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But not everybody is cast outside.
Christ did not include any but followers of his at the Lord's Supper.
What do you call Judas?
At the time, he was a follower of Jesus. Not a particularly good one, but one nonetheless.
Communion demands a preparation on the communicant's part. To eat unworthily is to be in disharmony with the meal. Should a person come to Communion as they'd go to any other meal, considering themselves to be merely eating bread and drinking wine, if they feel neither desire for God's grace nor commitment to participate in the holy feast, then such a person will be guilty of disrespecting Christ's body and blood. Their guilt will consist in their hindering God's grace in the Sacrament.
And as a Lutheran, I believe God makes followers through the sacraments. If we choose to reject the grace God gives us, that is our responsibility. But to not offer it in the first place doesn't really make sense.
Furthermore, how is a priest supposed to mark out who is and is not an atheist or true follower? I think that's something only God should judge in the end.
As you are a Lutheran, you might be interested in these words from the LCMS, "Rather, he (the pastor) is to instruct, admonish, and invite to (or bar from) the Sacrament in accordance with biblical and confessional teaching about the Sacrament." - Admission to the Lord's Supper.
I don't know about Catholics, but I think it's the same as with us. We don't serve communion at funerals or weddings. We serve it at the worship service where it is the centerpiece of the service - the reason you come.A funeral or a wedding where all of one's closest family and friends are gathered. Depending on personal circumstances, the atheist's beliefs may not be known, and there may even be compelling personal reasons for the atheist to keep her beliefs concealed, for the moment. Given her upbringing, it is generally expected that, given the option of communion, she will partake; there are no known reasons—among anyone gathered—for her to refuse to partake and any refusal would certainly be a source of gossip, if not condemnation.
I do not belong to the Missouri Synod, though. I belong to the ELCA, and we regard these policies as determined by the local congregation. At my own church, we have communion open to all the baptized, and this is a point I disagree with the pastor, because I believe it is Jesus table, and he doesn't turn people away.
Ah, the ELCA. That explains a lot.
Yeah, the LCMS was always a no-go for me. I am not fond of religious fundamentalism or the misogyny implicit in their views of ministry.
So does the agnostic receive communion ?I don't know about Catholics, but I think it's the same as with us. We don't serve communion at funerals or weddings. We serve it at the worship service where it is the centerpiece of the service - the reason you come.
For anyone to receive scorn or condemnation is unimaginable in my experience. There's a young guy at my church, he's agnostic, he often comes with his mom who is Christian. He's a nice guy, helps out with things that need doing. When everyone recites the Nicence creed aloud, he does not. He won't say "I believe..." something he does not believe, and I completely respect that. He's respectful of everyone else, and everyone's respectful of him.
Wasn't there a parable of a King who took an unworthy man out of his table?
Christ did not include any but followers of his at the Lord's Supper.
Who among us is to decide on behalf of Christ who is unworthy to be at Christ's table when *only* Christ knows the heart?
That's why Catholics have confession, and if someone would be a follower of Christ, he or she would convertHow do we determine who is a true follower of Christ? If we must turn away all the atheists, then must we not also turn away all the nominal Christians?
Communion is not a matter of judging anyone "worthy" or "unworthy" by any standards by which we'd rather be egalitarian.
This is a matter of a person's own confession of commitment to the Body of Christ.
The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not the communion of the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not the communion of the body of Christ?
For we being many are one bread, and one body: for we are all partakers of that one bread.
...
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me.
After the same manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, this cup is the new testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me.
For as often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord's death till he come.
How can someone honestly participate in this communion with those around him if he denies being a member of that communing Body?
That's like inviting someone to take the oath of enlistment into the military--but not for "realsies."
That's why Catholics have confession, and if someone would be a follower of Christ, he or she would convert
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