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Catholics place emphasis on the ritual known as Mass. It includes receiving the Eucharist, also known as Communion, where participants eat the body of Christ and drink his blood. Protestants also practice Communion thought they don't teach that it involves the actual blood and body of Christ. Some refer to it as the Lord's Supper.
This practice has been in the news recently as Pope Francis has suggested Biden continue to receive communion even though he is Pro-Choice. This has of course created quite a stir amongst the primarily Pro-Life Catholics. This caused me to wonder why Communion is so important to both Catholics and Protestants.
Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining eternal life?
If not, why is so much emphasis placed on the practice?
Tcg
Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
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Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
Post #1To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.
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Re: Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
Post #31Yes, eternal life is for righteous, as it is the gift for them. I don't think I said at any point that it is something else than a gift.
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Re: Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
Post #32"Jesus is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."
"Now in an ingestible cracker form."
Religion.
"Now in an ingestible cracker form."
Religion.
I might be Teddy Roosevelt, but I ain't.
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Re: Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
Post #33And it comes in many different varieties. Plain, wholemeal, multigrain, gluten free, high fibre, low salt, low GI, kosher,......JoeyKnothead wrote: ↑Thu Nov 04, 2021 4:12 pm "Jesus is the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost."
"Now in an ingestible cracker form."
Religion.
Just like religion.
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Re: Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
Post #34The Bread of Life discourse in John 6 is considered the key biblical text here.
No, that's not a thing. Many churches do take the consecrated host to parishioners who are unable to attend the mass in-person, though.
An option for someone who is severely gluten intolerant is to only receive the wine. Conversely, someone who has issues with alcohol could only receive the bread. For Roman Catholics, Christ's body and blood (and soul and divinity) are present in whole under each species (see CCC 1390), so taking either the bread or the wine alone is sufficient for receiving communion.Athetotheist wrote: ↑Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:53 pm
The Catholic Church doesn't allow gluten-free bread to be used for communion and will do no more for those with an allergic reaction than using bread with a reduced amount of gluten.
We've been over this already, but it seems to me you're confusing categories here.Athetotheist wrote: ↑Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:53 pm
The CC has asserted that wheat bread has to be used and that it must contain a certain amount of gluten in order to be proper wheat bread. That would logically make gluten part of the substance of wheat bread, but when the gluten isn't transubstantiated they turn around and label it an "accidental" substance within the bread. It seems to me that they're trying to have it both ways.
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Re: Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
Post #35The Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches generally consider the Eucharist to be a requirement.
But for Roman Catholics, in particular, it's not a hard requirement, for two reasons: (a) children growing up in the (Latin rite) Roman Catholic Church typically don't receive communion until they are eight years old, so its not required before then, and (b) As Aquinas notes, and the Catechism states (CCC 1257), God is "not bound by his sacraments," and so can bring about salvation in a "way known to God."
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Re: Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
Post #36We have indeed been over it, and my last question still stands. How does a miracle which makes no discernable change---in this case, transubstantiation---qualify as miraculous?historia wrote: ↑Fri Nov 05, 2021 1:27 pmThe Bread of Life discourse in John 6 is considered the key biblical text here.
No, that's not a thing. Many churches do take the consecrated host to parishioners who are unable to attend the mass in-person, though.
An option for someone who is severely gluten intolerant is to only receive the wine. Conversely, someone who has issues with alcohol could only receive the bread. For Roman Catholics, Christ's body and blood (and soul and divinity) are present in whole under each species (see CCC 1390), so taking either the bread or the wine alone is sufficient for receiving communion.Athetotheist wrote: ↑Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:53 pm
The Catholic Church doesn't allow gluten-free bread to be used for communion and will do no more for those with an allergic reaction than using bread with a reduced amount of gluten.
We've been over this already, but it seems to me you're confusing categories here.Athetotheist wrote: ↑Mon Nov 01, 2021 9:53 pm
The CC has asserted that wheat bread has to be used and that it must contain a certain amount of gluten in order to be proper wheat bread. That would logically make gluten part of the substance of wheat bread, but when the gluten isn't transubstantiated they turn around and label it an "accidental" substance within the bread. It seems to me that they're trying to have it both ways.
I don't think I'm confusing anything. I'm interpreting the doctrine of transubstantiation literally, since transubstantiation is supposed to make bread and wine into the literal body and blood of Jesus.
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Re: Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
Post #37Maybe it only happens after you swallow.Athetotheist wrote: ↑Fri Nov 05, 2021 2:37 pm I don't think I'm confusing anything. I'm interpreting the doctrine of transubstantiation literally, since transubstantiation is supposed to make bread and wine into the literal body and blood of Jesus.
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Re: Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
Post #38The Catholic Encyclopedia (1917) article on miracles explains this succinctly:Athetotheist wrote: ↑Fri Nov 05, 2021 2:37 pm
How does a miracle which makes no discernable change---in this case, transubstantiation---qualify as miraculous?
Your second question:Catholic Encyclopedia wrote:
Thus, though the works of Divine grace, such as the Sacramental Presence, are above the power of nature, and due to God alone, they may be called miraculous only in the wide meaning of the term, i.e., as supernatural effects, but they are not miracles in the sense here understood, for miracles in the strict sense are apparent.
You're confusing how that happens, though. The doctrine of transubstantiation clearly states that the metaphysical "substance" becomes the body and blood of Christ, while the physical attributes ("accidents") remain the same.Athetotheist wrote: ↑Fri Nov 05, 2021 2:37 pm
I don't think I'm confusing anything. I'm interpreting the doctrine of transubstantiation literally, since transubstantiation is supposed to make bread and wine into the literal body and blood of Jesus.
In so far as you are using terms like "accidental substance" you are literally con-fusing categories.
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Re: Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
Post #39[Replying to historia in post #38]
So transubstantiation is metaphysical, and not physical?The doctrine of transubstantiation clearly states that the metaphysical "substance" becomes the body and blood of Christ, while the physical attributes ("accidents") remain the same.
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Re: Is receiving Communion a requirement for gaining Eternal Life?
Post #40That's a good question. I have to wonder what the term, "metaphysical substance" even means.Athetotheist wrote: ↑Sat Nov 06, 2021 5:20 pm [Replying to historia in post #38]
So transubstantiation is metaphysical, and not physical?The doctrine of transubstantiation clearly states that the metaphysical "substance" becomes the body and blood of Christ, while the physical attributes ("accidents") remain the same.
Tcg
To be clear: Atheism is not a disbelief in gods or a denial of gods; it is a lack of belief in gods.
- American Atheists
Not believing isn't the same as believing not.
- wiploc
I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.
- Irvin D. Yalom
- American Atheists
Not believing isn't the same as believing not.
- wiploc
I must assume that knowing is better than not knowing, venturing than not venturing; and that magic and illusion, however rich, however alluring, ultimately weaken the human spirit.
- Irvin D. Yalom