It is time.

Time to discuss the hideously barbaric, reckless, and dangerous practice known as "Common Cup Communion".

Many Christians perform this public-health jeopardizing act because Jesus is quoted as saying, "Take this cup and drink from it".

They rely on someone wiping the rim of the cup off between sips by different people to make it "ritually clean".

And of course, some rely on God to protect them, since they are worshiping. Would God allow them to get sick from something they did in church?

If it was a restaurant, the Board of Health would have shut them down.

Don't they know about the Germ theory of disease? Is it just another "theory" to them? Like evolution?

Which denominations still practice this foolish ritual?

What infections are transmitted through the practice?

Very few.
Your comment about "many Christians" perform this.... well... is without proof.

Having spent several years in the Catholic church where communion was every Sunday... only the priest drank from the chalice. Everyone else received a wafer that he dunked in the wine and placed it on your tongue.
The church I attend now has little tiny disposable thimbles with wine in them...each person takes a piece of bread and a tiny glass of "wine".

Now I can only attest to the churches I've attended in the past...ummm 20+ years but NONE of them had the entire congregation drinking from the same glass.

How about all those baby eating atheist that go to Mexican food restaurants and grab chips from the same bowl...then dunk in the same bowl of salsa. EEEWWWWW!

The Catholic Church I attend does the communal cup thing. It is optional and I would estimate maybe 20-25% of the congregation use it. I do not and never even remotely considered it. I have to confess that I cannot fathom why anyone would.

The OP characterization as "hideously barbaric" is an over-reaction, but it certainly seems unwise.

Germs on the Communion Cup Revisited
http://net-abbey.org/cupgerm.htm

Wine contains an additional substance besides the alcohol which has been found to be an excellent disinfectant. Emanuel Kolyvas, M.D. of Canada writes:


"During fermentation these antiseptic substances are split off from the sugars and in this way become active. These molecules are polyphenols, a class of substances used in hospitals to disinfect surfaces and instruments. The polyphenol of wine has been shown to be some thirty-three times more powerful than the phenol used by Lister when he pioneered antiseptic surgery.

Thread topic is ridiculous.

Are you kidding me? Koreans (and other cultures as well I'm sure) all eat their entire meals from common bowls. Food shows up, everyone just grabs the chopsticks or spoons and dives in - no need for individual plates.

That's AFTER the guy at the restaurant brings out a large bowl of red hot coals, and then the raw meat cooks on your table.

Different people have different customs. Get over it.

Great. Now I'm craving Korean even though I already ate dinner.

Welcome to the world of VP$IP

The only 2 Catholic churches I've ever been to do it. Do you have proof of your "very few" statement?

Mine did as well. When I was in my early teens I did it. Partially because I wanted to drink wine.

Your statement kind of proves it.... you went to TWO churches and you think that is a valid sample? I've been to ... maybe 50... and NONE did it.

I have actual personal experiences and I dont think an atheist who states "many Christians" has as valid of a sample pool as a practicing Christian.

It happens here all the time... you see people state percentages and use phrases like "most" or "many" to try and validate a point.
It happens about 85% of the time.

How could I (seriously) say "Many atheist" eat babies since I really only know maybe 7 atheist and apparently there are about a billion of them.
I couldn't.... anymore than an atheist could say "many Christians" (nearly 2 billion) ____________ fill in the blank. By definition of "many" ...consisting of or amounting to a large but indefinite number...I doubt he actually knows that "many" Christians do this.

It was an attempt to discredit a ritual that is practiced and by discrediting this practice..he hoped to discredit the idea of religion. That's why he added the ending.

Many xtrians have never killed anyone. ( just a guess ).