Appropriateness Of Taking Communion In Other Denominations

[Saints Alive]

With the holiday season approaching I will undoubtedly visit my nonmormon relatives churches. Is it appropriate for LDS to take communion at those churches? Have you ever taken communion at another denominations church? Fortunately my relatives are mostly methodist, but what if the communion consisted of wine? would that change your opinion?

Edited November 8, 2012 by Saints Alive

[Vance]

No wine for me.

I suppose it depends on what their communion represents to them.

[Spammer]

It would be extremely inappropriate to take communion at a Catholic or Orthdox church. Both churches have a closed communion, open only to baptized and confirmed/chrismated members. No one (especially in large parishes) checks credentials at the door or at the cup, but taking communion in those churches is a public statement that you are one of them, when you're not. In my view, this is on par with a non-Mormon, however well-meaning, successfully walking into a temple and participating in the endowment ceremony.

Edited November 8, 2012 by Spammer

[thesometimesaint]

While it doesn't mean anything spiritually to us taking Communion at any other church makes a mockery of ours and theirs.

[Saints Alive]

It would be extremely inappropriate to take communion at a Catholic or Orthdox church. Both churches have a closed communion, open only to baptized and confirmed/chrismated members. No one (especially in large parishes) checks credentials at the door or at the cup, but taking communion in those churches is a public statement that you are one of them, when you're not. In my view, this is on par with a non-Mormon, however well-meaning, successfully walking into a temple and participating in the endowment ceremony.

I agree... I kinda ment the question more toward those denominations that have "open table" or open communion.

It can get kind of tricky... The Methodist church for example invites all to receive communion as a means of partaking in Christ's Grace, regardless of whether you are a "baptized Christian" or not Christian at all. The Episcopal church on the other hand invites only baptized Christians, and while it doesn't accept LDS baptisms as valid for conversion, it does consider it valid for taking communion. Church of Christ churches are open to all and view it simply as sharing community with those present.

[Calm]

I would check beforehand to see what their understanding of communion was and if it would be acceptable to them if someone with your beliefs shared it with them and if I didn't have the chance to check ahead, I would refrain from sharing it with them while thanking them for the offer if the opportunity was there without disturbing the ritual.

I have heard of faiths where communion is simply a statement of coming together to support each other without regard to specific beliefs so there is a wide range of limitations surrounding communion in different communities, though I suspect that for the majority it is a statement of belonging to that particular faith community and thus would be inappropriate....which is one reason why for me the default position is refraining rather than sharing even though I am all for learning from different religious paradigms.

As far as wine goes, I don't believe communion in other faiths is included as an exception for the WOW so I would not partake of it. I don't see it as appropriate to break a sacred covenant even to participate in another sacred rite.

Edited November 8, 2012 by calmoriah

[Saints Alive]

While it doesn't mean anything spiritually to us taking Communion at any other church makes a mockery of ours and theirs.

Would you care to flush out your position? I don't see it as a mockery necessarily but I suppose it depends upon how the Church you are visiting views their communion. In a close communion church I can see your point.

[Buckeye]

For what its worth, I am unware of any instruction in the CHI directly on this topic. Curious that there would be none, since the question surely has arisen many times over the years.

[Calm]

While it doesn't mean anything spiritually to us taking Communion....

if it doesn't we shouldn't be partaking of it even if invited. Only if it has actual spiritual meaning of some form for us----even if not covenantal----should we partake, otherwise we are just tourists and are profaning their sacred rite as much as a nonbeliever entering the temple would be profaning the sacredness of that dwelling if they could somehow manage to do so without lying about their status.

[rongo]

LDS understanding of partaking of the emblems is that it is a covenant, and so my view is that taking communion from other churches is always inappropriate for an observant Latter-day Saint. Not wanting to offend or stand out is not a good reason, in my view.

[Cobalt-70]

One of my very respected BYU religion professors told my class that he had attended a Methodist service and he felt inspired to participate. And yes, it was wine. If you are in a non-Mormon service that allows you to participate, and you feel inspired, I say go for it. It shows our respect for the other faith, and perhaps more importantly it is a ritual communion with Christ. Even though it's not the same ritual as our religion, and isn't performed by our priesthood, it certainly doesn't hurt. You don't need the full Mormon ritual in order to reflect on the meaning of Christ's sacrifice and renew your commitment to Christianity. The fact that it's wine? Not a big deal. Early Mormons used to use wine in the Eucharist all the time, and the practice is explicitly sanctioned in the D&C.

[CV75]

With the holiday season approaching I will undoubtedly visit my nonmormon relatives churches. Is it appropriate for LDS to take communion at those churches? Have you ever taken communion at another denominations church? Fortunately my relatives are mostly methodist, but what if the communion consisted of wine? would that change your opinion?

I think I Corinthians Chapter 8 offers great guidance on this.

I haven't taken communion at another church since I became LDS. I'm not sure what I would do if in attendance now and it was offered, and I'm OK with being spontaneous on that issue. I do think it's easier to sit there respectfully and reverently or even act dumb than to partake. I wouldn't take any wine.

If it is important enough for my host to ask about it ahead of time, I might just say, "I'll see when the time comes--don't be offended if I do or don't, I just want to enjoy being there with you."

[Saints Alive]

One of my very respected BYU religion professors told my class that he had attended a Methodist service and he felt inspired to participate. And yes, it was wine...

That is highly unusual for a Methodist church. There official position is that while wine is acceptable, grape juice is preferred. It would be almost as unusual as seeing wine in an LDS sacrament service. The methodist were, after all some of the biggest supporters of the temperance movement.

[Cobalt-70]

That is highly unusual for a Methodist church. There official position is that while wine is acceptable, grape juice is preferred. It would be almost as unusual as seeing wine in an LDS sacrament service. The methodist were, after all some of the biggest supporters of the temperance movement.

I might be remembering the denomination wrong, but I remember for sure that he said it was wine, because that surprised me when I heard the story.

Edited November 8, 2012 by Cobalt-70

[Bikeemikey]

It would be extremely inappropriate to take communion at a Catholic or Orthdox church. Both churches have a closed communion, open only to baptized and confirmed/chrismated members. No one (especially in large parishes) checks credentials at the door or at the cup, but taking communion in those churches is a public statement that you are one of them, when you're not. In my view, this is on par with a non-Mormon, however well-meaning, successfully walking into a temple and participating in the endowment ceremony.

Thats a lot of intensity.

If you are with friends or family and they would feel disrespected if you didn't then it seems fine to me.

The Temple analogy is a bit of a Red Herring. Most of us find ourselves at communions for other faiths by invitation. If the person invited you would like you to take the communion it is obviously not closed to them (whatever the institution may thing). They wouldn't invite you and then ask you to participate in the communion and then turn around and chastise you for accepting it.

If they find out later that their invitation for me to participate is not acceptable in their faith that is between them and their faith, that has nothing to do with me.

Edited November 8, 2012 by Bikeemikey

[rpn]

For an LDS church member who understands their doctrine and covenants, it would be mocking God (and maybe mocking the faith of the members in the other congregation). How could it be anything other than eating and drinking, when you know there is no authority, no matter how sweet the intentions.

[Spammer]

Thats a lot of intensity.

If you are with friends or family and they would feel disrespected if you didn't then it seems fine to me.

The Temple analogy is a bit of a Red Herring. Most of us find ourselves at communions for other faiths by invitation. If the person invited you would like you to take the communion it is obviously not closed to them (whatever the institution may thing). They wouldn't invite you and then ask you to participate in the communion and then turn around and chastise you for accepting it.

If they find out later that their invitation for me to participate is not acceptable in their faith that is between them and their faith, that has nothing to do with me.

It has everything to do with you if you knowingly participate in a closed communion, knowing beforehand that it's not open to you. It doesn't matter if a Catholic unwittingly invites you. You know the policy. No red herring.

Edited November 9, 2012 by Spammer

[thesometimesaint]

Would you care to flush out your position? I don't see it as a mockery necessarily but I suppose it depends upon how the Church you are visiting views their communion. In a close communion church I can see your point.

Before I became a member of the Church I attend several different churches. Some specifically asked not partake if you're not a member. Some didn't say so publicly but I got the impression they had serious reservations about it.

[Cobalt-70]

For an LDS church member who understands their doctrine and covenants, it would be mocking God (and maybe mocking the faith of the members in the other congregation). How could it be anything other than eating and drinking, when you know there is no authority, no matter how sweet the intentions.

You can't really say it is merely eating and drinking. In the Last Supper, Jesus never said the LDS sacramental prayer. He "gave thanks," and then passed around the bread and wine and told them it was his body and the blood of the covenant. Basically, he told them that whenever you eat bread, remember my body, and whenever you drink wine, remember it is the blood of the covenant. It never became a formal ritual where priests had to say a special prayer until much later in the Catholic Church.

Mormons adopted this broader Christian tradition, and it has a special significance within Mormonism where we, like the Catholics, give priests a special role in mediating this ceremony. However, that doesn't mean that when non-Mormons do what Jesus told them to do, that it does them no good. They don't enter the Mormon covenant, but they certainly enter their own type of covenant with God. You don't need the Mormon priesthood to enter a covenant with God and take part in a holy ceremony in his remembrance.

Edited November 9, 2012 by Cobalt-70

[harfad]

An interesting and related question is, Would it affect one's standing in the LDS Church if one were to take communion in another church? Would it disqualify one from going to the temple for example? I don't think that it would, but I suppose it depends on the commitment with which one did it. If it was done with a commitment that represented some kind of "divided loyalty" (i.e. not knowing which church was the right one), then it might; otherwise I don't think that it should.

[Bikeemikey]

It has everything to do with you if you knowingly participate in a closed communion, knowing beforehand that it's not open to you. It doesn't matter if a Catholic unwittingly invites you. You know the policy. No red herring.

Sure it is... because you heard somewhere that they may do closed communions doesn't mean that is the way it is always. When I was in my young mens group we went to a catholic church as part of a religious education process. There were people from all different religions there and they Catholic priest provided us all with the communion and asked us all to take it and we did.

If you friend says, "take it", and you say, "are you sure thats ok", and your friend says, "yes, it would be a sign of disrespect not to"; I am not going to then engage in a debate with him about being a bad catholic, or not knowing the expectations of his faith, im going to take it.

Edited November 9, 2012 by Bikeemikey

[Cobalt-70]

An interesting and related question is, Would it affect one's standing in the LDS Church if one were to take communion in another church? Would it disqualify one from going to the temple for example? I don't think that it would, but I suppose it depends on the commitment with which one did it. If it was done with a commitment that represented some kind of "divided loyalty" (i.e. not knowing which church was the right one), then it might; otherwise I don't think that it should.

It should not affect anyone's standing in the LDS Church. In our 13th article of faith, we profess to seek after anything that is good, regardless of whether or not it is within Mormonism. It is hard to argue that anything that you do in remembrance of Jesus is not a good thing. None of the temple questions are incompatible with taking Eucharist in another denomination. Even the one about the Word of Wisdom, which expressly encourages the use of wine as part of sacred ceremonies.

[Spammer]

Sure it is... because you heard somewhere that they may do closed communions doesn't mean that is the way it is always. When I was in my young mens group we went to a catholic church as part of a religious education process. There were people from all different religions there and they Catholic priest provided us all with the communion and asked us all to take it and we did.

If you friend says, "take it", and you say, "are you sure thats ok", and your friend says, "yes, it would be a sign of disrespect not to"; I am not going to then engage in a debate with him about being a bad catholic, or not knowing the expectations of his faith, im going to take it.

Hey, if you really want to take communion in a Catholic church that badly, then go for it. I'm just sharing Catholic belief with you. Communion is not closed because you're not wanted. To the contrary. It's closed because only Catholics in a state of grace can knowingly receive it without condemnation. That is the teaching of the Church. It's not something I heard somewhere. I am a Catholic. It is always a closed communion, same as in the Orthodox Church. You should not take communion, even if a very poorly catechized parishioner or a priest ( ) thinks you can and tells you it's ok and that it's disrespectful not to. I can't imagine a priest ever telling everyone to commune if he thought there might be non-Catholics present. Was this during mass and were you being offered the consecrated host? That would be like a bishop giving a non-Mormon a temple recommend. That priest is going against the teachings of the Church. Just know that it's disrespectful, IMO, to knowingly go against the official teachings of the Church, the same as if I knowingly walked into an LDS temple, recommend from a misinformed or dissenting bishop in hand, to attend an endowment ceremony. I don't see the difference. If found out, you should be gently stopped by the eucharistic ministers, just as I should be stopped by temple staff. After all, are you ok with me knowingly going to the temple without being LDS? What if my misinformed LDS friend mistakenly tells me "it's ok, it's disrespectful not to go with me?" Assume that I'm somehow able to get in. Would you be ok with that?

Edited November 9, 2012 by Spammer

[Bikeemikey]

Hey, if you really want to take communion in a Catholic church that badly, then go for it. I'm just sharing Catholic belief with you. Communion is not closed because you're not wanted. To the contrary. It's closed because only Catholics in a state of grace can knowingly receive it without condemnation. That is the teaching of the Church. It's not something I heard somewhere. I am a Catholic. It is always a closed communion, same as in the Orthodox Church. You should not take communion, even if a very poorly catechized parishioner or a priest ( ) thinks you can and tells you it's ok and that it's disrespectful not to. I can't imagine a priest ever telling everyone to commune if he thought there might be non-Catholics present. Was this during mass and were you being offered the consecrated host? That would be like a bishop giving a non-Mormon a temple recommend. That priest is going against the teachings of the Church. Just know that it's disrespectful, IMO, to knowingly go against the official teachings of the Church, the same as if I knowingly walked into an LDS temple, recommend from a misinformed or dissenting bishop in hand, to attend an endowment ceremony. I don't see the difference. If found out, you should be gently stopped by the eucharistic ministers, just as I should be stopped by temple staff. After all, are you ok with me knowingly going to the temple without being LDS? What if my misinformed LDS friend mistakenly tells me "it's ok, it's disrespectful not to go with me?" Assume that I'm somehow able to get in. Would you be ok with that?

Yeah, i'd be ok with that.

It would be a break down in the system and people would have made mistakes, but no one should get angry about it. It certainly wouldn't be your fault. If you go to a church and the person in charge of taking you there asks you to do something and you confirm that you have understood them correctly there is no condemnation. If you get corrected by someone else there you just change your involvement in the way that allows you to show appropriate respect.

I honestly don't know if i was offered a consecrated host, though it was during mass and there were catholics and non-catholics present. We were also in New Zealand where people have a very different sensibility about this stuff.

No harm no foul. God is simply not that up tight.

[Saints Alive]

I completely understand the closed communion, I kind of meant my question to be geared toward those churches that offer an open communion.