A cracker is worth death threats and Bill Donahue's involvement? Really, people? Really?

Jesus Christ.

Personally I like to scarf down a box of my personal savior with a spritz of Easy Cheese.

sigh...

One time at mass, after Communion, I leaned over to my wife and whispered, "I'm still hungry." And an elbow to the ribs was my reward. *shakes head*

Not that I'm trying to be an apologist or anything, but is Christian stupidity worth saying something like this?



Hobbes already posted the source.

And FWIW, every article I read on this says something along the lines of "A UCF student claims he’s getting death threats for messing with something sacred."

I'm just sayin'.

Death threats and calls of a hate crime are ridiculous.

But it also helps to understand that Catholics believe in trans-substantiation. That is the belief that after being consecrated during the course of a Mass, the bread and wine are transformed into the body and blood of Christ. Not a representation, not a symbol, but the actual corporeal body and blood of Jesus Christ. It's one of the most sacred mysteries of the faith and also why Catholics hold the "goddamn crackers" with such great reverence.

I'm sure it was either an innocent mistake or a very childish act, and I'm not defending the outlash, but to me it's understandable how upset some people are. Is it worth alleged death threats and Bill Donahue's involvement (Bill's kinda two drops short of a chalice to begin with anyway)? Of course not. Is it more important to them than just a cracker? Yes. And I'd like to think we can be more mature than "they're all a bunch of fukking tards for thinking it is."

I'd hate to see how they reacted if you tried to steal their fries.

I think Jesus would have let the cracker go. Jesus didn't bogart his crackers.

I think Jesus would have advised him to leave the cracker alone. Fucking with religious people's rules doesn't always work out so well for you.



*insert further ironic commentary here*

He'd have said "I'll see your two crackers...and raise you ENOUGH CRACKERS TO FEED A MULTITUDE!"

And then all the Baptists would have lynched him for gambling.

I can just see how the situation went down....


"Jesus Christ, it's just a cracker."

"EXACTLY"

"A cracker? It's just Jesus Christ."

I don't think Jesus was a "Cracker" anyway.

I was waiting on it

Somebody had to. I held out as long as I could...

But is it a kidnapping, a hostage situation, or a hate crime? No. How much more important than a cracker do they have to make it before we can all call them out for their unreasonable behavior relating to their superstition*?

They're all tards.











*In this context, I am not calling "God" or a belief there in a superstition (that's another topic), merely the belief of transubstantiation. And it is. Let's all be clear about that.

It IS unreasonable behavior. Very much so. I'm not saying it isn't. My point was "It's not *just* a cracker to them, but nevertheless they should be more forgiving." I probably didn't emphasize the second half of that sentence enough in my first post but I am now, to be clear. Death threats and claims of a hate crime are WAY uncalled for.



Then I'll just keep my superstition and you can judge me and my intelligence all you like.

There is a #@&%ING WORD for that!?!

Now that is retarded.



On it!

When I was in college, we had a statue of the Virgin Mary that stood on a cinder block amongst the foot-high grass in our front yard. One morning we noticed that someone had stolen it - one of my housemates wanted to put a big sign on the cinder block that read, "PLEASE RETURN OUR VIRGIN" - but I nixed that idea, as I figured the neighbors probably hated us enough...

You didn't know that? Now I bet you feel foolish, having written off religion BEFORE you ever knew about this.

Easy, dude, I didn't make a judgment call. Transubstantiation is the very definition of a superstition, but whether you judge superstitions in your life to be good or bad is your call, and not a sign of intelligence (or lack thereof).

Meh. Just one more shovel full.

Anyone ever notice how Jesus tastes an awful lot like Matzah?

Oh, I guess you wouldn't...

Well, since you're being technical about it, I don't think that superstition is the most accurate word for that particular doctrine. To be sure, there's plenty of stuff out there that would qualify as such, but trans-substantiation (IMO) is a combination of bad theological interpretation + an attempt to keep people in the church.

for those interested

Jesus said in the New Testament that "unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no part with me," and that plus Communion (which started off as just "eating dinner together," they'd eat bread for their appetizer and drink wine as an aperitif) gave someone the idea that the bread and the wine actually were Jesus' flesh and blood. Which is why Communion is so vitally important to Catholics -- eating it every week is how you get your Jesus pill, literally. If you're excommunicated or if you stop going to church, you can't have the Jesus pill and you won't be saved. So go to church and eat your Jesus.

Sorry dude, I jumped the gun. I get what you're saying now.

Peace.

Also, I don't have YouTube here at work, but somebody should post the Dane Cook "Christ Chex" sketch to lighten things up.

su·per·sti·tion (sū'pər-stĭsh'ən) n.

1. An irrational belief that an object, action, or circumstance not logically related to a course of events influences its outcome.

2. A belief, practice, or rite irrationally maintained by ignorance of the laws of nature or by faith in magic or chance.


Regardless of the theistic history of the practice, it fits the definition pretty spot-on, don't you think?

Well, I really don't want to get into a semantic debate over the point. But since just about everything that happens in Christian-land is dependent upon faith in, well, not "magic" per se (lol), but you know, some kind of supernatural thingies, you could call the whole thing a superstition and yet not really get at the specifics of the doctrine in question.

But it's not really worth this --> since if you're not inclined to care about specific doctrines to begin with, then none of it is relevant.

P.S. thanks for showing me how to pronounce it though

Which would be a good move cuz Hobbes pretty much Pwn'd ya.



Thanks for starting that semantic debate you didn't want...

So, is what your saying here that the little parts of a big superstitions are not superstitions because the fall under the purview of one big superstition?

Cuz that really doesn't make much sense. Like at all.



Unless, perchance... it's the WHOLE TOPIC OF THE CONVERSATION.

Just say'n.

I'm really glad that I also have your TF movie discussions to remind me that your religion angst is really just you being an argumentative chode.

to the both of you.

YRLY,

Typically religious discussions between the three of you aren't nearly as entertaining.

Hey, let's get back to talking about how officials of one of the largest religions in the world is arguing that respect for their cracker superstition is more important than how they treat a fellow human being.

What's the point of religion again?

I'm glad I have your dismissive forum inappropriate insults to remind me you, as usual, have no point.

Okay, Spanky.

Maybe not everything I say is meant to be a sword to your heart or whatever, like HA I SHOWED YOU. This isn't highschool debate club or whatever. I mean, Christ, you'd think I was like the Pope or something. I'm not Catholic, ya know. Like, at all.

It is possible to explain a point of view without actually defending or believing in that point of view. But if you want to keep acting like I'm The Face Of Religion On The Internets, then fine.

Um... I didn't say that. I just pointing you frequently resort to the type of flame baiting posts your supposed to police when you run out of things to say.

Believe me, I don't think you represent anything.

Yeah, I do flame-bait sometimes.

Ok, Then fair is fair, I'm a dick, if I start flamebaiting can I be an Admin?

Hey, I didn't pick me.

So do I dare open up the Pandora's box that this discussion inevitably leads to - Why do Catholics endorse cannibalism?


And on a similar but not quite related note - One of my Christian Friends once explained to me that Catholicism is what happens when you put ritual over relationship with Christ.

Only if we get to ask you what your position is on eating Jesus.

Funny you should mention that, because when Jesus made those comments about eating his flesh and drinking his blood, a bunch of people who had been following him were like "WTF" and left. I think that's the impression those people came away with as well. (And of course with their religious law being so much about "OMG don't drink blood" and such, that would have been extra repulsive to them.) Not to tie the words of Jesus directly to Catholic theology or anything, though. There's a long and winding path that gets you from point A to point B with that.

but I basically agree with your earlier assessment - its a bunch of bogus crap to ensure that the uneducated and desperate will show up every Sunday to get their "jeebus pill" because Jesus's message wasn't about GOD loves EVERYBODY or anything was it....

And I don't get PC's comment at all....

Luke 22:19
And when He had taken some bread and given thanks, He broke it and gave it to them, saying, "This is My body which is given for you; do this in remembrance of Me."

And the disciples spoke, saying, "Lord, what is a metaphor?"

FIX--no, wait...

To be fair to them and all - Jeebus never spoke in metaphor before.
All his talk of saplings and fish was literal.

Yeah, I'm not so sure where the whole "actually has molecular changes where the unleavened bread becomes human flesh" thing comes from.

My uncle is a preacher. For the longest time he wouldn't drink alcohol. Then one day he says to my dad, he says, "Hey, you got any beers? I found this one that I like..." My dad, who drinks beer from time to time, raised an eyebrow. "Well," my uncle says, "I've done a lot of research and read through the bible a few times and I can't find ANYTHING that says definitively that you shouldn't drink."

I like to think that he has "the calling."

or maybe he just has "the ability to read"

It's amazing how people perpetuate "spiritual" bullshit that isn't even endorsed by their religious text (quite the opposite is true in many cases).

Metaphor INDEED

We forgot the communion elements for our wedding, so my wife and I drank the sweet tea of Jesus' blood and the expired corn chips of His body (what happened to be nearby).

Srsly - you'd think that people were oblivious to Christ's message and stuff... but by all means worship the saltines if that's what's important to you.

I think that the "worshipping of the saltines" help some people feel that they have a closer relationship for God.

I haven't set foot inside a church house (other than for funerals) for almost 9 years, and I don't think its really had a detrimental effect on my spiritual health (hanging out at TFans, on the other hand...)

However, if eating a cracker and drinking some wine (It was grape juice in my church) makes you feel closer to the Big Guy, mo' power to ya, I say.