Symbolic cannibalism in Christianity

Why does Christianity use symbolic cannibalism in it’s most secret ritiual?

Matthew

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mark

And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

Luke

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

John

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Good question ! I wonder if this was inherited from other ancient religions...

Here is a site I found on the topic: 😆

http://www.nobeliefs.com/communion/communion.htm

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Here is a site I found on the topic: 😆

http://www.nobeliefs.com/communion/communion.htm

I remember in one of my history courses at uni, in a tute were the Christian persecutions were under discussion, and this was one of the issues that motivated the Romans.

They really didn't trust the Christians for a number of reasons, including the fact they believed the Christians were engaged in a form of ritual cannibalism.

Originally posted by Imperial_Samura
I remember in one of my history courses at uni, in a tute were the Christian persecutions were under discussion, and this was one of the issues that motivated the Romans.

They really didn't trust the Christians for a number of reasons, including the fact they believed the Christians were engaged in a form of ritual cannibalism.

VERY true.

Also, Christians had a knack for sitting ontop of wooden poles all day, which I don't think the Romans really understood.

Originally posted by Alliance
VERY true.

Also, Christians had a knack for sitting ontop of wooden poles all day, which I don't think the Romans really understood.

Alliance what are you talking about? 😕

Christian history. In the early days or Chirstianity, many Christinas would wear rags ans sit ontop of wooden poles all day long...

...the Romans found this odd at best.

Add this to Christian "cannibalism"...a Roman would be very confused how one was eating the body and blood of Christ (Imperial's earlier point)...its not hard to see why Christians wer thought of as stupid and rebellious.

Originally posted by Alliance
Christian history. In the early days or Chirstianity, many Christinas would wear rags ans sit ontop of wooden poles all day long...

...the Romans found this odd at best.

Add this to Christian "cannibalism"...a Roman would be very confused how one was eating the body and blood of Christ (Imperial's earlier point)...its not hard to see why Christians wer thought of as stupid and rebellious.

Why did they wear rags and sit ontop of wooden poles all day long?

I don't believe there are any Christian accounts of their personal rationales...just the accounts of educated Romans who were very confused why people sat on poles.

I would imagine, (with most scholars that I've read) that they felt that this sort of simple and meager lifestyle was representative of Jesus as was a way to prove their devotion.

Originally posted by Alliance
I don't believe there are any Christian accounts of their personal rationales...just the accounts of educated Romans who were very confused why people sat on poles.

I would imagine, (with most scholars that I've read) that they felt that this sort of simple and meager lifestyle was representative of Jesus as was a way to prove their devotion.

Yes, modern scholars would agree on that point - the concept of sacrifice bringing them closer to God. The act of sitting on poles and the like became especially popular when the persecutions ended it is was decided it was wrong to actively seek martyrdom - since dying in that way was welcomed since it made them feel like Jesus and the Saints and all that.

I believe it was called "the white death" - or something along those lines. They left the material world - died symbolically- and took up such things as living in caves, sitting on poles, all that jazz. I think there is a link to it and the formation of the monastic lifestyle. Either way their sacrifice, one assumes, was meant to be seen as brining them closer to God. Of course it likely seen as mad (and justly so) by the Romans and like of the day.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Why does Christianity use symbolic cannibalism in it’s most secret ritiual?

Matthew

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mark

And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

Luke

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

John

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

I have more respect for you than I do for him, and I know that you know better.

Originally posted by FeceMan
Remember that time that Philosophicus posted something like this awhile ago? Remember when I told him that he was retarded for not understanding the symbolism?

I have more respect for you than I do for him, and I know that you know better.

Then humor me and walk me though it. Why would Jesus us Symbolic cannibalism?

BTW This thread is not meant as an insult. Sometimes I like to make a thread for everyone, even if I understand the subject sufficiently.

Originally posted by FeceMan
Remember that time that Philosophicus posted something like this awhile ago? Remember when I told him that he was retarded for not understanding the symbolism?

I have more respect for you than I do for him, and I know that you know better.

It is fine understanding the symbolism - but that still isn't an explanation for symbolic cannibalism, and such a thing hasn't sat well with many throughout history. This is not to say they didn't realise it was symbolic, but it was symbolic of something far from acceptable.

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Then humor me and walk me though it. Why would Jesus us Symbolic cannibalism?

BTW This thread is not meant as an insult. Sometimes I like to make a thread for everyone, even if I understand the subject sufficiently.

http://www.nobeliefs.com/communion/communion.htm

Originally posted by FeceMan
I don't know why Jesus did it, but I've never considered it as symbolic cannibalism (that doesn't mean that it isn't, just that I've never thought of it as such). I suppose that it could stem from the idea that by "taking in God", we become closer to Him; the symbolic "eating" of the flesh and blood of God allows us to become closer to Him. [See flesh-eating bastards in Sin City for a better example.]

http://www.nobeliefs.com/communion/communion.htm

What I find strange is that symbolic cannibalism would have been frond upon by the Jews. So, what culture used symbolic cannibalism, if it wasn’t the Jews?

lol christians

Originally posted by FeceMan
lol christians

I'm talking about before there was Christians. Why did Jesus us Symbolic cannibalism?

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Why does Christianity use symbolic cannibalism in it’s most secret ritiual?

I do not believe that the Sacrament was a "secret" ritual in any manner, there are a number of events that Christ told the Apostles not to divulge due to the sacred nature of the event, these are secret. The Sacrament was given no such restraint.

As to its symbolism, here are the LDS prayers over the sacrament, with a short preface:

D&C 20: 75, 77, 79
75 It is expedient that the church meet together often to partake of bread and wine in the remembrance of the Lord Jesus;
• • •
77 O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this bread to the souls of all those who partake of it, that they may eat in remembrance of the body of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.
• • •
79 O God, the Eternal Father, we ask thee in the name of thy Son, Jesus Christ, to bless and sanctify this wine to the souls of all those who drink of it, that they may do it in remembrance of the blood of thy Son, which was shed for them; that they may witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they do always remember him, that they may have his Spirit to be with them. Amen.

Remembrance is the key here.

For a more lengthy and rather well researched discussion on the subject, here is a paper on the Sacrament from an LDS perspective:

Robert C. Bennion, “That Powerful Ordinance, the Sacrament,” Ensign, June 1975, 30

Here is the link, sorry the url tag didn't work so it'll have to be cut and pasted into the browser:

library.lds.org/nxt/gateway.dll/Magazines/Ensign/1975.htm/ensign%20june%201975.htm/that%20powerful%20ordinance%20the%20sacrament.htm?fn=document-frame.htm$f=templates$3.0

Originally posted by Shakyamunison
Why does Christianity use symbolic cannibalism in it’s most secret ritiual?

Matthew

And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins.

Mark

And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many. And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body. And he took the cup, and when he had given thanks, he gave it to them: and they all drank of it. And he said unto them, This is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many.

Luke

And he took bread, and gave thanks, and brake it, and gave unto them, saying, This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me. Likewise also the cup after supper, saying, This cup is the new testament in my blood, which is shed for you.

John

Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you. Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. For my flesh is meat indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.

Yes. Cannabalism in the Bible is a metaphor for a personal sacrifice to benefit someone else at your expense.