Burt Likko
Pseudonymous Portlander. Homebrewer. Atheist. Recovering litigator. Recovering Republican. Recovering Catholic. Recovering divorcé. Recovering Former Editor-in-Chief of Ordinary Times.
House Likko's Words:
Scite Verum.
Colite Iusticia.
Vivere Con Gaudium.
Well, OK, fair enough. But, just for the sake of being contrary, I politely mention that a great many Christian denominations understand communion to be metaphorical. The major proponent of literal transubstantiation is a certain small, Rome-based sect you may have heard of. This particular communion-taker doesn't really put much stock in what said little denomination has to say about… well, anything.
Indeed, had the generally well-meaning authorities of this particular sect not responded to my question of "this is just a metaphor, right?" with insisting that no, the transformation from bread to body of Christ was literal and not metaphorical, I might have been able to continue suspending my disbelief and might still be an (ostensible) adherent to this day.Would it have broken some time later, over something else? It's easy now for me to say "Yes, probably," but of course I'll never know for sure.