Communion and germs....am I crazy?

[hpygrll]

So I've recently started going back to church - mid-December - and I've been going every Sunday - it's a very nice Lutheran church - great people.

At any rate we do communion evey Sunday and I swear I've been sick since Christmas day -first with the flu and now I have strep...

I know this probably is crazy since I have 2 small boys who are in daycare so I'm sure they are carriers of all kinds of fun things...

I love taking communion....but can it make you sick?
Jenny

 

[Beth76]

I assume your church uses the common cup instead of individual cups? I think that's absolutely ridiculous that churches still use that. My mom's church actually gives the option and I just cringe whenever I see someone use the common cup. Maybe you should talk to your pastor about offering individual cups.

 

[golfgal]

If you have a communal cup, not individual, the alcohol content has to be quite high as to kill germs on contact. Chances are this is NOT the cause of your illnesses.

 

[Christine]

How are they doing it?

When I went to one of our Episcopal churches, they were having us come up to the alter and actually sip out of a shared cup of wine. That totally grossed me out and I wouldn't go back.

Most Catholic churches I've been to aren't even offering wine and just pop some of "the host" into everyone's mouth. I guess if the priest has germs on his hands....

 

[CathrynRose]

I love taking communion....but can it make you sick?
Jenny

Its probably not even the communion itself - but being in a crowded church with floaty germs, once a week.

Could happen anywhere - but in this case, Church is making you sick.

 

[hpygrll]

They break the bread and give it to us. Then I dip it into the common cup so there is no sharing of a cup.

Could be all the Peace Be With Yous and shaking hands....and being new to that environment!

Church is making me sick

Hopefull I'll develop an immunity to it! It's kind of funny...

Jenny

 

[Christine]

They break the bread and give it to us. Then I dip it into the common cup so there is no sharing of a cup.

Could be all the Peace Be With Yous and shaking hands....and being new to that environment!

Church is making me sick

Hopefull I'll develop an immunity to it! It's kind of funny...

Jenny

My friend goes to Mass every Sunday and she "stakes out" the people around her. If they even cough, she will not shake hands with them. She says that so many sick people come to church, it is unreal and it ticks her off. She is a colon cancer survivor and has been through some chemo so I guess she is worried about picking up stuff.

 

[Mishetta]

I too avoid drinking the wine due to everyone & his brother sipping out of the same chalis. Unless the Priest's hand is germ infected, then I doubt taking the Communion wafer will make you sick (altho in a Catholic Church, they do a ritual where an alter server pours water on the Priest's hands as if to cleanse them & then he wipes them on a towel before starting the Communion ritual). I try to avoid placing my hands on the back of the pew in front of me when I stand & I rarely touch a door with my bare hands anymore. Also, I do shake hands in sign of peace but then I just don't use that same hand anymore until I walk straight to the restroom & wash it. (Isn't that sad??) Of course, I'm being so silly since my kids go to school with other kids & I'm sure even my DS (10) doesn't remember to wash his hands before eating his lunch!

 

[Beth76]

Could be all the Peace Be With Yous and shaking hands....and being new to that environment!

That's actually probably a more likely culprit. Maybe bring some anti-bacterial wipes or gel with you.

 

[clarabelle]

hand gel, hand gel, hand gel
Bring it every Sunday and use it like crazy

 

[minniecarousel]

I am not a fan of the communal communion cup (that looks wierd!). However, before the Bread at Communion, our (what do we call them?) helpers - use the anti-bacterial hand wash before they distribute Communion. I think during last year's flu season, our Pastor stopped the Communion Cup - we did without for a month or two!

 

[hpygrll]

I'll start bringing hand gel - what a great idea!

Who knew church would be so complicated...
Jenny

 

[bananiem]

If you have a communal cup, not individual, the alcohol content has to be quite high as to kill germs on contact. Chances are this is NOT the cause of your illnesses.

My sister is a lab supervisor and has her BS in microbiology. She has told all of us that the alcohol content in wine will not kill all germs. Many churches don't use wine either. I will never drink from a cup that everybody and their brother has drank out of.
In a large place like a church there is the potential for germs on teh pews, shaking hands, airborne, etc. Wash your hands well when you get home.

 

[MUFFYCAT]

I always hated the Peace be with you and shaking hands.
I go to a Baptist church now inwhich they don't share any cups.
Cute little shot glasses for everyone at communion time.

 

[barkley]

i am much more concerned with the holy water fonts at the entrance to catholic churches (i mean, how often do they change the water-actualy clean it out? i suspect the chance of catching something here would be much greater.)

i still remember the first time my mom went to a catholic mass after the church began the practice of letting the parishoners touch the communion wafer-she was visably shaken and kept muttering "does it still count if i touched it-i mean, i'm not trained or anything" it kind of lost it's "magical" significance for her.

 

[diznygirl]

Cute little shot glasses for everyone at communion time.

Oh, the Last Supper would have been sooo much different if the Apostles were doing shots!!

 

[golfgal]

My sister is a lab supervisor and has her BS in microbiology. She has told all of us that the alcohol content in wine will not kill all germs. Many churches don't use wine either. I will never drink from a cup that everybody and their brother has drank out of.
In a large place like a church there is the potential for germs on teh pews, shaking hands, airborne, etc. Wash your hands well when you get home.

Communion wine has an 18%+ alcohol content, higher then a standard bottle of wine. If alcohol doesn't kill on contact, why do they use alcohol wipes, etc. to clean your skin before getting a shot, surgery, etc?

 

[agnes!]

Not all churches use wine, many use grape juice.

agnes!

 

[bananiem]

Communion wine has an 18%+ alcohol content, higher then a standard bottle of wine. If alcohol doesn't kill on contact, why do they use alcohol wipes, etc. to clean your skin before getting a shot, surgery, etc?

It's used as a disinfectant, but it is not 100%. Our Red Cross does not use alcohol on the mannequins anymore for the same reason. Everyone gets their own "kisser".

 

[golfgal]

It's used as a disinfectant, but it is not 100%. Our Red Cross does not use alcohol on the mannequins anymore for the same reason. Everyone gets their own "kisser".

Everyone gets their own "kisser" because of AIDS.