Question about the Eucharist

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lumberjack

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#1
#1
So about a year ago, after a near coma binge, I decided to stop drinking, once and for all. It's not easy, especially because all of my friends still drink and sometimes tease me saying I'm some kinda goody two shoes lol. They do respect my decision not to drink anymore though.

My teetotalism is a problem when [on rare occassions] I do go to church and the Eucharist is celebrated. Apart from the fact that the priest's whole "charade" makes me feel uncomfortable [it always has] I just don't want to drink from the wine. Ofcourse there's option to drink grape juice, but isn't that against scripture? Doesn't it clearly say Jesus ordered his disciples to drink from the wine? If so, doesn't Jesus or God order me to do something that goes against my conscience? And can you be a christian if you don't want to celebrate the Eucharist, even if Jesus ordered his disciples to do so?
 
ThomistColin

ThomistColin

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Nov 30, 2012
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Since you've mentioned it as Eucharist, I'll infer you mean the Catholic/Orthodox/Coptic celebration of it. You can partake of the bread alone, or request grape juice, since the grape juice that is used is often the pre-fermented wine. However, among Catholics, you are required to partake of the Eucharist at least once a year, since the 3rd Lateran Council that spoke out against the Albigensian heresy.
 
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lumberjack

Guest
#3
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So like is the bread enough?
Because Jesus DID say to eat from the bread AND drink from the wine.
 
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Elin

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Jan 19, 2013
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lumberjack said:
So like is the bread enough?
Because Jesus DID say to eat from the bread AND drink from the wine.
Click to expand...
Well, is your church using precisely the kind of bread used at the Lord's Supper?

I doubt it.

It's not about the perfection of the elements, it's about being the NT sacrificial meal of bread and the fruit of the vine.
 
dcontroversal

dcontroversal

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Dec 12, 2013
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Nothing wrong with the fruit of the vine--->grape juice.......and to be quite frank brother.....any friend (so-called) who will not respect your decision to not drink without belittling you is no friend at all...I had the same problem when I quit drugs 1989. I passed out a letter apologizing for my misleading lifestyle, witnessed about Jesus, and every one of my so called friend dropped me like a hot rock and proceeded to make fun of me....oh well...I got Jesus in return and his friendship is way better and eternal...nor will he mock for making an attempt to serve him in sincerity and in truth.......
 
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lumberjack

Guest
#6
#6
Elin said:
Well, is your church using precisely the kind of bread used at the Lord's Supper?

I doubt it.
Click to expand...
Technically speaking I don't even have a church. Although I was raised a catholic I've never been really sure if I'm a christian. The "bread" doesn't bother me that much btw.


Elin said:
It's not about the perfection of the elements, it's about being the NT sacrificial meal of bread and the fruit of the vine.
Click to expand...
Still, Jesus talks about "wine," not the "fruit of the vine."
 
ThomistColin

ThomistColin

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Nov 30, 2012
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lumberjack said:
So like is the bread enough?
Because Jesus DID say to eat from the bread AND drink from the wine.
Click to expand...
It is the position of the Church that one element holds both elements through the mystery of transubstantiation.

*Disclaimer: I am not arguing this. I am only answering the question put forth about the Eucharist*

Most Catholics only partake of the bread and not the wine. Though more and more are partaking of the wine, which is why grape juice is often offered now, but again many do not do grape juice because they do not have access to the unfermented wine.
 
Willie-T

Willie-T

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Feb 7, 2015
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I've taken The Lord's Supper with Triscuits and water, Ritz Crackers and Pepsi, and several other combinations, at least 70 times. If someone is telling you that you have some rules about this that God has set down... you may well be in the wrong church.
 
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lumberjack

Guest
#9
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ThomistColin said:
It is the position of the Church that one element holds both elements through the mystery of transubstantiation...
Click to expand...
In other words the bread is enough. Cool, I'll remember that next I go, thanks. :D
 
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lumberjack

Guest
#10
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Willie-T said:
I've taken The Lord's Supper with Triscuits and water, Ritz Crackers and Pepsi, and several other combinations, at least 70 times. If someone is telling you that you have some rules about this that God has set down... you may well be in the wrong church.
Click to expand...
No offense, but that sounds silly, lol. As if you can celebrate the Eucharist with like a cheesburger and a dietcoke. I read the bible and try to take it seriously, that's all.
 
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Elin

Banned
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Jan 19, 2013
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lumberjack said:
Technically speaking I don't even have a church. Although I was raised a catholic I've never been really sure if I'm a christian. The "bread" doesn't bother me that much btw.


Still, Jesus talks about "wine," not the "fruit of the vine."
Click to expand...
Does he talk about wine?

And he does talk about the fruit of the vine.

Have you already decided on the matter?
 
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lumberjack

Guest
#12
#12
Elin said:
Does he talk about wine?

And he does talk about the fruit of the vine.

Have you already decided on the matter?
Click to expand...
Doesn't really matter anymore if it can be grapejuice or not, it seems the bread is enough now. But thanks anyway. :)
 
dcontroversal

dcontroversal

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Dec 12, 2013
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lumberjack said:
In other words the bread is enough. Cool, I'll remember that next I go, thanks. :D
Click to expand...
No offence brother, but Jesus set the example in the gospels and Paul reiterates the order in the Corinthian letters....the broken body is symbolized by the bread and the shed blood of Christ is symbolized by the fruit of the vine.....to say you only need one or the other contradicts the witness as found in scripture.......and some of the brothers in Christ who corrupted this in the Corinthian church were judged and died at the result of the corruption...study the word of God, look the words up in the languages, pray and go with what the bible states as opposed to religious dogma.
 
Willie-T

Willie-T

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Feb 7, 2015
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lumberjack said:
No offense, but that sounds silly, lol. As if you can celebrate the Eucharist with like a cheesburger and a dietcoke. I read the bible and try to take it seriously, that's all.
Click to expand...
Quite a bit of offense taken! I took communion with what I had, where I was. And you can just clamp your jaw shut on trying to insinuate I don't take the Bible seriously.

What I DO NOT take seriously is self-pious thinking that says the Bible is a rule book that lists our every move.
 
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Elin

Banned
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Jan 19, 2013
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lumberjack said:
Elin said:
Does he talk about wine?

And he does talk about the fruit of the vine.

Have you already decided on the matter?
Click to expand...
Doesn't really matter anymore if it can be grapejuice or not, it seems the bread is enough now. But thanks anyway. :)
Click to expand...
So you have decided. . .that didn't take long.
 
resurrection33

resurrection33

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#16
Dec 19, 2009
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lumberjack said:
So about a year ago, after a near coma binge, I decided to stop drinking, once and for all. It's not easy, especially because all of my friends still drink and sometimes tease me saying I'm some kinda goody two shoes lol. They do respect my decision not to drink anymore though.

My teetotalism is a problem when [on rare occassions] I do go to church and the Eucharist is celebrated. Apart from the fact that the priest's whole "charade" makes me feel uncomfortable [it always has] I just don't want to drink from the wine. Ofcourse there's option to drink grape juice, but isn't that against scripture? Doesn't it clearly say Jesus ordered his disciples to drink from the wine? If so, doesn't Jesus or God order me to do something that goes against my conscience? And can you be a christian if you don't want to celebrate the Eucharist, even if Jesus ordered his disciples to do so?
Click to expand...
I don't think you can go wrong either way. I once had a drinking problem and don't drink anymore. I therefore prefer grape juice and that's all my church serves at Communion. However, on rare occasions I have Communion at my mother's church, where they serve wine. A sip of wine doesn't seem to cause me any problems. Certainly you're not going to go to hell for drinking grape juice instead of wine.
 
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lumberjack

Guest
#17
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Willie-T said:
Quite a bit of offense taken! I took communion with what I had, where I was. And you can just clamp your jaw shut on trying to insinuate I don't take the Bible seriously.

What I DO NOT take seriously is self-pious thinking that says the Bible is a rule book that lists our every move.
Click to expand...
I never said you don't take the bible seriously. I said I try to take the bible seriously, meaning I try to find out the "rules" myself instead of just listening to others [to paraphrase what you said].
 
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lumberjack

Guest
#18
#18
Elin said:
So you have decided. . .that didn't take long.
Click to expand...
Why not if the answer given makes sense? But after what the "marine" said I'm not so sure anymore. Maybe need to study it myself more.
 
dcontroversal

dcontroversal

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Dec 12, 2013
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lumberjack said:
Why not if the answer given makes sense? But after what the "marine" said I'm not so sure anymore. Maybe need to study it myself more.
Click to expand...
Exactly.....the scriptures define the perimeters and sets the boundaries that are acceptable unto God......study, pray and let the Lord lead you friend.......
 
jamie26301

jamie26301

Senior Member
#20
May 14, 2011
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#20
Willie-T said:
Quite a bit of offense taken! I took communion with what I had, where I was. And you can just clamp your jaw shut on trying to insinuate I don't take the Bible seriously.

What I DO NOT take seriously is self-pious thinking that says the Bible is a rule book that lists our every move.
Click to expand...
My husband's grandparents didn't have a home church for a long while - they gave each other communion. Plain bread, and water. For those who are dogmatic about the bread, and wine, I'd like them to tell me how Christians who are poor, in countries where they don't have what we have and persecuted, are supposed to take it. It's amazing to claim a God so vast, can do anything and limitless, and then say "Oh He can't be here" and "He can't be there" and "He discriminates by what you have available."

"Oh, they don't have the RIGHT kind of bread, guess I can be there!"

Besides, the Christians in Paul's day didn't have a little piece of bread, and a tinsy, winsy swallow of wine - they had feasts! And one problem Paul had was that some people were getting passed over for food and drink because the others were gluttonous. So, if you want to get biblical about it, what churches need to do is actually have a MEAL, seeing how it's called a Supper and all.
 
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