For those of you who do not know what transubstantiation is, it is the sacrament or performance of turning wine and bread into the body and blood of Christ (in reference to his speech at the last supper). Now correct me if i am wrong but the difference between Protestant and Catholic teachings on this is as follows: Protestants: believe that the bread and wine merely REPRESENT the body and blood of christ and so it is an act in which you remember and praise him.
Catholic however believe that the bread and wine LITERAllY turn into the body and blood of christ, this is a major defining feature of the two religions and one of the major factors separating them.
So, realistically if i told the pope to complete the transubstantiation sacrament and then tested the bread and wine to see if it was in fact blood and flesh i am fairl sure it won't be. yet this is a defining feature of Catholocism that the sacrement is not a representation, it LITERALLY turns into the body and blood of christ.
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Not all protestantsVoted for by jonesz12.
You are correct about transubstantiation, Catholics believe that it literally turns into the body and blood. What we still see as bread and wine is called the "accident" in theological terms. The one problem in your thought is that not all protestant religions believe the same thing about the Lord's Supper. One of the most well noted debates in religious history was between Luther and Zwingli (later Luther and Calvin) during the reformation as to if they were teaching their followers the same things. Calvin and Zwingli (now the Reformed Church) followed what you said, saying it was a mere representation, but Luther could not agree with them repeating the words of Christ over and over again "This IS!!" The way that Lutherans (at least the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod which I am part of) describes the Lord's Supper is that the bread and wine are in with and under the body and blood after the words of institution are said. They call this the real presence, not transubstantiation. In Transubstantiation, the bread and wine are lost completely and only the accident of them remains. In the Real Presence, the bread and wine remain in with and under the body and blood. I hope that explains things without too much rambling.
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EucharistVoted for by Mick Lane.
you are correct in your belief in the opinion of Catholic Transubstantiation (which we as Catholics call the sacrament of Eucharist). we as Catholics take Christ's words. "this IS My body" "this IS My blood" literally. He did not say "this is like my body" or "pretend this is my body" he said this "IS". quite a difference there. as to your comment on the testing the sacred species... there have been many events in which the bread and wine have been turned into bleeding human flesh and real human wine. every time they have been scientifically tested and proved to be human flesh and blood, and always of the same type. if you would like any info on any of these events, please let me know, and i will be happy to go and find you a link and send it to you. take care
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It's a METAPHOR, you dope!Voted for by NeferMaatNetjer.
Look, the wine and bread are symbols of Jesus Christ's sacrifice on behalf of mankind, i.e. blood spilled and body broken. the eating of the bread, and drinking of the wine, are SYMBOLIC of accepting Jesus Christ's sacrifice for the atonement of sins.
It is NOT, repeat NOT, the literal body or blood of Christ. If it were, those who partook of the sacriment would be cannibals and vampires!
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