Are Christians cannibals?

Question

For the Christians who take the Bible literally and actually believe they are drinking the blood of Christ and eating the body of Christ during communion, how is this not cannibalism? I could understand for those who believe it is used in a figurative sense...Someone explain this to me..because it would seem to me that eating human flesh and drinking blood are cannibalistic.

Answer 1

Only Roman Catholics who believe the elements miraculously change into the body and blood of Christ during Mass would be cannibals - IF that doctrine was true! But if it is not true, then they are simply eating wafer and wine even though they imagine it has been changed.

This point about cannibalism is important. That is why the Jews who heard Jesus say, 'Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood....' were so shocked. Under the Mosaic Law, given by God, all blood had to be drained out of flesh before it was eaten. Anyone drinking blood (or flesh with the blood in it) was to be stoned to death. Cannibalism was taboo. Jesus was a Jew. He was under that Law, and the Bible tells us he kept it perfectly. That is one reason why we know he was testing his hearers, to see who would hang around to get the explanation, and who would use it as ammunition against him. He meant it symbolically, or figuratively.

Protestants do not believe the elements are changed. They remain symbols - bread and wine. Christ dwells in the believer by the Holy Spirit - by faith. Protestants say the doctrine of transubstantiation is false.

Answer 2

I asked this same question, and while I don't personally agree with the rationale behind the answer, I felt this particular one explained it best...

If you define cannibalism as the eating of human flesh, then yes you can say cannibalism, for Catholics believe that the Eucharist, which they eat (St. Paul actually uses the word gnaw/chew), is the Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of Christ. The whole Christ is eaten including his human flesh.

It is a hard teaching, which is why so many disciples left, but as St Peter said, Lord where would we go? You have the words of eternal life.

It is a very deep and mystical teaching that you need a lot of Jewish mysticism and Christian theology to really understand. Buy this book A Key to the Doctrine of the Eucharist: by Abbot Vonier.

Your second question. No. There is no bread /wine after the consecration. The accidents remain (but not always...sometimes the accidents change to those of flesh and blood), not the essence. The Eucharist remains until the accidents are lost.

What occurs when one eats the Eucharist is that Christ tabernacles in the individual. There are some differing schools of thought on this, so we will leave deeper questions aside. Read the above book for more.

Answer 3

The Catholics take it literally and believe that they are eating the actual flesh and blood of Christ. If the bread and wine actually do turn into the actual flesh and blood of Christ, that would probably be cannibalistic.

Protestants, on the other hand, take it figuratively and believe that the bread/wafer and wine/grape-juice REPRESENT the body and blood. This is not cannibalistic.

Answer 4

YES!and I'm grateful to Our Lord for allowing me to be.

Cannibalism, anthropologists will tell you, is an attempt to absorb and appropriate the virtues and life energy of the victim.
The problem is that it just doesn't work with mere human victims.
Jesus Christ, who is the form and essence of New Humanity, DOES allow us to be gradually transformed by eating His Body and drinking His Blood.
Incidentally, you don't have to be either Roman Catholic or fundamentalist to believe that Christ is Really Present under the sacred species of the bread and wine. Orthodox, most Anglicans, many brands of Lutherans all accept this.

Answer 5

It's just a ritual and such a "cannibalism" is just symbolic. But look at the real "cannibalism" of Christianity: colonization and slavery. They now say "they were not 'real' Christians." But Christian countries got rich by colonization and slavery and Christians take their wealth as an evidence of God's blessing. If you brag for that, you got to be responsible for colonization and slavery. Also, people did that in name of God. They brought out Bible and said it's justified to colonize lands and enslave black people. They said that's what Bible allows if not promotes them to do! You just can't say only your understanding of Bible is right, right?

Colonization, slavery, and those unnecessary wars waged just out of ambition and pride. That's "cannibalism" of Christianity. I wish all those would never happen again, peace loving brothers and sisters!

Answer 6

Interesting view. I guess, in that sense, "christians" don't seem to view that specific kind of cannibalism as a sin or as anything wrong. Instead its a necesity in order get by. And since its not literal, it does serve its purpose in helping people feel they have a peice of God with them. Good question, never thought of it that way.

Answer 7

You need to look at this in context, for later in the narrative he explains where he is going with this.

What is most interesting is understanding this in the context of the culture. These are Jews who are very big on the clean/unclean animals teaching. Then Jesus starts talking like this to them in what would be taken in a very offensive way by them.

He is using figurative language, but in such a way as to have them intentionally stumble over his words.

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Answer 8

No. Jesus says, "do this in REMEMBERANCE of me." Furthermore if you actually read the Bible communion stared way back in the day of Moses. It was called the Passover. This, because it was the last of the plagues in which Pharoh was the one who proclaimed that all the first born would die at the hand of God. The Jews were ordered to paint lambs blood on their door as to be a sign for the plague of death to "passover" them. This is why Jesus was sent to die on the cross - to be the perfect lamb of God, the perfect sacrifice that we may have life everlasting.

Answer 9

I dont like this question. I was born a catholic but stopped practising it when I turned 14. However my family is religious and I take this question as offensive.
If your not a christian - why do you care? why are you so interested in the views of a christian when you mock them by saying "who take the bible literally"
Let people believe what they want to believe.
It is your choice to join a religion or not - Do not criticize others for their decisions.
If you dont understand it - thats your problem..
If you are interested in understanding it - phrase your question better.

Answer 10

yes to those that insist on biblical literalism they are...which is one more reason why fundies are confused...anybody that does not understand the context of the bible deepens their spiritual ignorance and causes problems for others who have a firm grasp on it....
just another reason why this book can be dangerous in the wrong hands, it is a very powerful spell