Can vegetarians take communion.....?!
Can vegetarians take communion.....?
Ok this is a serious question, according to the church a communion wafer is physically (not symbolically but in all actuality) the flesh of Christ.
So therefore would not taking communion be a violation of vegetarian ethics?
(we will deal with symbolic cannibalism later)
2 weeks ago
The word is Transubstantiation.
2 weeks ago
For those uneducated in Christian thought:
In 1551 the Council of Trent officially defined that "by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation" (Session XIII, chapter IV; cf. canon II).
This is the official policy of the Catholic church.
2 weeks ago
lol, I got reported by the Christians AND the vegetarians.......now that takes talent.....and the funny thing was I was being serious.
Answers:
2 weeks ago
The word is Transubstantiation.
2 weeks ago
For those uneducated in Christian thought:
In 1551 the Council of Trent officially defined that "by the consecration of the bread and wine there takes place a change of the whole substance of the bread into the substance of the body of Christ our Lord and of the whole substance of the wine into the substance of his blood. This change the holy Catholic Church has fittingly and properly called transubstantiation" (Session XIII, chapter IV; cf. canon II).
This is the official policy of the Catholic church.
2 weeks ago
lol, I got reported by the Christians AND the vegetarians.......now that takes talent.....and the funny thing was I was being serious.
Your question isn't stupid. It's a good question.
Well, I am a CHristian, but not a catholic. I don't belive in transubstantiation. I believe Jesus meant to take the bread as a symbolism for him, not literal. Same with the wine.
BTW.. how many people's blood do YOU know that tastes like either wine or grape juice. If preists really had the power to LITERALLY "transubstantiate" the emblems, don't you think they'd taste like meat and blood, rather than wheat and grape juice (my church preaches temperance, we use Welch's grape juice, not alcohol)
Not condemning anyone's beliefs.. It's just a thought.
Good question!
The whole cannibalism thing has always creeped my out, but depedending on why someone is a veg may make a difference.
Some are vegs because they don't want animals to suffer. With communion, you could either say Jesus does not suffer because it is a magical transformation - or you could argue that Jesus was tortured to death and suffered greatly, so communion should not be taken.
I think the fact that it is just a bread or a wafer from flour should be good enough for you. Do you find that Christianity is in conflict with your vegetarian lifestyle? If so I think you have bigger questions to answer than whether or not to take communion.
In catholicism, that is the case... i can't remember what it's called but it's believed that the wine and bread are actually the blood and flesh of christ.
Protestants, however, just go with the whole symbolism thing, so if you wanna be safe, go protestant!
Has been asked before. Just because its called a burger doesnt mean its made of meat. Stupid thinking though. Why would you want to eat something that TASTES and LOOKS like something you are trying to avoid altogether anyway.
Also the wine at communion sometimes is not vegan approved.
how about this for a serious question.
If you were to die tonight, where would you go, Heaven or Hell? Jesus said that the only way to heaven was through him.
Of course they could not take it. Vegetarians love animals and saving them. The thing is some love Jesuses and keeping them save too. It would be promoting the mindless killing of all Jesuses. Everyone knows that.
I'm sure one of the self-righteous folks could find a way to make it a "violation"...
symbolic cannibalism?
how about real cannibalism?
How many "thumbs down" do you think I can get here?
I ought to go to the Baseball section and ask "How about them Yankees?" lol
(update)
"...got reported by the Christians AND the vegetarians.......
now that takes talent.....and the funny thing was I was being serious." to be misunderstood could be a sign of greatness - maybe. Keep the controversy flowing, I love it!
In all things, as christians, we are to honor God first.
You must ask yourself to what do you want to be more faithful too, God or vegetarian ethics.
Also, it is not in all christian churches that it is believed that the wafer actually becomes the flesh of Christ. We believe that it is a symbol.
Hmmmmm, no flesh I have ever eaten tasted like wafers, and I had plenty of communion wafers growing up, and they never tasted like meat to me.
Perhaps the church is confused on this one; it seems pretty symbolic to me... If not, and you feel you could use a bit more Jesus in your life, you could always buy a box for $14.99.
http://www.christianbook.com/christian/b...
Like Melissa said, the bread/wafer symbolism goes beyond the literal.
If you do not fully understand the meaning of communion, you should refrain from doing so.
If you are a true Christian and into the word you would not be asking this question. I am upset and angry that you would ask a question like that. Get a life and grew up. DUH! vegetarians can take communion. Any person can take communion. What are you some special person who can take communion, but not have the bread? NO, that is not being a true Christian if you do not take the bread and wine at communion(unless you are not confirmed). Some people do not take communion because they are recovering alcoholics. They have a reason. Some churches have wine or grape juice or both.
I would say that taking communion is not a violation of veganism. As I am not a theological scholar I cannot provide any dogmatic explaination as to why this would be true. I can however provide you with the fact that Tuscon's bishop in indeed a vegan. So if a man of the cloth such as him is a vegan, I'm sure the host is safe to eat.
(Note. The link below is included to show that the bishop is vegan.)
Well why are vegetarians, vegetarians? I was alwasy under the impression that there were two reasons why people didn't eat meat. The first was because vegetarians didn't liek the thought of the poor animals that are slaughtered for food, animals are alive and have feelings that whoel thing. The second reason I always thought was because vegetarians didn't liek the taste of meat. I know people that say that meat tastes like an "animal" whatever that means.
So to answer your question I'd have to say that if you're a vegetarian that doesn't eat meat for the poor animals, eating communion is OKAY. If you're a vegetarian who doesn't eat meat for the taste, then you're OKAY there too.
Christ would be a willing party no? Still, since Im not religious by any means Id still see it as a wafer and wine..furthemore, I remember the times I did go to church they gave us grape juice..I would of been more down for the wine!
Hey! I'm a Catholic vegetarian and I have never given this much thought.
I do take The Body and The Blood.
I do not eat animal flesh, but I will consume that of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
Oh! And thanks for clearing that up for the "uneducated"...transubstantiat... really is a "Catholic thing". Not many other religions believe what we believe.