I am an agnostic. On Easter Sunday I took the kids to Easter service at the United Church that they belong to with their mother (she was working and we're divorced). When communion time came, I chose not to take it because:

a) I felt it would be hypocritical for me to accept communion when I'm not sure what to believe regarding Christianity

b) I felt it would be disrespectful to the church if I accepted communion when I am not a convinced believer.

Any thoughts??

i feel the same way, also do they do it with the wine in a goblet? If they do it that way i refuse to do it because its dirty lots of sick people drinking from one thing? great idea.....just my thoughts

No, they dip the bread in the grape juice. The United Church of Canada is pretty liberal so I don't know why they don't use wine.

I'm not entirely sure what you're asking here. I can only tell you that i've never been to a church offering communion. I have done some research online, and the Catholic guidlines for communion include

• Non-Catholics are not permitted to receive

• You must be fasting:
- Three hours from solid foods and alcohol
- One hour from other liquids
- Water may be taken at any time

• You must be in a state of sanctifying grace
(confessed and been absolved from
any mortal sins)

• You must be modestly dressed

• No Communion in the hand

• At the traditional Mass, the communicant
does not say “Amen.”


So at least according to these rules, I would say you did the right thing.
I think your reasons for not taking communion were also good, I wouldn't have taken communion before my baptism simply because I would have felt dishonest, in a way. Now if in the position to do so I imagine I would.

The united church is like a very liberal presbyterian or methodist church (it was formed by a merger of the 2 in 1920 something). There are no rules about fasting etc...

Thanks for the input, Irish

No problem. Again, I don't know much about protestant communion but the Catholics seem to think that if it isn't given by specific persons (priests?) then it doesn't count. So on that note there doesn't seem to be much rule-wise for protestants, so I think that is one thing that only you can decide. You made a decision that you were comfortable with, so that's all that matters.

Mighty neighbourly of you to think so. I wasn't crazy about the colour of the wine

ROFL, did you tithe with a check??

I still say it's cheque. The French are never wrong

I don't even know how to argue with that statement.

Actually, check makes more sense. I've never discovered why Canucks spell it cheque...to be different, I assume

At least Canucks and Americans have Easter at the same time, unlike thanksgiving.

Yeah, I like our Thanksgiving, it falls on mah birthday every so often.

Best birthday meal ever.

I'm an agnostic/atheist and I've been in churches when communion is held. I just choose not to participate. It feels kind of odd being the only person out of 500 (big service, yes) people who doesn't go up there, and also creates some small traffic congestion problems but I think it would be disrespectful and dishonest for me, a non-believer, to act as if I was a believer.

As for check versus cheque, well, I'm in the US and I don't know any french but I spell it cheque. It just looks more sophisticated I think!

Frozen!! You're ruining any little arguement I might have had!
It's all about the checks!

Hehe, well I don't know where you are, but if you are located sufficiently far away from Canada then you can just write me off as living too close so the Canadians have polluted my mind

I'm all the way down here in Alabama, so I guess I will.

Posted by apprentice I am an agnostic. On Easter Sunday I took the kids to Easter service at the United Church that they belong to with their mother (she was working and we're divorced). When communion time came, I chose not to take it because: a) I felt it would be hypocritical for me to accept communion when I'm not sure what to believe regarding Christianity b) I felt it would be disrespectful to the church if I accepted communion when I am not a convinced believer. Any thoughts??

I think you handled it correctly. Non-believers do not generally take communion.

The Mennonite and Baptist Church no longer use wine and no longer have a large cup with bread. Rather, both churches have individual cups and pieces of bread that are passed out.

I thought you handled it correctly by the way.

Agreed.

I've heard my pastor tell stories of awkward moments when people come forth for communion that have never been in the church before. It's sticky because Lutherans practice closed communion, so no one but a confirmed member of the church (and usually the proper synod) can participate. Sometimes the pastor will just make the sign of the crucifix and bless them, or if he's feeling confident, he will ask them if they're visiting from another church, right there, right at the altar. But you never know, some churches have open communion, and anyone can participate... but like you said, if you don't believe... it's pretty hypocritical.

Most protestant churches have an open communion where any Christian may partake in the "symbolic" body and blood of Christ. Usually the communion service is held once a month or on a special occasion like Easter. The difference between this kind of communion and the Holy Eucharist which the Catholic partakes in involves the nature of the bread and wine itself. A Catholic does not believe the bread and wine are symbols of Jesus, we believe they actually become the true body and blood of Christ under the direction of the priest and the Holy Spirit. As such, we pay particular attention to the way we present ourselves for this sacrament (i.e. the necessity for confession of mortal sins, being in a state of grace, fasting) since we very literally are taking Jesus into our bodies to feed our spirit.