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"He was not asking them to begin gnawing on his literal flesh but on the bread."

Exactly what I said before, thanks for finally seeing it the Catholic way. The bread became the substantial form of Christ's body as soon as He said: "this is my body"; at which time Christ instituted His doctrine of His Real Presence in the bread and wine that He blessed, (consecrated).

As I have already proved this doctrine through the well documented historical fact of Roman persecution of early Christians for "cannibalism", (their belief they were truly eating the body and blood of Jesus Christ in the Eucharist), and through the even better documented writings of the earliest Christian bishops and Saints on the subject, I shall not return to documented secular history and well recorded Christian tradition again. Such irrefutable evidence has always been overlooked and swept under the rug of denial by Luther's legion of Protestants, Fundamentalists and other heretics, you are no exception. In this regard, it is time to shake the dust off my sandals and leave you to your own devices, (which, by the way, is where your "faith" lies, in yourself. True faith lies in the belief of something outside of your rational thought).

"The Bible never says the bread changed into his body. Most rational people would take his offer to mean that the bread represents the body they saw standing before them."

On the contrary, the Bible is loaded with verses that reveal the consecrated bread and wine of the Eucharist do indeed become for us the body and blood of Jesus Christ.

"(1). The cup of blessing which we bless, is it not a participation in the blood of Christ? The bread which we break, is it not a participation in the body of Christ? (1 Corintians 10: 15-16)

(2). "I am the living bread which came down from heaven; if any one eats of this bread, he will live for ever; and the bread which I shall give for the life of the world is my flesh." (John 6: 51).

(3). "At this time, the Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, "How can this man give us his flesh to eat?" So Jesus said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, unless you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, you have no life in you"; (John 6: 52-52)

(4). "For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him". (John 6:55-56).

(5). "Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and broke it, and gave it to the disciples and said, "Take, eat; this is my body". And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying,"Drink of it, all of you; for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins." (Mathew 26: 26-28)

SAINT PAUL EXPLAINS THE DOCTRINE OF THE EUCHARIST, AND GIVES SEVERE WARNING THOSE WHO DO NOT DISCERN THE BODY OF THE LORD IN THE EUCHARIST

"For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lords death until he comes. Whoever, therefore, eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of profaning the body and blood of the Lord. Let a man examine himself, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For any one who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment upon himself". (1 Corinthians 11: 26-29)

Now, you must ask yourself, how can a man sin greviously by profaning the body and blood of Jesus Christ if the consecrated bread and wine are merely "symbolic" of His body and blood? Nowhere in any of Paul's discourses, or Christ's words, do we see the Eucharist reduced to a mere symbol. On the contrary, It is repeatedly referred to as the "body and blood" of Jesus, "the bread of life", "the blood of the Convenant", and It is reverently approached as the most sanctified Holy of Holies by Paul as you just read, (above).

Indeed, so holy is the Eucharist that you must approach and recieve It only after examining your conscience, and receive It "worthily", or else you literally profane it. (1 Corinthians 11:29).

Go ahead and continue to pray to Mary and eat your god, and I'll continue to pray to God through Christ and worship and trust in my God. This thread was originally posted by and for Protestants. You crashed into the thread attacking Luther and calling as many vile names as you could. If he were all those things, it would not affect my faith, because I don't follow a man, I follow Christ. But its funny how Catholics go on the attack on FR, then when Protestants respond we are called anti-Catholic bigots. Rome had a virtual monopoly as long as she could [1] Keep the Bible from the masses in their language, and [2] Intimidate secular governments into acting as their armies to torture and slaughter as many Protestants as they could get their hands on.

Thankfully, because of the abuses their forefathers suffered in Europe, Americas founders began the United States as a nation giving religious freedom and allowing the right to keep and bear arms. I am glad that you and I both have the freedom to worship as we choose. In a few years we'll meet the real Holy Father and the real Pontifex Maximus, the only mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus, in heaven. At least those who are trusting in Him, and not a church, a man, or their own supposed good works will. I pray that all who read these threads will be ready when that time comes.