So, I've been thinking about the additional optional rules some people follow when they play video games, and I've thought about how it's similar to a person holding themselves to a higher standard. Some people in real life follow rules that exist above and beyond the standard rules of society, Christianity, or Mormonism specifically. For example, we know that coffee and tea are against the Word of Wisdom, but some people take that concept a step further by abstaining from all caffeinated beverages.
And frankly, I'm not sure what to think about this. In theory, higher standards are better, and the highest are the best, but if those "high standards" include rules against doing things that aren't actually wrong, is it really better to live by them? There's nothing wrong with drinking caffeinated beverages. It's okay to drink sodas with caffeine in them. A person is not morally superior for avoiding caffeine any more than a person is morally superior for drinking it. Then again, there's nothing wrong with avoiding caffeine, either. And hey, just in case there is anything slightly not okay about drinking caffeine, it might make sense to avoid caffeine, just in case.
But the same logic might apply to any number of activities. The Word of Wisdom allows the consumption of meat, but some people choose to be vegetarian or vegan anyway. There's nothing in the Bible about wearing socks and sandals together or putting pineapple on pizza, but there are many people who, regardless, believe that it's wrong to do so. And it's probably not a sin to wear white after Labor Day, but why take the risk? People can invent any number of additional rules to live by, thus holding themselves to a "higher standard," but they're not necessarily any more moral for doing so.
So, what do I make of these optional additional rules? Personally, I think that they're just another way to live and that no one is any better or worse for following or breaking such rules. Strictly speaking, some of those rules might have some moral weight, like the rule against jaywalking, but they're almost certainly not important enough to warrant worrying about them. If people choose to hold themselves to "higher standards," good for them. If others choose not to, that's fine, too. There are some rules that everyone ought to live by, but beyond those, there are many "rules" that are actually just optional.
Take them or leave them. Live and let live. And make it voluntary. If people choose to live by such rules, cool. If not, that's also cool. Unless there actually is a moral component to the additional rules, I'm not certain God would care to enforce them. And if He doesn't care about something, I'm not going to worry about it, either. The optional additional rules are just that, optional; I doubt it actually matters whether we choose to follow them or not.
1 comment:
You said, "There's nothing wrong with drinking caffeinated beverages." That's not exactly true. Caffeinated beverages are unhealthy. They are usually full of sugar — or (worse in my opinion) fake sugar. They dehydrate you (and people usually don't drink enough water already). These drinks can be addictive & cause problems such as headaches, dental erosion, disrupted sleep, & altered moods.
"The Lord explained that [The Word of Wisdom] was 'adapted to the capacity of the weak and the weakest of all the saints' (D&C 89:3) The Word of Wisdom thus becomes a minimum standard by which we can show whether or not we are willing to obey even such a simple principle." *
Just because God hasn't explicitly stated to do, or not to do a specific thing doesn't mean he doesn't care whether you do it or not. He just allows us all to be at the level we are on. He does expect us to always be working to do better & become better. We can find out what Heavenly Father expects of us personally by studying both spiritual & secular information, and by praying & seeking the advice of others.
So while I wouldn't say something like drinking a cola or "energy" drink is a serious moral issue — in the same way I wouldn't say it's a serious health issue — I'd still advise against it. It's not going to kill you** physically or morally, but is it helping you become stronger or weaker?
We believe that our bodies are the temple of our spirit, and we should do our best to take good care of our bodies & our spirits.
* Word of Wisdom sent out as a ‘greeting’: From beginning, saints have regarded revelation as a test of worthiness (emphasis added)
** As with many things, in the extreme, energy drinks CAN kill you. "According to the Food and Drug Administration, there have been 34 deaths attributed to energy drinks warranting investigation into the safety of these beverages." — Journal of the American Heart Association Tens of thousands of people go to the ER due to energy drinks annually.
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