Coffee religion

[michael]

I've heard somewhere that coffee is used as a kind of a religion in some countries...Is it true? And what it means?
Not that this topic suits here, though I felt it's a right place to ask about it..

[killer666]

may be some wild African tribes do this ????

for me its strange to use cofee in rituals!!!!!

[lulu33]

I think coffee is used as an attribute rather than a religion....Like flowers or some kind of beans, it can serve as a subsidiary tool while praying...

[maria]

Have found something on the topic, might be interesting for all of us:

Coffee and Religion - Some Further Thoughts

Coffee and religion have a long history it seems, and like many drugs I suppose it should not be surprising that a drug renowned for its sociable use should be found linked with communities of faith.
Coffee's origins in Ethiopia make for an interesting religious circumstance. Ethiopia is one of the unique places where the three Abramaic faiths have co-existed for a long time. Judaism, Christianity and Islam all have shared a part in the history of Ethiopia but it was Islam that first seemed to recognise, and take advantage of the benefits of coffee. It is understood that some tribes ground the beans with goat fat and molded this into a pre-battle snack. Later, the Sufi Dervishes consumed coffee to sustain their ecstatic whirling and coffee as a hot drink, with its origins in supporting religious observance was born.
There is a much told tale of Pope Clement VIII, who was presented with coffee. Many wanted to see it banned as it was known to be a drink common among Muslims and feared for it's hellish blackness. Clement however is said to have enjoyed the brew so much that he baptised it instead (perhaps creating the first Long Black at the same time - I wonder if that qualified as a 'God Shot'?).
A wag (but surely not I!) might suggest that with some churches coffee would be best served before the sermon to ensure alert responsiveness in the audience but the tradition of after-church socialisation over coffee seems to cross denominational boundaries, although I do recall a significant predominance of tea in very large pots at the Anglican church of my mother's family when I was growing up.
This begs the question then as to whether the relationship between Christianity and coffee is to some extent a learned behaviour - we associate coffee with socialisation, faith played a role in our early socialisation ergo the two are now linked?
Or perhaps it is the result of personalities that enjoy social contact and gravitate towards situations where social contact will occur such as at church gatherings - or coffee shops.
I'm beginning the think that the IT links are incidental.
The ebbs and flows of history do however reveal some distinct patters that connect coffee and faith and need to be explored further.

[CoffeeLover]

Maria, this is interesting info and thanks for the information

Seventh-Day Adventist about coffee
The Seventh-Day Adventist's believe strongly in the importance of a healthy and wholesome diet, free from alcohol, narcotics and other stimulants. Caffeine was once officially prohibited, but no longer. It is still recommended that caffeine be avoided.

[killer666]

"We pray for coffee as soon as we get out of bed,
We pray for coffee in the evening, after a hard day of work.
Since we are so devoted we pray as often as possible during the day as well."

[LavazzaMan]

Did you know that coffee is prohibited in some religions? Such as Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) - "Hot drinks are not for the body or belly"
Also Seventh-Day Adventists and Rastafarians try to avoid caffeine.
In Judaism some coffee may be considered not kosher...

[peter]

Wow, of course I didn't know about that! It's interesting that some religions find coffee sinful or something like that and prohibit drinking it.

[jesse]

No offense, but I really don't understand why some people get so excited about simple products? If a person or several persons don't like coffee, they shouldn't drink it at all but they don't have to impose their opinions on others.....Agree?

[ginga]

No offense, but I really don't understand why some people get so excited about simple products? If a person or several persons don't like coffee, they shouldn't drink it at all but they don't have to impose their opinions on others.....Agree?

Agree
I think it's not fair too

[Tentan]

Coffee religion? I would convert to this one!