Sin: Not a Reason to Refuse Communion

JSRG said:

The problem is you made the claim it was a "truly pagan" holiday despite the fact it comes from a Christian holiday. I'll definitely say that the modern Halloween celebration (at least in the US) has diverged considerably from the original All Hallows' Eve and at this point is basically completely secular, but the same thing can be said for Valentine's Day, which has essentially nothing to do with the saint nowadays and is just a holiday emphasizing romance. But this introduction of romance (contrary to what some fundamentalists might claim) has nothing to do with paganism, given that the holiday only started to have that association in the 14th century.

Halloween might be a completely secular celebration at this point, but it's not pagan.


While it's a popular claim that the Mexican Day of the Dead was some kind of syncretism with an Aztec celebration, looking a bit into it, the accuracy of this claim is disputed in academia, with some asserting it's really just a relatively modern rebranding of previous customs derived from Spain in an effort to feel more uniquely Mexican. Unfortunately, it seems most of the relevant literature is in Spanish.

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JSRG said:

The problem is you made the claim it was a "truly pagan" holiday despite the fact it comes from a Christian holiday. I'll definitely say that the modern Halloween celebration (at least in the US) has diverged considerably from the original All Hallows' Eve and at this point is basically completely secular, but the same thing can be said for Valentine's Day, which has essentially nothing to do with the saint nowadays and is just a holiday emphasizing romance. But this introduction of romance (contrary to what some fundamentalists might claim) has nothing to do with paganism, given that the holiday only started to have that association in the 14th century.

Halloween might be a completely secular celebration at this point, but it's not pagan.


While it's a popular claim that the Mexican Day of the Dead was some kind of syncretism with an Aztec celebration, looking a bit into it, the accuracy of this claim is disputed in academia, with some asserting it's really just a relatively modern rebranding of previous customs derived from Spain in an effort to feel more uniquely Mexican. Unfortunately, it seems most of the relevant literature is in Spanish.

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The Liturgist said:

I don’t think our friend @bbbbbbb was not in any way referring to the formal Christian feast of All Saints. The Eastern Orthodox observe this same feast on the Sunday after Pentecost, because we celebrate the Holy Trinity on Pentecost Sunday together with the descent of the Holy Spirit, and we also have a liturgy on Holy Spirit Monday, and of course, it is a very festive time, and one of the few times in the year along with Palm Sunday where our clergy wear green vestments (the default color is gold, or red for apostles, martyrs and the Cross, blue for the Blessed Virgin Mary and the Angels, Purple for Saturdays and Sundays in Lent, Black for weekdays in Lent, and White for feasts of our Lord such as Pascha, Christmas and the Transfiguration).

Needless to say we don’t dress up as ghosts on the Saturday after Pentecost.

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bbbbbbb said:

Thank you. That is quite true regarding my views.

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Dan Perez said:

And what is called the LORD'S SUPPER is only found in Matt 26:28 and 29 and CAN NOT used today as Christ says to the disciples , I will NOT // ME is a DISJUNCATIVE PARTICLE NEGATIVE , and that means Christ will neverrrrrrrrrr drink UNTIL it new with you in my Father's KINGDOM , PERIOD !!

The only other verses are in 1 Cor 11: 4-34 and if anyone breaks rules , verse 30 many are SICK , and a considerable number are being put to DEATH ,

dan p

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Dan Perez said:

And what is called the LORD'S SUPPER is only found in Matt 26:28 and 29 and CAN NOT used today as Christ says to the disciples , I will NOT // ME is a DISJUNCATIVE PARTICLE NEGATIVE , and that means Christ will neverrrrrrrrrr drink UNTIL it new with you in my Father's KINGDOM , PERIOD !!

The only other verses are in 1 Cor 11: 4-34 and if anyone breaks rules , verse 30 many are SICK , and a considerable number are being put to DEATH ,

dan p

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FireDragon76 said:

I think Paul's notion of unworthy reception is really about sins against fellowship and good order, not the notion that one should be overly scrupulous about the sacrament, given the overall context surrounding it.

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Presbyterian Continuist said:

Our struggle with our sinfulness is the exact reason why we should come and be involved in Communion. It is there that we confess our sinfulness in line with 1 John 1:8-10, and acknowledge that the broken body of the Lord makes us whole, and that the shed blood brings forgiveness and cleanses us from all unrighteousness.

To withhold Communion from someone perceived to have sinned is to block them from the body and blood of the Lord and to say that their particular sin is unforgiveable, which is inconsistent with the Scripture: "All sin and iniquity shall be forgiven of men", and "There is forgiveness with Thee that Thou mayest be feared." Receiving Communion with a sincere heart toward God is a significant form of repentance.

What brings a curse is where a person makes light of the Lord's Supper, as some of the Corinthians did, by being gluttons and getting drunk with the wine. This is when the Lord's Supper in the early church was more of a fellowship meal than what we have today as a wafer or bit of bread and a small cup of wine. Also, one needs to examine oneself to ensure that they are truly repentant when they come to the Lord's Table and not deceitfully holding on to a favourite sin, otherwise they could be receiving the Communion in an hypocritical manner.

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MarkRohfrietsch said:

Churches that hold the real presence and follow Scripture regarding the the promises and admonitions regarding the Sacrament have and still do restrict reception to those in fellowship; likewise those who are steadfastly unrepentant in sin are excommunicated to encourage repentance and to protect them from unworthy reception. This is nothing new to Orthodox, Catholic and Confessional Lutherans.

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Dan Perez said:

And I only seen 2 verses that speak about communion , called the Lords supper !!

One in Matt 26:26-29 !!

and the other In 1 Cor 11:20-25 !!

And what does 1 JOHN 1:8 have to do with that verse ??

dan p

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Doug Brents said:

A couple of points that should be made here:
1. The Lord's Supper is also found in Mark 14, Luke 22, and 1 Cor 11.
2. Jesus' Kingdom started at His resurrection. Thus, He could have partaken of the cup again with His disciples after His resurrection, as they were then in His Kingdom.

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