The Communion

[Neon Genesis]

One thing I never understood about the worship services is why aren't xtians disturbed by the whole communion concept at all? I mean, when you get down to it, it's symbolically eating human flesh and symbolically drinking human blood. What makes this even more annoying is that you know if this was any other situation, xtians would be appalled by this symbolic cannibalism and would damn it as being an immoral and blasphemous Satanic ritual, but because Jesus did it, suddenly it's perfectly normal for people to pretend to be cannibals and no one bothers to question the ramifications of this bizarre and disturbing ritual. Aren't xtians at the least bit creeped out by this and why don't they stop and consider how disturbing this kind of ritual sounds?

[R. S. Martin]

Some Christians are creeped out by it. That is why they emphasize the memorial part of is as in "Do this in memorial of me." Anabaptists don't eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ. They eat bread and drink wine or grape juice in memorial of Jesus' sacrifice. That is the official language. It is also the official language of the Westminster Confession of Faith.

 

When I learned Lutheran doctrine, I became aware of the difference and it really grossed me out. I raised the issue and asked about it. One outspoken student said she believes that the real flesh and blood of Christ is present but she doesn't think "I'm eating an elbow," etc.

 

I think on a psychological level they metaphorize or spiritualize it away, or something wierd. But they have to say the right things to convince themselves and the powers that be that they are real Christians and on God's right side. UGH!

 

Give me reality the way it is any day.

[Legion]

I attended a Southern Baptist church and we used to say "Do this in remembrance of me" just before we took communion. It was also written on the alter.

 

Maybe the idea is that by eating a part of God we become like God. You are what you eat?

 

The real question is... Why aren't we all disturbed by Christopher Walken in the movie Communion?

 

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=21...dmtBA&hl=en

[hereticzero]

Actually, Jesus did not give us the sacrament. According to the babble, Jesus' last supper was a memorial event to commemorate his sacrifice. Whenever you do it, remember me. It was not a ceremony. Much has been claimed as to Jesus' intent in scriptural writing. The stories of Jesus are like the stories of famous people followed by photogs and fans. They can't take a shit without someone writing something about what they supposedly did. It was no different in the early church. Everyone wanted to know everything about Jesus, good or bad, fact or fable.

 

The false apostle Paul, invented the sacrament--rumors exist that this portion of the babble was added at a later date to justify imposing the sacrament. More people were burnt at the stake through out church history for not accepting the sacrament via Catholicism's view--the wine and wafer have the Holy Ghost in them so that when you take communion, you have the holy ghost in you after communion. A christian is to be a virtuous and righteous asshole after taking communion, you're carrying god around now after all--until you take a holy shit! The Protestants argue that the wafer and wine do not have the Holy Ghost in it. God does not live within vegetables and wine and bread. These days some Protestants claim there is a 'presence' of the Holy Ghost in the wafer and the wine. If you did not accept Catholicism's communion, you may be burnt at the stake. However, if you don't accept the Protestant communion you might get burnt at the stake.

 

The sacrament is one more false doctrine of the christian church.

[Kei]

One thing I never understood about the worship services is why aren't xtians disturbed by the whole communion concept at all? I mean, when you get down to it, it's symbolically eating human flesh and symbolically drinking human blood. What makes this even more annoying is that you know if this was any other situation, xtians would be appalled by this symbolic cannibalism and would damn it as being an immoral and blasphemous Satanic ritual, but because Jesus did it, suddenly it's perfectly normal for people to pretend to be cannibals and no one bothers to question the ramifications of this bizarre and disturbing ritual. Aren't xtians at the least bit creeped out by this and why don't they stop and consider how disturbing this kind of ritual sounds?

 

in my old church, we had to accept that consecrating the wine and bread really literally turned them into the body and blood of jesus.

 

...yeah....and they wonder why i left.

[Neon Genesis]

Actually, Jesus did not give us the sacrament. According to the babble, Jesus' last supper was a memorial event to commemorate his sacrifice. Whenever you do it, remember me. It was not a ceremony. Much has been claimed as to Jesus' intent in scriptural writing. The stories of Jesus are like the stories of famous people followed by photogs and fans. They can't take a shit without someone writing something about what they supposedly did. It was no different in the early church. Everyone wanted to know everything about Jesus, good or bad, fact or fable.

 

The false apostle Paul, invented the sacrament--rumors exist that this portion of the babble was added at a later date to justify imposing the sacrament.

That reminds me that another thing I never understood about the communion was why was it done on Sundays in most churches? Christians are supposed to be "Christ-like." According to Christian tradition, Jesus was supposedly resurrected on a Sunday, so he would have partaken of the communion on a Friday evening. So, if we're to be "Christ-like", wouldn't it make more sense for Christians to take the communion on Friday nights than on Sundays?

[MathGeek]

One thing I never understood about the worship services is why aren't xtians disturbed by the whole communion concept at all? I mean, when you get down to it, it's symbolically eating human flesh and symbolically drinking human blood. What makes this even more annoying is that you know if this was any other situation, xtians would be appalled by this symbolic cannibalism and would damn it as being an immoral and blasphemous Satanic ritual, but because Jesus did it, suddenly it's perfectly normal for people to pretend to be cannibals and no one bothers to question the ramifications of this bizarre and disturbing ritual. Aren't xtians at the least bit creeped out by this and why don't they stop and consider how disturbing this kind of ritual sounds?

 

in my old church, we had to accept that consecrating the wine and bread really literally turned them into the body and blood of jesus.

 

...yeah....and they wonder why i left.

 

I sometimes don't take it when I attend services, and I sometimes do when I am with friends and family. In all reality, it is unleavened cardboard that I would use to line my kitten's litter box. And the wine is so fucking fruity, I am not surprised that Bartles and Jaymes aren't the celebrants over the service. The cannibalism part never really disturbed because I guess I knew that it was bread and wine was exactly that. No fear of eating Jesus I guess since I've always had the stomach for it.

[Jincks013]

So symbolically consuming human flesh and blood is an idea that does not disturb you? Its ok because the cannibalism is symbolic rather then factual? If a wiccan/ shaman/ druid ect were to symbolically consume human flesh and blood what do you think your churches would say about it? You may not be eating actual human flesh but the bread and wine is representative of that flesh and blood therefore in this holy rite of yours you celebrate cannabalism and incorporate it as a religious duty. And you people call my kind evil..

[hereticzero]

I get confused as to why many Easter services are not on Passover when Jesus was supposedly crucified? Passover is scheduled according to new moons and Easter is scheduled, I think, around full moons. Take this year for example, Easter came before Passover. In the early church, cult members were encouraged not to partake of the sabboth on a Saturday when the Jews did. They were suppose to use the first day of the week as the sabboth. The church can cry crocodile tears all it wants, it is totally out of step with Judaism from whom it stole its religion. Christianity is full of smarmy ceremonies that mimic Jewish celebrations and ceremonies but lack the dedication Jews have to their religion.

 

Anyway, getting back to the sacrament, many cultures believe in a sacrament so the concept the church came up with is not new. Eat god's flesh, you become as powerful as god, which other posts have pointed out.

[hereticzero]

So symbolically consuming human flesh and blood is an idea that does not disturb you? Its ok because the cannibalism is symbolic rather then factual? If a wiccan/ shaman/ druid ect were to symbolically consume human flesh and blood what do you think your churches would say about it? You may not be eating actual human flesh but the bread and wine is representative of that flesh and blood therefore in this holy rite of yours you celebrate cannabalism and incorporate it as a religious duty. And you people call my kind evil..

You are evil--E-V-I-L! Evil, I say! Care for an arm bone? Crumpets?

[SWIM]

Ahhhh!

 

Nothing says "eat me" like a good wafar....

[Kei]

I sometimes don't take it when I attend services, and I sometimes do when I am with friends and family. In all reality, it is unleavened cardboard that I would use to line my kitten's litter box.

 

yeah they could've at least put some salt on it or something so we'd want to partake in it, right?

[Kei]

So symbolically consuming human flesh and blood is an idea that does not disturb you? Its ok because the cannibalism is symbolic rather then factual? If a wiccan/ shaman/ druid ect were to symbolically consume human flesh and blood what do you think your churches would say about it? You may not be eating actual human flesh but the bread and wine is representative of that flesh and blood therefore in this holy rite of yours you celebrate cannabalism and incorporate it as a religious duty. And you people call my kind evil..

 

...and nevermind that "consecrating" it is what they would call magic if someone from any other faith had done the same thing?

 

that always bothered me.

[R. S. Martin]

The "magic" never hit me till I attended a Catholic service. They do it so differently from the Mennonites. The Mennonites thank god for the bread and wine, or for Christ's sacrifice or whatever, IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE openly in front of everyone so you know what is going on. And it's only in memory of Jesus; it's not eating his flesh and blood. I forget exactly what the Catholic priest did or how he did it but it seemed really spooky. Somehow, it was bread and wine before he did his little ritual but afterward it was flesh and blood of Jesus.

 

I was told by my host that as a non-member I should not participate and I was happy not to.

[Kei]

The "magic" never hit me till I attended a Catholic service. They do it so differently from the Mennonites. The Mennonites thank god for the bread and wine, or for Christ's sacrifice or whatever, IN THE LANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE openly in front of everyone so you know what is going on. And it's only in memory of Jesus; it's not eating his flesh and blood. I forget exactly what the Catholic priest did or how he did it but it seemed really spooky. Somehow, it was bread and wine before he did his little ritual but afterward it was flesh and blood of Jesus.

 

I was told by my host that as a non-member I should not participate and I was happy not to.

in catholic thinking, you're only worthy to recieve the body of christ of you're in a pure state. this means you have to be baptized and have gone to confession right before you recieve it.

 

also if you think any impure thoughts, you cannot partake in communion.

 

my best friend when i was younger was a lutheran and i always felt bad when she would come to my church and i had to tell her she couldn't go.

[white_raven23]

A visiting Pastor oversaw our communion once. And we got a dire warning from him that we did not get from our regular Pastor.

 

He told us if we took communion without first rededicating ourselves to Jesus, our sins would turn the bread and wine into poison in our stomachs.

 

 

These churches ought to be more careful. If they are going to do the whole visiting minister rotation thing that mine did, they'd better make certain they are all spouting the same basic tenets.

 

You can just bet the kinds of questions that were exploding in my head after hearing this guy say that.

 

"Um...'scuse me...but if rededicating myself pre-communion were that important, and had ramifications that really were that large a consequence...then why am I just now hearing it from you? Why are you the first (and as it turned out, only) pastor to ever say that? And if it were true, wouldn't we have all been dead long before your ass showed up since we've been doing communion once a month for the 6 years I've been attending this church before you had ever walked in the front door, and only YOU give us a fearspeech?"

[Legion]

COMMUNION

They are here.

[RecoveXM]

A visiting Pastor oversaw our communion once. And we got a dire warning from him that we did not get from our regular Pastor.

 

He told us if we took communion without first rededicating ourselves to Jesus, our sins would turn the bread and wine into poison in our stomachs.

 

I rest my case.

That was just a flat out nutty thing to say. It has become the regular fare of these "pastors" where it used to be confined to the prem/senile/dement types that got kept in the back room during services.

I believe it is more a commentary on the general state of public mental health than on any particular denomination.

 

Old Mrs. Jones used to be the one who told kids that Jesus was peeking at her through the rectory window - now it might be a deacon or pastor.

Christianity has become a hive for kooks - sorry but there's no way to be nice about it.

 

They need to get a real job on the side.

[Onyx]

I really liked the wine back in Church. The bread not so much.

 

The stupidest thing about the Communion is not the symbolism or the creepy cannibalfest but that it is somehow God in a food. They say blasphemy is vile but they eat God! What can be more blasphemous than that? I thought Communion was to honour Jesus and God, not to eat them? If not, then Christians are greater blasphemers than us Heathens. We deny all Gods but never eat them.

[white_raven23]

We deny all Gods but never eat them.

 

Except for the Flying Spaghetti Monster...

 

 

He's delicious with garlic toast.

 

 

RAMEN!!

[Eponymic]

I thought Communion was to honour Jesus and God, not to eat them?

 

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That's right! You too can eat Jesus out of your hand.

You'll love the tatse of these crisp vanilla wafers with a juicy cherry filing.

 

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So big it's almost not blasphemous to say that it could quench the thirst of the big man himself.

We dare you to chug all holiness down at once!

When you're hanging with your possy, no gangbanger will dare pull hit gat out on you when he sees this holy hooch.

 

 

Sold at most churches, revivals and industrial suppository bazaars.

[Guest Zenobia]

The Church I grew up in had a different take on this, as it did on most everything, and not always in a good way, but this time they were a little more logical about it than most religions...

 

We did not believe we were actually eating the flesh and blood of christ, but that the wafers and wine were "symbolic" of his sacrifice. We did not believe in "transmutation" or "transubstantiation" or whatevcer the Catholics call it, where the wafers and wine actually become the flesh and blood of christ.

 

Anyway, we did not keep Easter either, because we believed it was pagan (which is actually mostly correct). In the Spring, we celebrated the Days of Unleavened Bread which culminated in the Jewish Passover. During this time we were not allowed to have any leavening in our homes, since leavening was a symbol of "sin." We had to clean our homes from top to bottom to make sure we got out all the bread crumbs! And you couldn't cheat by sticking the bread in the freezer until after, oh no, you had to get it off your property and dispose of it.

 

Then, on the Night of Passover, only the Baptised members were allowed to "partake" of the sacrament. We had a special ritual where we washed each other's feet (to show humility) then we took the wafers (Matzo crackers - unleavened) and the wine (they didn't allow grape juice since they believed alcoholism was just a problem of mind over matter... another stupid issue for later discussion).

 

I've always thought it was pretty stupid that some Xtians believe Pagans "eat babies" or sacrifice animals - when actually, they are the ones mostly guilty of that. Tons of animal sacrifice recorded in the bible. The Xtian god LOVED animal flesh. In fact, he chose Abel over Cain because all Cain gave him were his finest crops, but Abel slaughtered some poor little lamb. Human sacrifice? Puh-lease. The Isrealites and then the Christians killed millions of people all through the dark ages in the name of their god. they are the last people who should point fingers.

 

And anyway, most pagan religions are nature based and we would never dream of sacrificing some poor crittter for a ritual.

[Jincks013]

So symbolically consuming human flesh and blood is an idea that does not disturb you? Its ok because the cannibalism is symbolic rather then factual? If a wiccan/ shaman/ druid ect were to symbolically consume human flesh and blood what do you think your churches would say about it? You may not be eating actual human flesh but the bread and wine is representative of that flesh and blood therefore in this holy rite of yours you celebrate cannabalism and incorporate it as a religious duty. And you people call my kind evil..

 

...and nevermind that "consecrating" it is what they would call magic if someone from any other faith had done the same thing?

 

that always bothered me.

The catholic outlook seems to be a do as I say not as I do thing to me.

[Kei]

So symbolically consuming human flesh and blood is an idea that does not disturb you? Its ok because the cannibalism is symbolic rather then factual? If a wiccan/ shaman/ druid ect were to symbolically consume human flesh and blood what do you think your churches would say about it? You may not be eating actual human flesh but the bread and wine is representative of that flesh and blood therefore in this holy rite of yours you celebrate cannabalism and incorporate it as a religious duty. And you people call my kind evil..

 

...and nevermind that "consecrating" it is what they would call magic if someone from any other faith had done the same thing?

 

that always bothered me.

The catholic outlook seems to be a do as I say not as I do thing to me.

it sure is :[