I am an Anglican and to address what Melody has experienced I would say I am shocked. At my church during communion my priest specifically says to the congregation that ANY baptized individual of any denomination is free to come up and take communion. I have never personally heard a priest say only Anglicans would be allowed to take communion. In respect to the topic Anglicans vs. Roman Catholic I don't believe this is an issue. We the Anglicans broke off from the Roman Catholics some centuries ago because King Henry the VIII wanted a divorce from his wife which Catholics do not allow. This was before our time and I resent my denomination being attacked. I don't know what Anglican church you attended the funeral at Melody but I just can't see that comment being made by any of our priests.:hot:

You shouldnt have to be baptized to take communion. You should be saved and living a Christian life which ultimatly should include baptism.

Very Interesting Topic. I never knew that the Catholics and Anglicans viewed Communion like this. Being a Baptist, I know that the unsaved should not part take in communion, period! But I never knew that Catholics only communed with Catholics!
Aren't we ALL ONE BODY IN CHRIST? I note with confusion and intrigue, though how elaborate the communion ceremonies are at both churches.
Lets look at the FIRST Communion ceremony, Jesus and his disciples were eating the passover feast. When they were almost finished, Jesus took a loaf of bread, broke it, gave thanks and said" This is my body broken for you, do this in rememberance of me." Likewise he did the same with the cup of wine.
NO WHERE in any of the Gospels does this ceremony involve the burning of inscence, lighting of candles, wine mixing, chantings, etc.
I still however, do not part take in communion at either church, not because of principle- but because of all those people drinking from the same cup! Can you say BACKWASH! More than wine does end up in that cup lol!

You shouldnt have to be baptized to take communion. You should be saved and living a Christian life which ultimatly should include baptism.

Partaking in Communion is done by members of the faithfull/congregation. To be one of the faithfull/congregation, a person has to be baptized. So therefore, if someone should have a place at Communion he or she needs to first be baptized.

Partaking in Communion is done by members of the faithfull/congregation. To be one of the faithfull/congregation, a person has to be baptized. So therefore, if someone should have a place at Communion he or she needs to first be baptized.


I understand the doctrine of the Catholic Church but several things leap to mind.

1) Were the disciples of Jesus ever baptized?

2) Is Communion the Church's feast or is it Jesus'?

The problem with doctrine as preached by some Anglicans, Catholics and even Pentecostals, is that their message divides and does not unite. In my mind communion is the Lord's Supper; an opportunity for the followers of Christ to eat his flesh and drink his blood as a symbol of their love and devotion to him and also as a symbloic promise to live life on earth for him and thereby giving life to the world. Something that heavy of course must have its guidelines, which in my mind do not necessarily have to be partnered with baptism or confirmation. Priests and Pastors should advise the congregation of the weight of the act and remind that those who do trivially do so at their peril (as pronounced in scripture). Baptism and confirmation do not ensure that the heart of the supplicant is right and if you read scripture and the life of Jesus, he truly endeavoured to fight religious rites as they always lead people to live legalistic lifestyles and NOT life's that truly follow HIM.

Aren't we ALL ONE BODY IN CHRIST? I note with confusion and intrigue, though how elaborate the communion ceremonies are at both churches.
Lets look at the FIRST Communion ceremony, Jesus and his disciples were eating the passover feast. When they were almost finished, Jesus took a loaf of bread, broke it, gave thanks and said" This is my body broken for you, do this in rememberance of me." Likewise he did the same with the cup of wine.
NO WHERE in any of the Gospels does this ceremony involve the burning of inscence, lighting of candles, wine mixing, chantings, etc.
I still however, do not part take in communion at either church, not because of principle- but because of all those people drinking from the same cup! Can you say BACKWASH! More than wine does end up in that cup lol!
In many ways we are serving “One God” but I cannot say that we are of one body. I believe that fellow Catholics are of "One body".

That is a loaded statement. Your description from the bible about the first communion celebration is right. The bible says that exactly. BUT fundamentalists Christians accept that exactly that way you say it. But Roman Catholics do not interpret the bible as so simple.

Catholics view the bible through a complete worldview. You cannot expect for a news report to report every single detail of an event and even if the reporter attempts to do it, someone would disagree or see it differently.

I guess you have to hold fast to your experience and you faith and believe you me; Catholics have and can bear witness to their belief in their Eucharist celebration “communion” commonly called the Mass.

I understand the doctrine of the Catholic Church but several things leap to mind.
1) Were the disciples of Jesus ever baptized?
2) Is Communion the Church's feast or is it Jesus'?
The problem with doctrine as preached by some Anglicans, Catholics and even Pentecostals, is that their message divides and does not unite. In my mind communion is the Lord's Supper; an opportunity for the followers of Christ to eat his flesh and drink his blood as a symbol of their love and devotion to him and also as a symbloic promise to live life on earth for him and thereby giving life to the world. Something that heavy of course must have its guidelines, which in my mind do not necessarily have to be partnered with baptism or confirmation. Priests and Pastors should advise the congregation of the weight of the act and remind that those who do trivially do so at their peril (as pronounced in scripture). Baptism and confirmation do not ensure that the heart of the supplicant is right and if you read scripture and the life of Jesus, he truly endeavoured to fight religious rites as they always lead people to live legalistic lifestyles and NOT life's that truly follow HIM.

1) I don't remember anything in the Bible stating that the disciples were baptized, unless we count the Holy Spirit coming down on them sometime after Jesus death-- that would be a more real/less symbolic induction into christianity than the baptism that involves water.

2) Communion could possibly be a little of both. The church continues on what Jesus started.


Yes, Jesus did condemn the philistines for being being overly focused on rites as if doing so would bring eternal reward: an underlying lesson to be learned was to not get overly focused on rites, but to also get out and deal with what is going on in the world.