52 The Jews then disputed among themselves, saying, “How can this man give us his flesh to eat?” 53 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; 54 he who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up at the last day. 55 For my flesh is food indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56 He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood abides in me, and I in him. 57 As the living Father sent me, and I live because of the Father, so he who eats me will live because of me. 58 This is the bread which came down from heaven, not such as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live for ever.” 59 This he said in the synagogue, as he taught at Caper′na-um.
66 After this many of his disciples drew back and no longer went about with him. 67 Jesus said to the twelve, “Do you also wish to go away?”
Jesus did not say ... Wait, don't leave! I was only speaking symbolically!
Why did you leave out all those verses between 59 and 66? Instead of trying to make the Scripture say what one thinks it is saying, let it actually say what Jesus said:
60 On hearing it, many of his disciples said, “This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?”
61 Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you? 62 Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before! 63 The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life. 64 Yet there are some of you who do not believe.” For Jesus had known from the beginning which of them did not believe and who would betray him. 65 He went on to say, “This is why I told you that no one can come to me unless the Father has enabled them.”
66 From this time many of his disciples turned back and no longer followed him.
67 “You do not want to leave too, do you?” Jesus asked the Twelve. 68 Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. 69 We have come to believe and to know that you are the Holy One of God.” 70 Then Jesus replied, “Have I not chosen you, the Twelve? Yet one of you is a devil!” 71 (He meant Judas, the son of Simon Iscariot, who, though one of the Twelve, was later to betray him.)
There is a context for why the people were leaving. It was NOT, as Catholics insist because Jesus said something they didn't understand or that repulsed them, but because he said some of the followers were not true believers and one would even betray him. THAT is why they left! It says it right there in the verses conveniently left out of the story. Now why would people want to do that?
The thread title insists that it is "all or nothing", and pretty much bases the entire Catholic religion on this ONE doctrine, so why is it being twisted to make Jesus say something he didn't say or for people to react in a way that they didn't? The Christian faith is based on WAY more than the inderstanding of one single doctrine about the Lord's Supper and its significance. If the Catholic Church presumes it is the ONE true church because of this, they are sadly lacking.