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Originally posted by ISUKappa
Correct me if I'm wrong:
During communion, Catholics believe in transubstantiation meaning there is a *moment* in which the physical bread and wine turn into the body and blood, while keeping the physical characteristics of the former.
LCMS Lutherans believe that the true body and blood is in and with the bread and wine, always. There is no magical moment of change; the bread and wine are not just symbols of the body and blood, they are both things (bread/body wine/blood), always.
Some other denominations believe communion is symbolic in form and meaning, the bread and wine are only reminders.
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As a general proposition, more or less right, with some omissions.
Catholics believe in transubstantiation as you have described. It should be noted, though, that "transubstantiation" should be distinguished from belief in the "Real Presence." "Real Presence" is the doctrine that the Body and Blood of Christ are "really present" in the Sacrament. "Transubstantiation is one way of describing the specifics of the Real Presence, and is the way taught by the Catholic Church. The "moment" would be when the priest says: "This is my Body.... This is my Blood."
Eastern Orthodox also believe in the Real Presence by saying that the bread and wine truly become the Body and Blood of Christ, but don't try to define it any further, believing that it is a mystery that cannot be explained or described. They also would reject the idea that it happens at a specific moment, saying rather it occurs during the fairly long Eucharistic Prayer in the Divine Liturgy.
All Lutheran churches, not just LCMS, would ascribe to the Real Presence by teaching that the Body and Blood are, at least during the celebration of the Sacrament if not always, present "in, with and under" the bread and wine.
Presbyterian and Reformed churches ascribe to the Real Presence by teaching that, while there is no physical change in the bread and wine, the Body and Blood of Christ are nevertheless joined in a spiritual manner (how is a mystery) so that in communing, the true Body and Blood are actually received as well as the bread and wine.
The other standard Protestant position would be, as you describe, to consider the bread and wine as symbols, thus teaching no belief in the Real Presence.
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And (again, correct me if I'm wrong) Catholics believe that not only the faith in Christ's death and resurrection but good works are also required to be saved; that the doctrine of the Catholic Church can be decided on by pope, the church and various traditions within the church along with scripture; and the submission to the authority of the pope to be a "true" member. (I found this info on the lcms.org website)
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I'm going to leave these to a Catholic, but I will say that as someone fairly familiar with Catholic teaching, these strike me as rather generalized oversimplifications or even distortions of Catholic teachings.
Thus endeth the lesson for the day.
