'The Hobbit' tops 'Anchorman 2' at box officeColombians mourn death of star vallenato performerUAE sentences American to 1 year in video caseQ Ben Stiller dreams of a shift with 'Mitty'2 Pussy Riot members released from prisonNo contest: Miley was our 2013 pop culture queenSALT LAKE CITY Mormons are free to down a Coke or Pepsi.The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints has clarified its position on caffeinated soft drinks, noting the news media often incorrectly states that its members are forbidden to drink caffeine.This week the church posted a statement on its website saying it "does not prohibit the use of caffeine."A day later, the website wording was changed, saying only that "the church revelation spelling out health practices . does not mention the use of caffeine."Church spokesman Scott Trotter said the clarification was made to provide context to last week's NBC News hour long special on Mormonism that stated Mormons don't drink caffeine.But church leaders say that doesn't mean they view caffeinated drinks as healthy. They just don't bar members from drinking them.Even LDS presidential nominee Mitt Romney has been seen drinking an occasional soft drink, and Mormon missionaries in France routinely drink them, too.Several earlier LDS leaders considered drinking caffeinated soft drinks as a violation of the "spirit" of the Word of Wisdom.The church's website posting Wednesday reaffirmed that the faith's health code reference to hot drinks "does not go beyond" tea and coffee.The clarification on caffeine "is long overdue," said Matthew Jorgensen, a Mormon and longtime Mountain Dew drinker.Jorgensen, who is doing a two year research fellowship in Germany, said he grew up in "a devout Mormon household, in a small, devout Mormon town," where his neighbors and church leaders viewed "drinking Coca Cola as so close to drinking coffee that it made your worthiness . questionable."In the end, he said, it's up to individual church members to decide what to drink."I can understand why the church is cautious," he wrote by email. "Saying that caffeine is OK might sound like saying that caffeine is healthy, maybe even an endorsement of caffeine."Plus, I think members need opportunities to work through questions of right and wrong for themselves. (Caffeine) is the perfect, low risk testing ground for members to make decisions for themselves," Jorgensen added.They cannot rationalize it because of the 'moderation in things', meaning if it's an addiction for you it is not good. Caffeine is not necessarily www.panthersshopnflofficial.com/Kelvin_Benjamin_Jersey_Panthers addictive, coffee is. and the decaf thing your Bishop said, was HIS interpretation, NOT the word of wisdom. You should have talked about it with the Stake Pres if he gave you a problem about it outside of any addiction to it. There must have been a 'deeper' reason why you left the Church (there is no 'convenient changing' but 'continued revelation'. The Church is true, the members are imperfect though, just like you. Sorry about whatever happened, though, that offended you.The soft drink industry is a fascinating study in marketing. Caffeine is an original ingredient in any "brown" soda such as Coke, Pepsi and Dr. Pepper, as it occurs naturally in the kola nut. When these beverages were first concocted, no one went out of their way to add caffeine, it was already there in abundance. I found an article with a lot of interesting statistics which would seem to indicate that, yes, caffeine is now used to addict drinkers to soda, although the major companies adhere to the claim that it is integral to the taste. I would imagine it costs a great deal more to remove caffeine from colas than to leave it, but find no reason other than its addictive quality to add it to beverages such as 7 Up, Mountain Dew and Sprite. However, a lot of adults who drink certain sodas do so knowingly for the caffeine, as an alternative to coffee or tea.Caffeine picks you up when you are tired and tells you to keep going. Your brain releases a chemical called adenosine when it feels tired and wants to slow down. But caffeine mimics adenosine and prevents adenosine from getting through to you receptors so your brain never gets the signal to slow down and it keeps on going for awhile. But after awhile your brain figures our what is happening and it increases the number of receptor cells so it can get through the caffeine and adenosine. When that happens caffeine doesn't help you stay awake as good as it use too unless you increase you amount of caffeine that you drink. This process only takes about a week to happen. Then your brain literally restructures itself so it can run on caffeine. If you stop drinking the caffeine then your brain has too many receptor cells to operate on. And during that time you can feel tired, fatigue pain, headaches and even nausea. It has been proven to increase you alertness for a temporary time and also your memory and reflexes. It can give you a burst of energy and there is some study that says it can help your immune system. But you have to watch the quantity that your consume since it can have bad effects as well like shaking, insomnia and heart palpitations. Some soft drink have caffeine naturally but sometimes they put in even more.Why do Mormons eat meat?The commandment regarding the eating of meat by Mormons was and is a commandment. part of the Word of Wisdom says;"Yea, flesh also of beasts and of the fowls of the air, I, the Lord, have ordained for the use of man with thanksgiving; nevertheless they are to be used sparingly; And it is pleasing unto me that they should not be used, only in times of winter, or of cold, or famine." This is found in Doctrine and Covenants, section 89, verses 12 and 13. Think of how often a modern day Mormon finds him/herself in a time of winter/cold/famine and in need of meat to survive, which is what the commandment is meant to signify. Beyond those scenarios meat "should not be used" which is to say that for any Mormon not starving to death they ARE commanded not to eat meat. This passage also states that this commandment is to be followed by the LEAST of the Mormons (saints) meaning this is the bare minimum. Now, most Mormons do not follow this as it is prescribed, which is unfortunate, but true, and requires a separation of true Latter Day Saint religion from the culture. The religion requires members not to eat meat unless starving, and therefore be at least vegetarian if not vegan. The culture unfortunately shows that most Mormons eat meat with every meal, so the short answer to the question is no, Mormons cannot eat meat, unless starving that is, but in direct violation of their own commandments, they do.Yet again the Mormon church is nothing more than confusing and vague. The church does not prohibit the use of caffeine, but coffee and tea are still out of the question because they are "hot drinks"? What a vague, ridiculous rule. Hot chocolate can be just as scalding and hot as coffee. Hot soup can be just as hot as coffee/tea. So, if they serve hot chocolate at church functions and have no problem with people drinking caffeinated soda, why do they still look down on coffee as if it's bad? Get with it Mormons. Your rules make NO sense. You can't possibly tell me that a small 8 oz cup of coffee is worse for you than a Big Mac and 32 oz Coke. You may fool some people, but you don't, and never will, fool everyone!God I believe gave us freedom to chose I'm not against the churches stance I think it up to yourselves to think for yourselves. I don't believe God is going to judge me on what I drink only on how much I love everyone around me. I think that changing there position helps the church in getting more members. I don't believe too much in the Mormon church even though I grew up in the church. I not for or against the church. I've done my research on the church good or bad every church isn't prefect because man isn't perfect. I believe in god and that Jesus die for me. Every church think there in the right I will said that the lds church ban poly marriage ironically three year before they were a state. And congress told them to become a state that they had to ban poly marriage. Still today look and what going on in Colorado city all the abuse because Joseph smith spoke to god told me that we have to do this really look at all the abuse.Years ago, my bishop gave me a recommend and said I could have it as long as I drank "decaf" coffee. Part of the reason I left the Church was because of the way they would change their stands on temple practices, garments, polygamy, etc., etc, etc. Its not that I agreed with their all their "rules", but if God is all knowing, why would things keep changing? That made me wonder if anything was true. The Church would claim new revelation, but the timing is always "interesting". Give me a Wyoming free pour margarita any day!"We know that cola drinks contain the drug caffeine. We know caffeine is not wholesome nor prudent for the use of our bodies. It is only sound judgment to conclude that cola drinks and any others that contain caffeine or other harmful ingredients should not be used."("Q Questions and Answers,"New Era, Oct. 1975, 34 Scroll down to Bishop Peterson's question/answer section about cola drinks.) So are they now changing their stance on this or was he wrong? I forever had my LDS cousins berating me about drinking Coke because of this very article.