Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!clyde.concordia.ca!rutgers!aramis.rutgers.edu!athos.rutgers.edu!christian From: st0o+@andrew.cmu.edu (Steven Timm) Newsgroups: soc.religion.christian Subject: Re: Alcohol: /Open communion Message-ID: Date: 7 Feb 90 05:49:33 GMT Sender: hedrick@athos.rutgers.edu Lines: 22 Approved: christian@aramis.rutgers.edu Some information, with neither attack or defense implied: In the Seventh-day Adventist Church open communion is practiced, (and specifically announced at every communion service.) However, young children don't usually participate because we practice baptism by immersion and they haven't been baptized. I personally have never taken communion at any other church, but I don't believe I am forbidden to do so. Most Seventh-day Adventists believe the Bible teaches abstinence from alcohol as an article of faith, and so grape juice is used as the "wine" in our communion (we do refer to it as wine; though I'm not sure that the Bible refers anywhere to the fluid dispensed at the Lord's supper as wine). There has been discussion in our church in recent years about how the communion service can properly be given in countries where grape juice (and wine) are not readily available. Some have suggested raisins. Food for thought: Research (Dr. S. Bacchiocchi, Wine In the Bible) indicates that the people of that day may have had ways to store fresh grape juice after all. Why else is there a difference between "old wine" and "new wine" ?