10-02-2007, 05:24 PM | #1 |
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Beer and the Word of Wisdom
Il Padrino Ute’s recent question in the Religion forum about iced tea, coupled with my ongoing musings about presentist revisionism spawned this question I’ve been nursing for awhile. The Word of Wisdom, to me at least, pretty clearly allows for consumption of beer and other “mild drinks.” According to my understanding, the WoW prohibits wine and “strong drinks” (D&C 89.3, 5), but “mild drinks” made from grains (D&C 89.17) are okay.
After doing a little digging, and finding that the “commandmentization” of the WoW is debatable, it has come to my attention that, either due to ignorance of alcoholic beverages or an oversight spawned by the current policies, few people - whether scholars or religious figures - have made the distinction between strong and weak drinks in a WoW context. So, the nit-picking about iced tea and caffeine aside, can LDS drink beer with a clean conscience? (BTW, the temple recommend question asks the member only, "Do you keep the Word of Wisdom?") I think they can. I invite you to peruse the fine articles written by Thomas G. Alexander and Robert J. McCue for the primary sources, background information, and some insightful commentary on how the Word of Wisdom “became” a commandment and how it fits into the broader context of American social movements. Thomas G. Alexander, “The Word of Wisdom: From Principle to Requirement” in Dialogue, vol. 14.3 (Autumn 1981), pp. 78-88. Robert J. McCue, “Did the Word of Wisdom Become a Commandment in 1851?” in Dialogue, vol. 14.3 (Autumn 1981), pp. 66-77. You can read Dialogue vol. 14 at: http://content.lib.utah.edu/cdm4/doc...&CISOSHOW=6510
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10-02-2007, 05:41 PM | #2 | |
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Regardless of what happened in 1851 or 1921, it's pretty clear what the strict rules of the Word of Wisdom are. In fact, I think there are few commandments that are as clearly spelled out. I always find curious this desire to go back to a past era of the church and attempt to re-interpret the words of past authorities and leaders, neglecting in the process what has been said in our day.
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10-02-2007, 05:50 PM | #3 |
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Maybe there will someday be a "laundry list" to go with WoW questions, but that doesn't explain this apparent incongruity. This is not so much an attempt to "re-interpret the words of past authorities" as to interpret them in the first place. The text seems clear enough to me, but today's practice is different. Why?
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10-02-2007, 06:19 PM | #4 |
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Oddly enough, I read those very articles back in August. Anthon Lund drinking Danish beer is not the kind of thing that most contemporary LDS are comfortable knowing.
Regardless, I think the fact that there isn't a "laundry list" is very purposeful. Some people long for such a list, but I think it would be a huge mistake.
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10-02-2007, 06:29 PM | #5 | ||
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Where I separate myself is when research turns up an earlier view/teaching/policy and the researcher concludes, "This is how it should be today." Quote:
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"Have we been commanded not to call a prophet an insular racist? Link?" "And yes, [2010] is a very good year to be a Democrat. Perhaps the best year in decades ..." - Cali Coug "Oh dear, granny, what a long tail our puss has got." - Brigham Young |
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10-02-2007, 06:32 PM | #6 | |
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Now if we are talking Canadian beer at 5 - 6% ... |
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10-02-2007, 06:36 PM | #7 |
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I think the temple recommend questions will become more vague in the future. My prediction is the church will become more inclusive as it evolves. From what I hear, temple attendance isn't that good, so making it harder to get in would be counter-productive.
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10-02-2007, 06:42 PM | #8 |
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10-02-2007, 06:47 PM | #9 | |
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I think that any Church History class that wants to give a broad understanding of changing Mormon doctrine and practices should trace the material in those articles that Solon cited.
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"Do not despise the words of prophets, but test everything; hold fast to what is good; " 1 Thess. 5:21 (NRSV) We all trust our own unorthodoxies. Last edited by Sleeping in EQ; 10-02-2007 at 06:58 PM. |
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10-02-2007, 06:50 PM | #10 | |
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I wonder if this is what happens when a semi- or pseudo-doctrinal tradition becomes entrenched over time. Are we 75 years away from a temple recommend question that asks if the member watches "Rated R" movies, since at some point it "became" a bona fide commandment?
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