NBC Show Blasphemes Communion Host

NewsMax ^ | 2/24/05 | Carl Limbacher

[wagglebee]

An episode of the NBC sitcom "Committed,” featuring two characters who flush a Communion wafer down a toilet, has created a firestorm of protest among Catholics.

During the February 22 broadcast, two non-Catholics are mistakenly given Holy Communion at a Catholic funeral Mass. As recounted by the Catholic League:

"Nate, who is Jewish, and Bowie, a Protestant, don’t know what to do with the Eucharist, so they make several failed attempts to get rid of it. For example, they try slipping it into the pocket of a priest, dropping it on a tray of cheese and crackers, etc.

"At one point, the priest, who is portrayed as not knowing the difference between the Host and a cracker, goes to grab the 'cracker' from a tray of appetizers; he initially balks when he discovers that it is the last one. Then he changes his mind, saying, "Oh, what the hell.”

"By far the most offensive scene occurs when Nate and Bowie accidentally flush what they think is the Host down the toilet."

Catholic League President William Donahue is demanding that NBC apologize.

"To say that Catholics are angry about this show would be an understatement - the outrage is visceral and intense," he said Thursday.

"NBC has made a direct frontal assault on Roman Catholicism, choosing to mock, trivialize and ridicule the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ," Donahue added. "More than an apology is needed. This episode should be retired for good, and that is what we will demand.”

[bd476]

Okay. :)

[Guyin4Os]

At the moment of the Consecration it BECOMES the Body of Jesus. He IS present. It is not as though they are treating merely a symbol this way, no they are taking the actual one and only Redeemer

It is merely a communion wafer. Jesus won't be leaving the right hand of the Father until he returns to earth to establish the very real and very present kingdom on earth. The wafer is not Jesus. The church has been fooling you all these years.

[Guyin4Os]

But this was a consecrated host that they supposedly received during Communion.

It wasn't consecrated. He wasn't a real priest, there wasn't a real mass and there was no real communion. It was a wafer dood. It was an act.... a tee vee show.

[Guyin4Os]

it's like saying you think flushing your God down the toilet is ok

The Lord of Heaven and Earth is mightier and more powerful than anyone who tries to flush him down the toilet. If the wafer can't protect itself from such a thing, it is unlikely that said wafer is the omnipotent being some of you seem to be claiming it to be.

[Guyin4Os]

When Jesus said "this is my body" he was using the same figure of speech he used when he said "I am the door." Jesus frequently used metaphors and similes in his teaching. The silly little wafer is no more God than Jesus was made out of wood, hinges and had a knob.

Jesus was basically saying that the passover supper which previously symbolized the redemption of Israel from Egypt now symbolizes the redemption of the believer. Jesus sacrificed himself. His body was broken for us. It was done one time.. finis.... tetelestai... it is complete. There no longer remains a need to sacrifice him over and over. One time was enough. The wafer isn't God, folks. To say that the wafer IS God is tantamount to idolatry.

[bd476]

Catholic League
For Religious and Civil Rights

NEWS RELEASE

February 24, 2005

NBC-TV SHOW ANGERS CATHOLICS NATIONWIDE

During the February 22 episode of the NBC-TV sitcom, “Committed,” two non-Catholics are mistakenly given Holy Communion at a Catholic funeral Mass. Nate, who is Jewish, and Bowie, a Protestant, don’t know what to do with the Eucharist, so they make several failed attempts to get rid of it. For example, they try slipping it into the pocket of a priest, dropping it on a tray of cheese and crackers, etc.

At one point, the priest, who is portrayed as not knowing the difference between the Host and a cracker, goes to grab the “cracker” from a tray of appetizers; he initially balks when he discovers that it is the last one. Then he changes his mind, saying, “Oh, what the hell.” By far the most offensive scene occurs when Nate and Bowie accidentally flush what they think is the Host down the toilet.

Catholic League president William Donohue commented on this today:

“It’s been quite a while since we’ve been deluged with as many complaints as this episode of ‘Committed’ fielded. To say that Catholics are angry about this show would be an understatement—the outrage is visceral and intense. The complaints have come from bishops, college chaplains, pastors and the laity, and they have come from all over the country. With good reason: NBC has made a direct frontal assault on Roman Catholicism, choosing to mock, trivialize and ridicule the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ.

“What happened was deliberate. According to a January 2 story in the Cincinnati Enquirer, the writers for the series, Eileen Heisler and DeAnn Heline, have been encouraged by NBC executives ‘to push the limits of comedy.’ For obvious reasons, the writers of ‘Roseanne,’ ‘Murphy Brown’ and ‘Ellen’ chose not to push the buttons of homosexuals (or some other protected group), so they decided to play it safe and stay in good standing with their bosses by bashing Catholics.

“More than an apology is needed. This episode should be retired for good, and that is what we will demand.”

NBC-TV SHOW ANGERS CATHOLICS NATIONWIDE

The Catholic League is the nation's largest Catholic civil rights organization. It defends individual Catholics and the institutional Church from defamation and discrimination.

[bd476]

Guy, please research before you argue for or against someone else's religious beliefs.

If you are not a Christian, then a good place to begin is the Holy Bible, beginning with Matthew.

If you are a Christian and have read the Holy Bible, a well rounded education in historical Christian theology is a good beginning.

Making errant accusations about another denomination or religion's teachings and beliefs is hurtful to others and to you as well.

Some thoughts:

Q. What is the inward and spiritual grace given in the Eucharist?

A. The inward and spiritual grace in the Holy Communion is the Body and Blood of Christ give to his people, and received by faith.

Q. What are the benefits which we receive in the Lord's Supper?

A. The benefits we receive are the forgiveness of our sins, the strengthening of our union with Christ and one another, and the foretaste of the heavenly banquet which is our nourishment in eternal life.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Here's a short history on transubstantiation of the Holy Eucharist:

St. Thomas Aquinas (c. 1225-1274) is credited with the doctrine of transubstantiation. Using categories taken from Aristotle, Thomas argued that even though the Eucharistic elements look and taste like bread and wine, they undergo a structural change. His explanation became the normative teaching in Roman Catholic theology..."

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Jesus Christ by his own will once changed water into wine at Cana in Galilee. So why should we not believe that he can change wine into blood?. . . We should therefore have full assurance that we are sharing in the body and blood of Christ. For in the type of bread, his body is given to you, and in the type of wine, his blood is given to you, so that by partaking of the body and blood of Christ you may become of one body and one blood with him.

- Cyril of Jerusalem, Catechetical Lectures given to those preparing for baptism, 350 A.D.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

John of Damascus in the early 8th century affirms the real presence, and suggests we must consider it a mystery, something beyond our understanding:

And now you ask how the bread becomes the body of Christ, and the wine and the water become the blood of Christ. I shall tell you. The Holy Spirit comes upon them, and achieves things which surpass every word and thought... Let it be enough for you to understand that this takes place by the Holy Spirit.

- John of Damascus, (665-749)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

.6. The Holy Eucharist as the Real Presence of Jesus

3.6.1. The Mystery of the "Real Presence of Jesus" in the Eucharist

We affirm that the body and blood of Christ are "truly present" in the Eucharist, that the flesh of Christ is in some way "life-giving." But how can this be? This is a matter of continued theological speculation, but ultimately remains a mystery.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

St. Augustine's description is still an apt description of the mystery of the real presence of Jesus in the Eucharist.

“That which you see is bread and the cup, which even your eyes declare to you; but as to that in which your faith demands instruction, the bread is the body of Christ, the cup is the blood of Christ. . . these things are called sacraments for this reason, that in them one thing is seen, another thing is understood.”

- St. Augustine of Hippo (b. 354)

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Transubstantiation

[muawiyah]

I thought the Catholic vote for "W" was about half, not "overwhelming".

Still, it must be admitted many Catholics continue to be "voted" in the blue states and are totally unaware of which lever was pulled on their behalf.

With the new voting systems there's less and less chance of this happening, of course.

[AnAmericanMother]

No, there's a big difference between an individual holding oneself up as "better" or "holier" than another individual, and confining a particular ritual to those who believe in it.

As I said, I don't think my Mormon acquaintances are putting on a "holier than thou" attitude or trying to put me down because I'm not allowed into a Temple sanctuary. They are simply abiding by the rules of their religion.

If we follow your reasoning, then any church that refuses fellowship to an out-and-out unrepentant atheist is "holier than thou" -- "no rules - anything goes" . . . and isn't that exactly the type of thinking that has gotten the Episcopal Church into such trouble?

[AnAmericanMother]

The problem with saying "oh - it's just fiction" is that ALL theater and film is "just fiction". But it attempts to represent real life and always has. That old "suspension of disbelief" thing.

If it's "just fiction", why worry about violent and pornographic movies and their effects on people? Why bother to try to shield ones family from a deteriorating culture? After all, it's just actors and it isn't real.

[Cronos]

The Lord of Heaven and Earth is mightier and more powerful than anyone who tries to flush him down the toilet. If the wafer can't protect itself from such a thing, it is unlikely that said wafer is the omnipotent being some of you seem to be claiming it to be.

Now repeat that sentence saying that the Lord of Heaven and Earth is mightier and more powerful than anyone who tries to crucify him and scorn him. You then sound like the criminal who doubted Him.

[wagglebee]

According to the article, the Host was received by the characters DURING a funeral mass. Therefore, the logical conclusion is that the Eucharist HAD been blessed and transubstantiation HAD occurred and IT WAS THE BODY OF CHRIST.

[Pippin]

Disgusting!

[mike182d]

So, if I drew a picture of an American Flag on a piece of paper and burned it, that would be acceptable because it wasn't a real American flag?

[mike182d]

Funny, that's exactly the same thing all the disciples who left Jesus said: John 6:52-66.

Actually, interesting side note, the only verse in the Bible with the numbers "666" (John 6:66) details followers of Christ leaving because they couldn't accept the teaching of having to eat the flesh and blood of Christ.

Mark of the best? :-)

[mike182d]

Sorry, I meant "beast" not "best" :-)

[Theo]

Shocking! -- pagans acting like pagans.

[eddie willers]

Apparently, among other things I did not know about Catholics, is what thin skins some have.

I sure hope you never watched The Dukes of Hazzard or laughed at Smokey and the Bandit, No Time For Sergeants, Petticoat Junction, Beverly Hillbillies or anything else that portrays southerners as anything other than the urbane dandies that is our true face.

[ladyjane]

Apparently, among other things I did not know about Catholics, is what thin skins some have.

Apparently, among other things I did not know about Southerners, is how intolerant and insensitive some of them are.