Who Said That?

"Which would you part with first-your tobacco, your whiskey, or your religion?  Your tea, or your religion?  Which would you shake hands with and bid good-bye for ever-your coffee, or your religion?  I should think I had disgraced the man that stands before you this day, if I loved any object on the earth better than I love my religion and my God."

Leave your guess in the comments section below.  Please no google searches or cheating!  Answer will be posted in one week.

Update on Friday, January 9, 2009 at 07:21PM by Kim Riddlebarger

This is Brigham Young's comment on a "word of wisdom" God supposedly gave to Joseph Smith about the evils of "hot drink," i.e., tea and coffee (Journal of Discourses 8:140 August 5, 1860)

Most Reformed churches couldn't function with such "hot drinks."

Comments

[Chuck Fry]

My guess is either Billy Sunday or Charles Finney.

[Jeff Rolfe]

Moody

[Scott Roper]

You forgot to categorize this one.

[Bob]

Maybe I'm too literal...whoever it is never says any of these are sins. He asks which one you would give up first. He sounds as though he is assuming he is talking to Christians who partake in these things and he is asking which is more important to them.

[Adam]

Bob, that's what it sounded like to me to. Like asking if one's religion meant as little as one's choice of drink.

[Zrim]

Bob/Adam,

Then why the question framed as it is? Jesus tells us to decide between him and our own family (and that he will dissolve our marriages in the age to come). The questioner sure lowers the stakes. That's usually a sign of legalism.

[Bob]

Zrim

Your point is well taken as far as legalism is concerned. I think legalism always lowers the stakes. Still, I would assume the author is making a statement about idolatry rather than a straightforward case that whiskey+tea=atheism.

By the way, I know a lot more people who would feel challenged if they had to give up fried chicken.

Bob

[Coyle]

reg,

Tea is definitely a no-no in Mormonism, as are all drinks that contain caffine- as a stimulant, it's evil. The only exceptions I know of are Pepsi products (the rumor I heard was that when the Mormon church bought Pepsi, their prophet had another revelation which okayed Pepsi products).

[Chris Sherman]

Mentioning religion, whiskey, tobacco, tea and coffee in the same quote doesn't sound like any contemporary speaker.

My first thought was Billy Sunday, but the quote wasn't outright condemning whiskey.

Certainly someone of a moralistic ilk. .

[Zrim]

Bob,

Well, legalism is rarely straightforward and more often suggested, to greater or lesser degrees. I'll stick with Jesus' statements about idolatry. At least he turns my water into wine at parties. (It also rarely suggests atheism but rather a first and second class of believers.)

[Bob]

Zrim

I am still agreeing with you. I am new to this guessing thing. I am simply guessing the author of the statement. I am not taking a position... other than to agree with yours. I'll even concede the point about the first and second class Christians (with reservations).

Cordially,

Bob

[Zrim]

(Bob,

Since you offered speculation beyond the author I thought maybe you'd enjoy a little back and forth on its implications. I have. I do think your guess of Wesley and mine of a Mormon also makes for interesting implications. Guess we'll find out soon.)

[Bob]

Zrim, et al,

Congratulations, I missed that one completely. The ten years I spent in the "holiness" movement must have warped my senses. It all sounded so familiar I just knew (thought I knew), it had to be connected to pentecostalism.

Bob