Oh! So pagans weren't appeasing false gods with human sacrifices? And it's not uncommon for their children to turn to drugs and commit suicide either.
I belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It is not a quack religious group. It is the restored Church of Jesus Christ.
I think it would depend on the extent of faith in the parents. If strong, then there would be a veil of protection over their children - as there would be over a community and/or nation. I recall reading once about a church in Texas during WWII and how they had pictures of the boys in the service and were praying for them every Sunday. They all returned. It made an impression on me.
Mainstream Protestantism followed the tenets of Christianity, and are - or at least were in the past Christian faiths - and they always gave grape juice. With the exception of the Anglicans/Episcopalians and Lutherans, it was not considered a sacrament, but rather a dedication to the faith. As for the Mormons, they were so far removed from accepted Christian beliefs that they weren't even considered a heresy. And as for Jehovah's Witnesses, they are a Judaic faith - although they profess a belief in Jesus Christ.
Sure .. but same idea .. eat the flesh of the God - and Drink his Blood .. Odd that a Religion that revere's Melchizedek would change the ritual .. of course the meeting between Mel and Abe being the first time in the Bible this Ritual was conducted. Why get rid of the wine ? Sacred ritual don't work without the right ingredients ..
It's not to eat his flesh and drink his blood. It's symbolic to keep one in remembrance of the life he gave and the blood he shed in atonement because it's so easy to forget in this world and life where our attentions are drawn in a thousand different directions.
Love your neighbor as your self? Don't forget also that you are to Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind. Don't forget the 1st part.
BUT.....if the Lord draws him/her and he/she believes truly in their heart who Jesus said He is, that person will be saved and not fall away! That my friend is a BIG difference than joining a church or wearing a cross! "He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it."
"This is my body - This is my blood - Do this in rememberence of me" anything else you can think of Jesus mention to member him ? any other "ritual" Jesus asks to partake - to remember. We have the ritual of baptism - but that is something different - or perhaps that is another rememberence .. but you only do it once .. we drink the God's blood every second Sunday in my cult
With the exception of mainstream protestantism you mean "not considered a sacrament" ? since when and not by who .. certainly it is one of the 7 sacraments in the Catholic Faith - is a sacrament in the Orthodox faith ... and most of protestantism .. least the mainstream part. Don't think we need to be messing with arguably the most important of the Holy Sacrament's - Got to drink the blood of the God mate. Essen Sie Dietyfliesh .
Congratulations! You are WRONG on ALL counts! Paganism has NOTHING whatsoever to do with atheism. YOU have ZERO evidence to support your BOVINE EXCREMENT allegation about the children of atheists.
Of course paganism has nothing to do with atheism because the term atheism never existed until the modern era - while people always knew through personal experiences that supernatural powers did exist. They were demonic powers though, rather than the creative powers of our God since humanity had not reached the spiritual maturity for God to start revealing Himself and what He consisted of - which is Love. The love that unites everything and everyone. Just imagine a world without that love? There would be no relationships between anything and anyone. The world would simply cease to exist.
Re: I believe you've got this one backwards. EXCERPT: "7 Jesus said to the servants, “Fill the jars with water”; so they filled them to the brim. 8 Then he told them, “Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.” They did so, 9 and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine."CONTINUED (*) (*) "Jesus Changes Water Into Wine" https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=John 2:1-11&version=NIV