Are Catholics Cannibals?

Question

Ok, I don't mean literally, as in "Hannibal the Cannibal" style!
But isn't it a strange thing to want to eat the blood and flesh of Christ? Or at least, something that represents that?

Oh, and Nikki3, I'm looking for intelectual answers, not mindless abuse.

That is all.

And "wise guy", can't people be "close to Jesus" WITHOUT imaging that they're EATING him?

And "wise guy", can't people be "close to Jesus" WITHOUT imagining that they're EATING him?

By the way I'm well aware of what the bible says and why people do it, so I am not looking for lectures from "born again" christians or any of that lot.

...and "steve b" your question has NOTHING to do with what I'm talking about!

I am talking about Catholic traditions. Abortion is not a Catholic tradition.

lol

Answer 1

Dunno hun, I'm Atheist, but if someone will obtain for me a nice juicy cut from a recently deceased christian lady, I'll enjoy it with some fava beans & a nice Chianti..

Answer 2

I've always understood that according to catholic doctrine, the bread and wine are actually transformed into the body and blood of christ.

However the wikipedia article seems to be saying that the bread and wine are transformed into the idea (the underlying substance) of christ's body and blood. That is to say it physically retains the properties of bread and wine but notionally it inherits the properties of body and blood.

So to answer your question, catholics are NOT cannibals in any legal sense, but if they believe the doctrine then they should BELIEVE that they are cannibals.

In contrast, most other 'christian' type religions do not consider there to be a literal transubstantiation of the bread and wine, but instead consider that they remain physically bread and wine while representing the body and blood, and being made holy through consecration.

Answer 3

Human flesh and blood is interior the kind and visual attraction of flesh and blood and can nourish as such. The Eucharist is interior the kind and visual attraction of bread and wine and nourish the physique as such. Chemical anaylsis shows bread and wine. regardless of the undeniable fact that, it remains seen substancially the real physique and blood of Christ as a non secular foodstuff and that's no longer seen symbolic. The Eucharist nourishes the physique as bread and wine; hence, no cannibalism is in touch. Church mandates that the Eurcharist be taken a minimum of as quickly as a 12 months throughout the Easter season.

Answer 4

Most things about God and Jesus Christ are strange to us fallible and sinful human beings.

Thank God that He forgives us our sins instead of requiring true justice.

We are called to follow all that Jesus Christ, God the Son, taught us, even to love our enemies.

At the Last Supper, Jesus said, “Take this bread. It is my body.” Then he said, “Take this and drink. This is my blood. Do this in memory of me.”

Catholics believe this was the First Eucharist, that through a miracle the bread and wine actually became the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

Catholics reenact the Last Supper during every Mass, where God, acting through the priest, changes the bread and wine into the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

This is a great sacrament of thanksgiving and unity of Catholics.

With love in Christ.

Answer 5

No. I'm sure the traditions of many faiths seem strange to those who do not believe. But a wafer and some wine hardly equal cannibalism, even with the belief that it represents something else. The key word there is represent.

Answer 6

Yes it seems strange if you say that the eucharist satisfies our canibalist needs.

But obviously thats not the case. Its satisfying the very first, and basic of human needs - to be fed.

Its said that one of the benefits of breastfeeding is the bond created between the mother and the child. Similarly, Christ loved us so much that what he gave us to eat is nothing less than His own body.

Does this sound strange? Yes, because people find it hard to beleive how much God really cares about them, and how much they really matter.

Answer 7

Jesus said in the bible that the bread and wine are his body. He wanted his Apostles to eat it therefore, I don't see anything wrong with it.

John 6:35,41,48,51 - Jesus says four times "I AM the bread from heaven." It is He, Himself, the eternal bread from heaven

John 6:55 - to clarify further, Jesus says "For My Flesh is food indeed, and My Blood is drink indeed."

In Matt. 26:26-28; Mark. 14:22,24; Luke 22;19-20; 1 Cor. 11:24-25 - Jesus says, this IS my body and blood

John 6:53-58, 66-67
"So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you; he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me and I in him. As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever.' After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. Jesus said to the twelve, 'Will you also go away?'"

You can see that the Jesus clearly indicates in Scripture that there is nothing wrong with eating his body or drinking his blood. He wanted us to do it. For it will give us life and nourish us spiritually, this proves that Catholics aren't cannibals we just adhere to what the Bible says.

Answer 8

they are not cannibals.. but they are misguided by their church leaders to think that their wafers and their wine magically change into the actual blood and body of Jesus Christ. Christ never said 'chew on my body'... no, he said 'remember me' when you partake of the bread and wine... I know of no other church (around here at least) that think at some point magically in any service, something changes into actual bits of flesh and blood.... there is no priest that can actually 'bless something enough' to make that happen

Answer 9

Yes.They believe the bread and wine turns into Jesus' body and blood (protestants don't, to them its' just symbolic). So as well as being cannibals they're blood drinkers. Note: at the last supper jesus took the cup, the bible doesn't say what's in it. Why? Because Jesus made it obvious, the cup of his blood. Yes, at the last supper Jesus filled a cup with his blood and the disciples drank it. Like vampires, that's how they were able to perform miracles later on.

Answer 10

1.) It's not just catholics, protestants partake in Communion/Eucharist as well.
2.) It's more about sharing with Christ, and becoming closer with Christ.

When Jesus said "take, eat, this is my body, broken for you," he meant that he wanted everyone to believe that he died for their sins, and to accept that, because otherwise he died for nothing. Same thing with the wine and blood. Does God/Jesus want us to actually eat his physical body? No. It's the idea that in taking part in communion, we are mimicking the actions of Christ in order to become closer with him. When we take communion (tasteless little wafer and some wine or grape juice), it is a sign to God that yes, we believe and understand, and that we are thankful for His Son's gift. So it represents the acceptance of Jesus' death for our sins, and his foreshadowing of his crucifixion, not so much the actual eating of Jesus' body and blood.

Yea, we can be close to Christ without Communion. A lot of Protestant traditions don't do it, or only do it once a month as opposed to every Sunday. It's not just about us being close to Christ, but us giving Christ a sign that we want to be close to him.

Answer 11

Catholics like myself do believe in the actual physical presence of the body and blood of Christ following trans-substantiation. However, it is also our belief that what we eat is the transfigured, resurrected body of Jesus and not the earthly human body.
Trans-substantiation remains one of the great mysteries of our faith. We don't expect to understand it and recognise that it cannot readily be explained in human terms. what counts is that this gift was given to mankind by Christ himself. We don't need any more than that.