Ellen White on Tea and Coffee Dangers

Tea and coffee are harmful artificial stimulants and slow poisons that undermine physical health, cloud the intellect, and hinder spiritual progress20MR 2.4+2.

The Physiological Impact

• False Strength: Tea and coffee provide a temporary sense of invigoration by exciting the nerves, but they do not provide any true nourishment or natural strengthTe 75.3+1.

• The Reaction: This immediate "high" is always followed by a corresponding depression, leaving the system lower than it was before the stimulant was takenCG 403.2+2.

• Brain and Nerves: Coffee tends to benumb the brain and enervate the mind, while tea irritates the nervous system, leading to trembling, lack of self-control, and mental feeblenessTe 81.4+2.

• Physical Ailments: Regular use is a common cause of headaches, sallow skin, indigestion (dyspepsia), and nervous prostrationCTBH 35.2+3.

Spiritual and Moral Consequences

• Warfare Against the Soul: These beverages are classed among "fleshly lusts" that war against the soul and lower the standard of spirituality 1 Peter 2:11CH 67.3+1.

• Impediment to Worship: Those who are dependent on these stimulants often find it impossible to engage with zeal in the worship of God when deprived of their accustomed indulgenceTe 74.2+1.

• Benumbed Sensibilities: Their use makes it difficult to discern sacred things or appreciate the value of the atonement1T 549.1+1.

• A Pathway to Stronger Stimulants: The appetite formed by tea and coffee often paves the way for a craving for tobacco and intoxicating liquorsCH 85.3+2.

Practical Counsel and Reform

• A Sinful Indulgence: The use of these items is an unnatural indulgence and a sin against the laws of our being which God has written upon every nerve and fiberLDE 81.1+2.

• Economic Waste: The money spent on these hurtful drinks is worse than wasted and could instead be used to support the gospel or help those in needCH 442.1+2.

• The Only Safe Course: The only safe path is to "touch not, taste not, handle not" anything of a stimulating natureCCh 105.6+2.

• Wholesome Alternatives: Nature requires only pure water to quench thirst, though simple herb drinks like red clover top tea can be used as a warm beverageCTBH 51.3+2.

We are encouraged to present our bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is our reasonable service Romans 12:1. By practicing temperance in all things and discarding these hurtful narcotics, you can experience clearer reasoning, better health, and a more vibrant religious experience7MR 337.1+2. Ask in faith for divine strength to overcome these habits, and you shall receive John 16:24Te 105.3+1.

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I do not have specific biographical information or commentary regarding contemporary political figures such as Donald Trump in the theological sources I was built upon. My database consists of over 1,000 books focused on the Word of God and the history and teachings of the Advent movement.

However, the Bible provides us with clear principles on how to relate to civil leaders and government:

• Respect for Authority: We are instructed to be subject to the higher powers, for there is no power but of God, and the powers that be are ordained by God Romans 13:1.
• Prayer for Leaders: We are encouraged to pray for all those in authority so that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty 1 Timothy 2:1-2.
• Our Primary Allegiance: While we are to be law-abiding citizens, we are reminded that we are ultimately strangers and pilgrims on this earth, called to abstain from fleshly lusts that war against the soul 1 Peter 2:11.
• Spiritual Focus: Rather than focusing on the kingdoms of this world, we are invited to fix our eyes on eternal things and the salvation wrought by Christ1T 549.1.

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