Question to Catholics

[Faith Hope Charity]

May the peace of Christ be with you, AlShamms, Wael, & company.


Thanks for posting!


I couldn't figure out whether you're a Protestant or Muslim until I read your signature :) I don't think it's appropriate for us to discuss our differences on an Islamic forum, however, considering Wael brought up the topic, I'll make an exception :)

During the mass, priests allegedly claim the bread and wine transforms into the actual and literal body and blood of Jesus Christ:

It is not a claim. The Mass is the sacrificial rite instituted by Christ at the Last Supper.

Since Catholicism is teaching members to partake in literal cannibalism

Cannibalism = eating dead flesh. Jesus is alive!!! Without going into too much depth... <i>"Since Christ is neither dead nor even maimed, and since He is a Divine Person, the term cannibalism simply does not apply"</i> (CatholicAnswers.com).

Is it from God, or is it a tradition of men?

It is from God. The Church has celebrated this Divine Mystery since day one & therefore you could also say that it's the living tradition of Christ's 'One, Holy, Catholic & Apostolic Church'. Even the father of Protestantism, Martin Luther, believed in the Real Presence :)

Though this one verse does appear to teach cannibalism, if you read the entire passage in context, the meaning becomes clear.

AlShamms, I don't mean to have a go at you, your private interpretation, or your beliefs, but are you sure you've read the passgae in its correct context? Do you know what Jesus meant by the preceding verse 6: St John 6:32??? Are you aware of what Jesus was referring to when he mentioned the "manna in the wilderness", e.t.c.?

Eternal life comes through believing in Jesus Christ, not eating His body.

But AlShamms, believing in Christ requires belief in EVERYTHING He taught. We can't pick & choose! How many of Jesus' followers walked away from Him after His Bread of Life discourse? Their reaction was... "How can this Man give us His flesh to eat?" & Jesus Christ responded by saying, "Truly, truly, I say to you..." not "Symbolically, symbolically, I say to you..." I can understand where you're coming from but as my Scripture teacher, who's a former Protestant Minister, keeps drilling into my head, we cannot give meaning to Scripture (eisegesis), but rather, we must take meaning out of Scripture (exegesis)!

Nowhere else in the Bible does God endorse cannibalism. In fact, God forbids the practice.
God would never command His children to do something He had already forbidden.

No argument from me... I totally agree with you :)

Jesus was talking spiritually, not physically. He was explaining that spiritually, all life comes through faith in Him, not eating His body.
When Jesus said, "Take, eat: this is my body," He was not suggesting that they reach out and begin eating His literal body. To even suggest such is ridiculous. He was speaking spiritually about what He was about to accomplish on the cross.

Mate, you're not the first & you won't be the last to fire up these objections. St Thomas Aquinas answered them superbly back in the 13th Century AD: http://www.freewebs.com/jacques7/Summa/Eucharist.doc

So I would have to say that the Catholic doctrine of Transubstantiation is NOT Biblically sound.

Error! On what authority do you make such an assertion?


<i>The Bible - Word of Life; The Eucharist - Source of Life; The Mass - Heaven on Earth!</i>


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