Is it hypocritical for a "true believing Mormon" to own a coffee shop?

I would say first of all yes it is hypocritical, according to the teachings of the Churches word of wisdom. Like one person mentioned that you can't get a Temple recommend if you drink coffee. Coffee, tea and alcohol are all equally evil according to the WOW. Why should you be selling something that would keep others out of the Lord's house? This post on the recovery from Mormonism site actually reminded me of a debate I had my "TBM" sister who said that there is nothing wrong with it. So, I asked, "it's okay to sell something, in a business you own, even though you can't partake of it?"

It will indeed keep you out of the Celestial Kingdom, right? Maybe someone is struggling with quiting coffee drinking to get into the temple and it just so happens that someone in the ward owns a coffee shop? Not exactly the example that one would want to set if they were true believing Mormons, right?

I'm just not sure how you teach the Word of Wisdom in Elders Quorum or in Sunday School one Sunday and then serve coffee on Monday. If this isn't hypocritical, I'm not sure what is. For the record, I could care less what people do and if they want to buy coffee and drink it, fine by me, but we are talking about "TBM's", "diehard's", God's anointed, not just any Joe blow, that's the difference and that's what we are talking about. I'm all for free agency but in the Church, it really doesn't exist, does it?

However, when you consider that Marriott's have hard-core pornos, alcohol, coffee and tea in their restaurants, mini-bars in some of their suites and Macey's Supermarkets here in Utah sell alcohol, tobacco, coffee and tea, well, I guess it's not hypocritical after all. Of course Macey's are closed on Sunday to "keep the Sabbath day holy." Larry Miller owns the Utah Jazz and the Delta Center and he serves alcohol at the games and most events yet he won't come to a game on Sunday to "keep the Sabbath day holy." What a hypocrite!!

I mean come on dude, you own the team, that plays on Sunday, people are buying alcohol in your building, watching your team on Sunday, but you can't even watch the game or be in the crowd? Remember when the Jazz were in the finals and he was in the locker room watching the monitor because he couldn't be in the crowd because it was Sunday. Give me a damn break!! Does he think that we are all stupid and blind? As long as you pay your tithing and are successful, frankly, the Mormon Church doesn't care where it comes from, obviously, right?!!

I had a Bishop that owned a video store with the soft porn R rated movies and the Non-rated soft porns. He had the violent movies that the Church says not to watch as well. I remember wondering how that was justified but it didn't seem to be a problem. I'm sure he paid nice tithing and he was the Bishop for 5 years!! Interestingly enough, he was one of the coolest Bishops I ever had. Everybody loved the guy!!

Also, the Church hasn't decided yet if they are going to allow alcohol to be served in their new billion dollar mall. Just the fact that it's on the table is all I need to know. So I would say, by following the example of well known Mormon's that pay their tithing who are buddy buddy with the hierarchy, and Marriott is an area authority, selling coffee would be just fine, especially if the Church green lights alcohol in their Mall restaurants. Here is the quote from the article about the Billion dollar mall project regarding alcohol:

And council members said the church wants the malls to be closed on Sunday - ZCMI Center already is - but it hasn't ruled out alcohol sales at planned restaurants.

"Their commitment is still nothing on Sunday," Saxton said.

As for the alcohol issue, "they are willing to recognize state law. That's all I'm going to say," she added.

One council member said the church would be spending close to $1 billion. On Thursday, church spokesman Dale Bills would say only that "gross costs are quite different than net costs. Estimates of net costs to the church and its partners continue to be in the range previously announced."

That was $500 million. Church officials maintain none of the mall money would come from members' tithing payments.


But like a "TBM" friend told me yesterday, they can't help but sell alcohol in their mall, it is state corporate law and they are bound by it and forced to do it. They are the victims and can't get out!! If they don't sell alcohol, they will be sued for discrimination!! Whatever dude!! If it was state law, it wouldn't be on the table still!! Also, I might suggest to anyone from the Church if they were "forced" to sell alcohol, sell the mall!! Be in the world but not off the world, like I was taught in Seminary, right?

Nobody is forcing the Mormon Church to buy malls, build luxury resorts and sell alcohol, etc. It is their choice, their free will and they need to be held accountable and to the same standards that the members are held to. If you own a business that makes you break the standards of the Church and you are the freakin Church, sell it baby!! The Church has no tolerance for us sinners and drinking alcohol will keep us from the temple and Eternal life so we should hold the Church to the same strict standards.

Let's raise the bar on the Church since they raised it on missionaries. Of course when you have the examples of Joseph Smith, the great Prophet, putting a bar in his house with Porter Rockwell as the bartender, (until Emma made him chose between her and the kids and the bar) and then Brigham Young opening the first bar in Utah, well, it gives a whole new meaning to "raising the bar."

Maybe the new standard of the Church, if they do indeed offer alcohol at their mall, will be, you can only get drunk on the Churches property, specifically at the mall, anywhere else and you'll be accountable. Of course, the fact that you can't even get a caffeinated drink anywhere on BYU campus or at a game is a little baffling, especially if they do indeed sell alcohol in the future.

The bottom line is and always will be,$$$ money, money, money, money, money .....money.....money $$$............To answer the question, yes, they sell their tokens for money, absolutely and in a heartbeat, for the highest price and as often as they can!! But don't you dare sell your tokens!!