Re: the asthma

I don't know about that but I do know that it will dehydrate. I've had some bad experiences with that (dehydration), so I will never be a heavy coffee drinker myself.

A slightly different spin on my question, Redwood. My point was that Ellen White was herself relying on medical science - the medical science of the 19th century - when she made the statements she did. She said using coffee was a sin *because* it was considered medically harmful. If the medical science of the 21st century suggests it is not harmful, does that change the way we think about what she said?

Or of course, you *could* just make it a loyalty test...

Coffee, tea, soda pop etc are diuretics. If you drink these and no other liquid like water, you will become dehydrated.

So if you are an adulterous coffee drinker its all over for you. Give me a break Red, There are many many many other health practices that a damaging. EGW refers to coffee because that was perhaps the most obvious and popular substance that was damaging.

I think its assertions like yours that have led to many in the church misuderstanding the health message and nullify its effect. Some SDA's would never drink coffee but drink soda, hot chocolate, too much "vegetarian" food, Mc D's etc.

If pastors in the NAD disfellowshiped all their coffee drinkers the division would have to revert to being a mission. Many pastors would have to disfellowship themselves.

What about the smokers? And those who drink alcohol? How about those who break the rest of the 10. Sabbath and adultery aren't the only ones up there. Disfellow them and shoot, no church at all.

lol....I understand what you're saying.

Here's what you can do:

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus Phl 2:5

Jesus dealt with this kind of stuff all the time.....

Matt. 23:23, Jesus, rebuking the Pharisees, says, "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone."

Maybe I was mistaken ... but I thought it was God that inspired Ellen White to say what was "sin" rather than medical science. Actually I think that medical science did not recognize that tobacco and coffee was harmful during Ellen White's time.

Caffiene is a toxin, a foreign substance. The body has no use for this toxin, and in fact, there is enough caffiene in 1-cup of coffee to kill you. Believe that, or not?

120-milligrams. Inject that into the bloodstream and you're gonna die.

"B-bbut I've been drinking the stuff for years and it hasn't KILLED me!" That is true. In fact you (hypothetical you) have come to depend upon it for stimulation. You get up in the morning, groggy from a toxic lifestyle, and you say "I have a coffee deficiency!" So you get a cup of it. What happens?

It hits the stomach and the stomach hollers over to the adrenal glands "We've got a crisis on our hands!" A poison has just invaded our system."

The adrenal glands quickly start dumping sugar into the bloodstream and rev up the metabolism to fight this mortal battle. It's life or death, now.

After a while, the stomach processes the liquid and eventually sends the toxin (caffiene) off to the liver. "Here, you take care of this."

The liver says "Ok, but I need some calcium to neutralize this poison. Where's the calcium?"

Stomach says "I sent you everything I had."
"Yes, but I need calcium to neutralize this stuff so we don't all die."
"Sorry."
The liver goes to the bones "Knock, knock!"
"Yes?"
It's me--liver. I need to borrow some calcium, and quick!"
"Sorry. You did that yesterday, and the day before that and the day before that and we have serious holes developing in our bones..."
"Yes, but I HAVE TO HAVE IT NOW!"
"Okay, if you want it that bad...but you've gotta PAY IT BACK! One of these days I won't have anything left to give.."
"I'll pay it back" the liver promises (he has good intentions, and he's counting on you-know-who to stop destroying the body).
Liver processes the toxin (poison), neutralizes it with calcium and sends it off to the urinary tract. Everything's fine right?
No. The bank account just got a little more depleted.

You can check the urine of the average person in any western society, and you will find more calcium in their urine than you find in their diet on any given day. What is happening?

American are consuming in record numbers substances that rob calcium from the body. Caffiene is a major cause of this, along with red meat, etc..

God in his goodness sent truths that would bless His Advent people in all areas of their life. When we began to resent His boundaries and abandon them, He will ultimately find others who will walk where He asks.

(As to Redwood's question. I have never seen anyone disfellowshipped for being addicted to coffee). I have seen them reap some consequences of their choices, like my osteoporotic mother-in-law, and arthritic brother-in-laws.

The choice is ours.


Warm regards,


olger

Good Observation Olger. I think it is only nicotine that causes people to be kicked out of the church usually .... as far as Health concerns. I guess smoking is a more obvious sin compared to coffee.

Creeping compromise. Take that!