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MineralMan

(146,288 posts)
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 02:49 PM Jan 2019

Are there any religions besides Christianity where followers

eat their deity and drink its blood? Now, I know that most denominations treat that transformation as a symbolic thing, but the largest and oldest primary denomination of Christianity, the Roman Catholic Church, maintains that the bread and wine actually change into the body and blood of Jesus. What a strange doctrine that is!

How far can faith carry people into irrational beliefs? Apparently, quite far, indeed.

36 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Are there any religions besides Christianity where followers (Original Post) MineralMan Jan 2019 OP
I gather ritual cannibalism is mostly about a messenger to the gods, rather than the god itself Pope George Ringo II Jan 2019 #1
Well, Jesus is both a demi-god and god at the same time, MineralMan Jan 2019 #3
Oh, definitely nonsense. Pope George Ringo II Jan 2019 #6
You must eat an infinite number of them for that. MineralMan Jan 2019 #13
Some gods are huge. Pope George Ringo II Jan 2019 #20
I think Pastafarians do underpants Jan 2019 #2
Aha! You're absolutely correct! MineralMan Jan 2019 #4
Good point. Pope George Ringo II Jan 2019 #5
And how! n/t trotsky Jan 2019 #7
Do they? Mariana Jan 2019 #12
I add parmigiano reggiano just before taking MineralMan Jan 2019 #19
God catch. Voltaire2 Jan 2019 #23
The Gauls took heads, don't know if that was religious as we understand it... Thomas Hurt Jan 2019 #8
i was raised Catholic RoBear Jan 2019 #9
I Grok your post shadowmayor Jan 2019 #10
Side note OriginalGeek Jan 2019 #11
Really devout Catholics consume their God daily. MineralMan Jan 2019 #14
every day!? OriginalGeek Jan 2019 #22
One Hour. One Should Fast for One Hour before Taking Communion. MineralMan Jan 2019 #15
Better they eat the flesh and drink the blood of their own god... Act_of_Reparation Jan 2019 #16
Hi MineralMan - As a practicing Catholic, this is definitely one of our core beliefs and Pendrench Jan 2019 #17
OK. I know it is the belief of the RCC. MineralMan Jan 2019 #18
Hi MineralMan - Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post. Pendrench Jan 2019 #21
... Major Nikon Jan 2019 #24
Why, that's sacrilegious, I believe! MineralMan Jan 2019 #25
Nothing more than the interpretation of metaphor Major Nikon Jan 2019 #26
It's doubtful to the point of being ludicrous that you are going to Hell. MineralMan Jan 2019 #28
Metaphorically speaking, of course Major Nikon Jan 2019 #29
Everything is a metaphor, see. MineralMan Jan 2019 #30
With TM at level 9 you get the flying perk Major Nikon Jan 2019 #34
a pagan ritual the ROMAN preistthood adapted for the early days of the Church when beachbum bob Jan 2019 #27
Does Barbecue count? LongtimeAZDem Jan 2019 #31
Only if it's on a spit. MineralMan Jan 2019 #32
You mean the altar? LongtimeAZDem Jan 2019 #33
As long as they're doing it, they may as well have fun with it. You can't eat just one. Pope George Ringo II Jan 2019 #35
OMG! I almost spewed my gin and tonic! MineralMan Jan 2019 #36

Pope George Ringo II

(1,896 posts)
1. I gather ritual cannibalism is mostly about a messenger to the gods, rather than the god itself
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 02:51 PM
Jan 2019

I'll have to look and see who else performs ritual cannibalism on the actual deity, rather than just the favored human. Although, it must be said, the Jesus character hedges this bet as a demigod-type.

MineralMan

(146,288 posts)
3. Well, Jesus is both a demi-god and god at the same time,
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 02:55 PM
Jan 2019

if you can figure that all out. The Greeks and Romans understood that deity/human mixing pretty well. Their gods, from time to time, came down and mated with ordinary humans and produced such demi-gods.

Still, doctrine puts Jesus into the God category in its weird 3-in-1 oil idea. I don't even want to go there, though. The Trinity is an impossible "mystery." I consider it nonsense, but I consider all deity stuff to be nonsense.

Pope George Ringo II

(1,896 posts)
6. Oh, definitely nonsense.
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 02:58 PM
Jan 2019

But it does muddy the waters on what exactly they're eating.

Heck, I'm not even clear on how many wafers you have to eat before you've eaten a whole Jesus.

Pope George Ringo II

(1,896 posts)
20. Some gods are huge.
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 05:05 PM
Jan 2019

I don't think theirs ever really made it more than a couple of hundred miles away from his starting point, though.

Mariana

(14,856 posts)
12. Do they?
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 03:44 PM
Jan 2019

Is the plate of spaghetti the literal body and blood of the FSM, or is it only a symbolic sacrifice?

MineralMan

(146,288 posts)
19. I add parmigiano reggiano just before taking
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 05:01 PM
Jan 2019

the sacrament, and prefer a classic marinara sauce. I would never use any other cheesus. That would be an abomination, so it is anathema!

Thomas Hurt

(13,903 posts)
8. The Gauls took heads, don't know if that was religious as we understand it...
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 03:04 PM
Jan 2019

I guess it could be bragging and nothing more. But I guess it could be some kind spiritual power taking of something without have to actually eat someone.

RoBear

(1,188 posts)
9. i was raised Catholic
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 03:06 PM
Jan 2019

and later began telling my "christian" friends that I found it hard to follow a religion based on human sacrifice and cannibalism. That usually stops the evangelization process.

When I was a kid human sacrifice -- tossing a virgin into a volcano, for instance -- was considered barbaric, but Jesus had to "die for our sins." Isn't that some kind of pagan ritual???

OriginalGeek

(12,132 posts)
11. Side note
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 03:42 PM
Jan 2019

there's a pretty funny new sitcom called the Kids are Alright that talked about that this week - A catholic family with like 7 or 8 kids and they were all at the breakfast table while dad kept an eye on the clock as they had to finish eating in time to digest everything so that the body and blood of christ wouldn't be mixing with their fruit loops. Apparently the church frowns on that lol. I didn't know they watched it that close (and still don't know that really, this was just a bit on a sitcom)

As an independent, fundmental (we put the mental in fundamental!) baptist we only did communion every few months - I don't really remember the schedule but it wasn't every week like I believe catholics do. Maybe it was just special occasions. But I remember in christian school (run by the IFB church) bible class they taught transubstantiation was a catholic thing and just one of the reasons they were wrong and going to hell.

MineralMan

(146,288 posts)
14. Really devout Catholics consume their God daily.
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 04:51 PM
Jan 2019

Protestants don't subscribe to the literal conversion into flesh and blood, for the most part.

OriginalGeek

(12,132 posts)
22. every day!?
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 05:28 PM
Jan 2019

what a pain in the ass that would be. Glad we didn't have to do that lol. And all we ever got was Welches grape juice. what a ripoff.

it still amuses me that they (the IFBs I grew up with) believed every single word of the KJV (and ONLY the KJV.) was the literal and inspired word of god. Except "wine". That meant grape juice.

MineralMan

(146,288 posts)
15. One Hour. One Should Fast for One Hour before Taking Communion.
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 04:54 PM
Jan 2019

A person who is to receive the Most Holy Eucharist is to abstain for at least one hour before holy communion from any food and drink, except for only water and medicine. Apr 19, 2018

What Are the Rules for Fasting Before Communion? - ThoughtCo
https://www.thoughtco.com/rules-for-fasting-before-communion-542845

It used to be that you had to fast after midnight until you had taken the Eucharist. See, the RCC does change.

Mixing the sacred with the profane just isn't done, you see...

Act_of_Reparation

(9,116 posts)
16. Better they eat the flesh and drink the blood of their own god...
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 04:55 PM
Jan 2019

...than eat the flesh and drink the blood of the poor bastard down the street.

Pendrench

(1,356 posts)
17. Hi MineralMan - As a practicing Catholic, this is definitely one of our core beliefs and
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 04:55 PM
Jan 2019

one that I share.

I view the celebration of the Eucharist as not only a way of remembering and honoring Jesus's sacrifice (as we believe it to be), but I also see it as a way of establishing a physical as well as a spiritual connection between us and our god.

Of course I also understand and respect how this belief is viewed as strange and irrational.

Thank you for the opportunity for discussion.

Wishing you well and peace.

Tim

MineralMan

(146,288 posts)
18. OK. I know it is the belief of the RCC.
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 04:58 PM
Jan 2019

I have no objection to anyone following their religion's rituals, as long as nobody is harmed.

I will admit that I find this particular doctrine among the strangest and least rational of Christian doctrines, though.

Pendrench

(1,356 posts)
21. Hi MineralMan - Thank you for taking the time to reply to my post.
Fri Jan 11, 2019, 05:10 PM
Jan 2019

That is the great thing about this forum - it provides an opportunity to discuss and share our views in a civil and respectful manner even when we hold different beliefs and/or points of view.

Peace!

Tim

MineralMan

(146,288 posts)
28. It's doubtful to the point of being ludicrous that you are going to Hell.
Mon Jan 14, 2019, 10:44 AM
Jan 2019

In the first place, Hell is a mythological concept. In the second place, such a thing does not exist, either.

MineralMan

(146,288 posts)
30. Everything is a metaphor, see.
Mon Jan 14, 2019, 10:52 AM
Jan 2019

We're all characters in a cosmic computer game, I'm pretty sure. Yeah...that's it. Right now, little Yahweh and Yeshua are getting close to reaching the 7th level in the game.

 

beachbum bob

(10,437 posts)
27. a pagan ritual the ROMAN preistthood adapted for the early days of the Church when
Mon Jan 14, 2019, 10:35 AM
Jan 2019

the pagans transitioned into the Cattholic Church

Pope George Ringo II

(1,896 posts)
35. As long as they're doing it, they may as well have fun with it. You can't eat just one.
Mon Jan 14, 2019, 06:59 PM
Jan 2019

Last edited Mon Jan 14, 2019, 11:39 PM - Edit history (1)

Someone made a petition to rename communion wafers to ‘Jeez-Its’ and I’m here for it

I’ve long been skeptical of the effectiveness of Change.org petitions. It’s a rather simple process to use throwaway email addresses to artificially inflate the results, and the results can be ignored as easily as deleting an email. But finally, I think the perfect Change.org petition has come our way. The petition? To rename communion wafers as “Jeez-Its.”

Think about all the possible spinoffs. We could have white cheddar Jeez-Its. We could have jalapeño Jeez-Its. Salt and vinegar Jeez-Its. Hell, this could completely transform the Catholic Church. It’ll help them recover from the numerous scandals they’re facing, and put a fun new spin on worship.




https://ascienceenthusiast.com/someone-made-a-petition-to-rename-communion-wafers-to-jeez-its/

Edited to put the excerpt in an excerpt.
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