Visitors at Your Service

My church is quite welcoming to non-Christians. We would rather they be around God's people than anywhere else.

To answer one of your questions, it would be a very, very bad idea to participate in the Lord's Supper (i.e. communion). This is not because it might offend anyone, but because the Bible gives very strict warnings that anyone who receives the Lord's Supper unworthily, whether in a state of unrepentance or unbelief, might be afflicted by God and even killed.

awitch said:

LOL...Well that sounds like a pretty important disclaimer the minister could have mentioned when he invited everyone in the congregation to come up for Communion. Wouldn't participating be like Russian roulette?

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Hi, awitch!

Because I'm not attending a church right now, so I can't give a concrete answer, but I believe ideally, they would be as welcome to participate or observe as much as they want. I would also like to think they would be able to ask questions afterwards.

But as far as Communion goes, there is a broad spectrum to how Communion is viewed and what those specific verses in 1 Corinthians mean. So that could explain why you were invited to participate. I don't think the pastor was trying to weed out any potential unbelievers.

I REFUSE to take communion regardless of how much that may anger my parents on the few occasions which I do attend church (maybe once a year of that). I don't care who it offends. I'm not Christian, I refuse to take communion, it would be a waste, mean nothing to me and be an offense to my gods. I don't think you should worry either about offending anyone over not taking communion. If they complain tell them where they can stick their complaints.

sacredsin said:

I REFUSE to take communion regardless of how much that may anger my parents on the few occasions which I do attend church (maybe once a year of that). I don't care who it offends. I'm not Christian, I refuse to take communion, it would be a waste, mean nothing to me and be an offense to my gods. I don't think you should worry either about offending anyone over not taking communion. If they complain tell them where they can stick their complaints.

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Well, this is at least a much better postion than the non-Christian who insists on receiving communion.

arunma said:

Well, this is at least a much better postion than the non-Christian who insists on receiving communion.

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I agree. As a child I was taught to not take communion until after my baptism. Once I was baptized I took it all the time. My parents KNOW I'm not Christian but now they get angry when I DON'T take it? Makes no sense to me really. But I'd rather be true to myself and not waste the sacraments on someone who doesn't put any personal value in it (me) and to my gods.

awitch said:

What happens when someone of a different faith visits your religious services out of curiosity?

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At our church everyone is welcome, we are happy to have people of different faith with us.
Our church is a Romanian church, but we live here in Austria, so we sometimes have services in German, and we invite Austrian people (who are non-believers) to our church.

Would that visitor be welcome/encouraged to participate or would it be rude to patronize your deity by not being sincere when taking part in sacred rites?

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We do not tell them to come to participate with us in prayer or singing for example, but most of them do that of their own. Don't know what the reason is, maybe they are feeling good, or maybe they don't want to attract attention by not participating at our services. But there are also some who are just sitting there watching and listening.
I remember once we had 2 Muslim people with us, they were from Iran I think, husband and wife. The man simply rose during the service and left. His wife went with him, but I think she wanted to stay.

For example, being a neoPagan, I declined Communion at a church service because I thought it would be inappropriate to do so. Thinking back, I wonder if people thought I was being rude for not participating, but no one knew I am not Christian.

I've also been asked to open the Ark and carry the Torah at a Jewish service. I accepted, but worry if it was appropriate to do so, especially since no one knew I was not Jewish.

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Regarding the Lord's Supper, I agree with arunma, it is a very bad idea to participate in it. In all the churches I've been so far, each time the Lord's Supper was offered, the pastor said that only those who were baptised are allowed to participate. The other ones have to sit down, while the ones who participate have to stand. In this way it is easier for the ones who offer the bread and wine to see who does participate and who not. Also if the ones who offer bread and wine see that people who do not belong to the local church want to participate at the Lord's Supper, then they ask those people if they are baptised. And if they say yes, but they belong to another church, then it OK, but if they say no, they are asked to sit down. But I'm sure there are also some who lie regarding this issue, but that is their problem with God then.

I've been baptised (as a baby), but I personally would not take communion unless I considered myself part of the church.


eudaimonia,

Mark

I don't mind non-Buddhist visiting a retreat or temple and taking part in our beliefs as long as they are respectful. If a Christian, or a Muslim or a Jew did this, and some actually do, then that would show them to be of high character and tolerance.

Legion.As.One said:

I think I accidently ate some communion bread when I was younger. I'm not dead yet

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You yourself are saying that you ate it accidently. Obviously you did not know what you were doing there. So I'm sure God won't judge you for that. But people who know what the bread and wine do mean, and still participate in the Lord's Supper unworthily, will be judged for that. And this judgment does not have to be always physical death (see verse 30 in the Bible passage below), the Bible is very clear about that. I will post here the passge which talks about the Lord's Supper so that you can read it and be aware of what you are doing if one day you should be offered to participate in the Lord's Supper/Holy Communion.

1 Corinthians 11:23-32 (NIV)

23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
31But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.
32When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

Beckyy25 said:

1 Corinthians 11:23-32 (NIV)

23For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread,
24and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me."
25In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me."
26For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.
27Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of sinning against the body and blood of the Lord.
28A man ought to examine himself before he eats of the bread and drinks of the cup.
29For anyone who eats and drinks without recognizing the body of the Lord eats and drinks judgment on himself.
30That is why many among you are weak and sick, and a number of you have fallen asleep.
31But if we judged ourselves, we would not come under judgment.
32When we are judged by the Lord, we are being disciplined so that we will not be condemned with the world.

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This quote seems to apply only to believing Christians, not to non-believers. It is a message given to the flock, not to non-Christians.


eudaimonia,

Mark

You have to be involved in some serious rebellion to offend God enough to make you sick, or to die. As a youngster I took communion all the time but was not a Christian, and God did not smite me for it either. There would have to be a very strong presence of God in a place for some one walking off the street to be struck down for unbelief. They would have to witness some mighty miracles. Even Jesus did not strike down people for unbelief after they had seen his miracles. Even after raising the dead. Maybe it is referring to people who know what the truth is but refuse to listen to it. They could know not to be involved in sin, but persist in it anyway. An example of a man who was put to death in the bible is shown below:

Dan 5:22-23 "But you his son, O Belshazzar, have not humbled yourself, though you knew all this. Instead, you have set yourself up against the Lord of heaven. You had the goblets from his temple brought to you, and you and your nobles, your wives and your concubines drank wine from them. You praised the gods of silver and gold, of bronze, iron, wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or understand. But you did not honor the God who holds in his hand your life and all your ways.

He knew all about what God had done but refused to listen, he did not honor God who he knew had worked in his fathers life, and rather worshiped false gods. Only God knows who is worthy of Judgment, but some poor sap who walks off the street into church is not going to be struck with anything for having communion.

Eudaimonist said:

This quote seems to apply only to believing Christians, not to non-believers. It is a message given to the flock, not to non-Christians.


eudaimonia,

Mark

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Sure, I agree. And this also gives a clear answer to non-Christians who wonder whether they should participate in the Lord's Supper. The Lord's Supper is for believers only, not for non-believers. But if you don't know this passage from the Bible, how would you know what to do in such a situation? So for the ones who read this passage, they should know from now on what to do if they encounter such a situation.

awitch said:

I'd just like to add that no ever said anything about my not taking communion, it just felt really awkward since everyone lined up in front at the pulpit and I was the only one who didn't.

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Thats made me nervous before too at my aunts funeral mass (Catholic). I was pleasantly surprised when my father (once in his life) also refused, more so because he refuses to have anything to do with the Catholic church unless its for a funeral. There were many others who also did not take communion luckily. So I feel for you..I at least had people stick around with me in the pews.

I've found that most places I've been are pretty tolerant.

awitch said:

What happens when someone of a different faith visits your religious services out of curiosity?

Would that visitor be welcome/encouraged to participate or would it be rude to patronize your deity by not being sincere when taking part in sacred rites?

For example, being a neoPagan, I declined Communion at a church service because I thought it would be inappropriate to do so. Thinking back, I wonder if people thought I was being rude for not participating, but no one knew I am not Christian.

I've also been asked to open the Ark and carry the Torah at a Jewish service. I accepted, but worry if it was appropriate to do so, especially since no one knew I was not Jewish.

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Well as a Baha'i I don't personally participate in services if it implies say I'm a member of a church..so i don't take communion because I'm not a Christian and if I was asked to open the ark or carry Torah I would explain I'm not a member of the congregation. I don't think anyone would think you were rude for not participating.. I attend services when invited though such as weddings or bar mitzvahs, etc.

In Baha'i Faith we have Feasts every nineteen days and they are supposed to be for Baha'is only ..but if someone were to show up at Feast say innocently not knowing it would not be a problem.. We'd welcome them anyway.. Our Holy days are open to anyone as are our classes and devotional meetings.

- Art