Comments on: Free Speech, Appropriate Speech, and Communion Wafers http://henrysthreads.com/2008/07/free-speech-appropriate-speech-and-communion-wafers/ Thoughts on Religion in the World from a passionate, moderate, liberal charismatic Christian Thu, 09 Feb 2012 02:11:25 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: James McGrath http://henrysthreads.com/2008/07/free-speech-appropriate-speech-and-communion-wafers/comment-page-1/#comment-112612 James McGrath Fri, 18 Jul 2008 02:33:09 +0000 http://www.energionpubs.com/wordpress/?p=1409#comment-112612 I seem to remember the practice of placing it directly on the tongue having originated from a concern that people would remove the consecrated wafer from the church and use it for magical purposes. Anyway, for my own $.02 on this subject, there's this: http://exploringourmatrix.blogspot.com/2008/07/let-jesus-contend-with-p-z-myers.html I seem to remember the practice of placing it directly on the tongue having originated from a concern that people would remove the consecrated wafer from the church and use it for magical purposes.

Anyway, for my own $.02 on this subject, there’s this:

http://exploringourmatrix.blogspot.com/2008/07/let-jesus-contend-with-p-z-myers.html

]]> By: Henry Neufeld http://henrysthreads.com/2008/07/free-speech-appropriate-speech-and-communion-wafers/comment-page-1/#comment-112418 Henry Neufeld Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:01:56 +0000 http://www.energionpubs.com/wordpress/?p=1409#comment-112418 Peter, you make a good point. I certainly don't see it as "kidnapping" or a somehow irredeemable sacrilege. "Real presence" also would not imply that a dropped piece of bread was "the body of Christ" getting trampled on the floor. I still find the idea of "scoring" a cracker so as to desecrate it incredibly rude, while not thinking the person who did it should be legally sanctioned. Peter, you make a good point. I certainly don’t see it as “kidnapping” or a somehow irredeemable sacrilege. “Real presence” also would not imply that a dropped piece of bread was “the body of Christ” getting trampled on the floor.

I still find the idea of “scoring” a cracker so as to desecrate it incredibly rude, while not thinking the person who did it should be legally sanctioned.

]]> By: Peter Kirk http://henrysthreads.com/2008/07/free-speech-appropriate-speech-and-communion-wafers/comment-page-1/#comment-112349 Peter Kirk Tue, 15 Jul 2008 14:02:47 +0000 http://www.energionpubs.com/wordpress/?p=1409#comment-112349 The obvious way to get hold of one of these wafers, duly consecrated, is to go up to take communion but not eat it. Many Catholic priests put it straight on the tongue, so that would mean keeping it in one's mouth for a bit and then preserving the resultant soggy mess. Since the wafer has been freely given, no law suit would stand a chance. On Sunday night I visited a church which gives communion with normal bread. The piece I took was very crumbly and some of it fell on the floor. Was I blasphemous in allowing this to happen? Fortunately the church in which this happens has a rather low view of communion. My own position is that of the 39 Articles of the Church of England, Article XXIX, that people who eat the bread without faith are not receiving the body of Christ - which implies that people without faith who don't eat the bread are not keeping the body of Christ. The crumbs on the floor are just crumbs, and the wafer taken home as a prank is just a wafer, whether prayed over or not - whereas a wafer taken home in faith to be given to someone who couldn't attend and received with faith is indeed "a participation in the body of Christ". The obvious way to get hold of one of these wafers, duly consecrated, is to go up to take communion but not eat it. Many Catholic priests put it straight on the tongue, so that would mean keeping it in one’s mouth for a bit and then preserving the resultant soggy mess. Since the wafer has been freely given, no law suit would stand a chance.

On Sunday night I visited a church which gives communion with normal bread. The piece I took was very crumbly and some of it fell on the floor. Was I blasphemous in allowing this to happen? Fortunately the church in which this happens has a rather low view of communion.

My own position is that of the 39 Articles of the Church of England, Article XXIX, that people who eat the bread without faith are not receiving the body of Christ – which implies that people without faith who don’t eat the bread are not keeping the body of Christ. The crumbs on the floor are just crumbs, and the wafer taken home as a prank is just a wafer, whether prayed over or not – whereas a wafer taken home in faith to be given to someone who couldn’t attend and received with faith is indeed “a participation in the body of Christ”.

]]> By: Ken Brown http://henrysthreads.com/2008/07/free-speech-appropriate-speech-and-communion-wafers/comment-page-1/#comment-112174 Ken Brown Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:42:06 +0000 http://www.energionpubs.com/wordpress/?p=1409#comment-112174 Oh, and thanks for the links! Oh, and thanks for the links!

]]> By: Ken Brown http://henrysthreads.com/2008/07/free-speech-appropriate-speech-and-communion-wafers/comment-page-1/#comment-112173 Ken Brown Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:40:53 +0000 http://www.energionpubs.com/wordpress/?p=1409#comment-112173 <blockquote>I believe that there must be a difference between what I think is a good idea, and what is legal. That is a difference that is essential to a free, and thereby diverse, society.</blockquote> I feel like I am constantly having to stress that distinction, which comes close to defining me as a moderate. People are constantly misreading my moral claims as legal ones, and my legal claims as moral ones. I think people should be <i>legally</i> free to do just about anything that doesn't directly hurt another, but a great many things are and should be legal that are in no way <i>good</i> nor commendable. I would even go so far as to say that there are many things that <i>should not be done</i>, but should nevertheless remain legal.

I believe that there must be a difference between what I think is a good idea, and what is legal. That is a difference that is essential to a free, and thereby diverse, society.

I feel like I am constantly having to stress that distinction, which comes close to defining me as a moderate. People are constantly misreading my moral claims as legal ones, and my legal claims as moral ones. I think people should be legally free to do just about anything that doesn’t directly hurt another, but a great many things are and should be legal that are in no way good nor commendable. I would even go so far as to say that there are many things that should not be done, but should nevertheless remain legal.

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