Why is it that so many in the atheist community cannot bring themselves to get past their anger whenever they engage in discussions? The language of many of their contributions in public debate is laced with invective and dripping with sarcasm and bile. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to fall more into the category of being the 'exception that proves the rule' when compared to the hostility of many of today's atheist posters. Comment offered by the theists in the public square is often depicted as being 'malicious' or 'venomous' and intended to enslave the 'feeble minded and weak' by those who post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venom is something that is oriented to death. Christians are oriented in a 180 degree different direction. We speak not to the culture of death that grips our world but rather for the culture of life and light which ends with the gift of eternal life. For example, the Catholic Church in its hum...
I believe the confusing aspects of 'transubstantiation' for many lie in the failure to grasp the understanding of what is meant when it is said that Christ is present physically in the consecrated host. As well as what is meant 'externally and internally.' We hear that God and man is present substantially under the auspices of bread and wine, but it takes a bit more contemplation and reflection than simply finding the definition of those terms to better grasp what is really being propagated. For example ' externally and internally' here do not refer to the external and internal properties of the bread and wine. The external and internal properties of the bread and wine remain and Christ is present in them for only as long as the physical attributes ( Aristotle called them accidents) remain because it is clearly stated that He is present under the appearance of those. He is present substantially means that he cannot be present accidently in any way. There is never a time anywhere in nature where human blood is a property of bread or wine.
ReplyDeleteOnly in transubstantiation can the substance of something be consumed by consuming the physical attributes of another.
There is no possible way to eat the substance of a slice of bread without eating its physical properties ( taste, colour, texture, etc...) The same holds true for carnivores, vegetarians and cannibals.