuretic (it increases urine production). Recreationally, it is used to provide a "boost of energy" or a feeling of heightened alertness. It's often used to stay awake longer -- college students and drivers use it to stay awake late into the night. Many people feel as though they "cannot function" in the morning without a cup of coffee to provide caffeine and the boost it gives them.
Caffeine is an addictive drug. Among its many actions, it operates using the same mechanisms that amphetamines, cocaine, and heroin use to stimulate the brain. On a spectrum, caffeine's effects are more mild than amphetamines, cocaine and heroin, but it is manipulating the same channels, and that is one of the things that gives caffeine its addictive qualities. If you feel like you cannot function without it and must consume it every day, then you are addicted to caffeine."
If this definition and description of caffeine is not troubling, I don't know what is. The fact that people depend on something to give them a "boost" is sinful. Anytime a believer makes an idol of something it is sin. I know a common rebuttal could be that there are plenty of things that we as humans do that are sinful. However, the use of caffeine is purposely used to alter one's state of mind. Therefore the sin we commit when we depend on a drug to get us through the day, every day, is habitual, unrepentant sin. I know this sounds harsh but is the truth.
I gave up caffeine about 6 years ago. The main reason I gave it up was for health reasons. After years of drinking Mountain Dew every day of my life, my heart developed an extra wire and would become over-stimulated. In fact, my heart would reach 190 + beats a minute. Therefore, I had to steer clear of any stimulants.
Caffeine is also found in things such as chocolate, etc. However, the doses in chocolate are not near the amount of doses in soda, coffee, or Starbuck's coffee (which is a tremendous amount).
Alcohol can kill your liver, tobacco can kill your lungs, and caffeine does all sorts of things to the body. Caffeine is also on a list of drugs, like alcohol and tobacco, that doctors prohibit pregnant women from using. Why? Because caffeine is harmful. Therefore, why is caffeine not mentioned in the same category as these other drugs? It is a drug that alters one's body. I believe Christians should re-think the purpose behind using caffeine. If one is depending on caffeine to get through the day, to have more energy, or whatever reason, this dependence is sin.
God loves us deeply and desires that we treat our body with care. Why then would we purposely put something into our body that has essentially no beneficial value and only distorts one's thinking, as well as their bodily functions? For, literally, the love of God, we should re-think why we drink caffiene.
http://www.howstuffworks.com/caffeine.htm
posted by Charlie Wallace at
9:53 PM
5 Comments:
Tell that to the Finns. If you were living in the cold darkness of the Finnish winte, you might want a few coffees to get you out of bed in the morning (strangely, I have met a Finnish woman who did not frink coffee).
I do not think the effects of coffee are harmful enougth to make it mandatory to shun it and the anitdepressant effect can be beneficial.
Every Blessing in Christ
Matthew
Matthew,
Thanks for the comment.
My point is in this article is if we, as Christians, depend on drugs to help us feel better in life, then Christ becomes un-sufficient for our life and our needs. Furthermore, I find it strange that caffeine, which is no different then alcohol and tobacco in that they both alter the body's senses, is almost NEVER deemed un-beneficial for our lives.
As far as depression goes, that is another subject entirely.
Have you never read 'Pigs in the Parlour' by Frank and Ida Hammond?
It explains all about how demons can control your life. They have a chart outlining the various kinds of demon. They do identify a 'demon of caffeine addiction'.
So you better watch out!
Good thoughts, Charlie. As a coffee enthusiast, I can testify that I had to cut down on my regular coffee intake last year, as it was causing my body to be overly stimulated and a bit "jittery." I now make my own mix of 60% regular beans and 40% decaf each morning.
I would be careful, however, on arguing the idolatry card. I understand your argument and can definitely appreciate the merit of it, but I think it needs to be qualified a bit. If it is argued that a substance or habit is usurping the sufficiency of Christ if it is used often to sustain us physically, then sleep, food, and even prescription medicines come into question. Balance is the key. I'm sure I've left plenty of room for criticism and rebuttal here, but those are my preliminary thoughts.
Yes, i expected those remarks. However, my point was that food, sleep, and sometimes medicated drugs are necessary for survival. Caffeine intake is not.
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