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)
2007-06-06 04:23:41 · 17 answers · asked by al_sparagus 2 in Food & Drink ➔ Vegetarian & Vegan
The word is Transubstantiation.
2007-06-06 04:31:28 · update #1
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.
2007-06-06 04:48:56 · update #2
lol, I got reported by the Christians AND the vegetarians.......now that takes talent.....and the funny thing was I was being serious.
2007-06-06 04:52:09 · update #3
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.
2007-06-06 07:44:57 · answer #1 · answered by Shelly P. Tofu, E.M.T. 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
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.
2007-06-06 04:36:15 · answer #2 · answered by sis74100 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
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.
2007-06-06 04:38:26 · answer #3 · answered by TheAsianPlagueFR 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
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"...transubstantiation really is a "Catholic thing". Not many other religions believe what we believe.
2007-06-06 05:17:04 · answer #4 · answered by YSIC 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
i'm tremendously confident Communion is a illustration of the physique and blood of Christ subsequently a vegetarian could have the skill to take part in the event that they do no longer take issues too actually including no longer eating animal crackers and stuff like that.
2017-01-10 16:10:27 · answer #5 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
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.)
2007-06-06 04:37:14 · answer #6 · answered by Catherine W 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
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!
2007-06-06 04:27:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
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!
2007-06-06 04:55:04 · answer #8 · answered by BulbaKatieSaur 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
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.
2007-06-06 04:35:39 · answer #9 · answered by jay_the_nomad 2 · 2⤊ 1⤋
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.
2007-06-06 04:26:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋