This Is My Body: Part I

Ryan's first question:

I'm particularly interested in the personal affective response of Protestants, in particular you personally, to Catholic belief in Christ's real presence in the Eucharist. That I mean is, if Protestants were to suspend disbelief for a moment and ty to imagine that what Catholics believe about the Eucharist is true, what would Protestants be personally feeling and thinking about it? (I feel like I am explaining myself clumsily, yet I'm not sure how to say it better.)

I'm afraid I can't speak for Protestants, but only for this Protestant.

So, if I assumed the Eucharist to be true, what would my thoughts be?

Well, my first thought would be on reconciling scripture to it. There are parts of scripture which I believe contradict the Catholic understanding of the Eucharist. My first thought would be, "Can I interpret this in a way that doesn't break the rules of interpretation while supporting my new understanding of communion?" I know that answer probably betrays the part about suspending disbelief, but that's how my brain works.

Unfortunately, overcoming that barrier would be difficult. There are verses that make the Catholic doctrines regarding salvation and the Eucharist very difficult to reconcile together. For example:

John 6 is probably the central passage of discussion when it comes to Eucharistic debate. In verse 53, Jesus says, "I tell you the solemn truth, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in yourselves." (NET) Now, Catholics generally argue (at least, those that I've discussed the issue with) that the relevant passages of John 6 have Christ referring to the Eucharist. But this is a problem, given verse 53. Catholics also teach that Protestants are Christians, that they are part of the Church (separated, but still subject to her). Verse 53 seems to indicate, though, that if a person does not consume Christ, the Eucharist by Catholic interpretation, that a person can have no eternal life.

So then . . . how does a Protestant find salvation? Most of the major Protestant denominations reject the idea of transubstantiation (The Episcopal Church is the only one I can think of that does not). I have heard many Catholics give strange "loop-hole" type explanations as to how one can still be saved without partaking in transformed Eucharist, but this only seems to avoid Jesus telling us "the solemn truth."

What are my final thoughts on what I would think? Well, once I finished wrestling with doctrinal and denominational issues (for I would have to join a church that supported my newfound position), I'd be excited about the prospect of being able to have a literal, physical interaction with the living God, my very savior.

But I suppose that only further deepens the mystery.