Learning Time!

Subject - Celiac Disease and Two Religions

 

Sufferers of celiac disease can't eat wheat.  This can cause problems during religious customs, such as the Christian Communion (wheat-based...cake thingys) and Jewish Passover (wheat is in matzo).

 

Most Christian churches have okayed substitute cake thingys for celiac sufferers, but the Catholic church hasn't.  In fact, in 1994 the Catholic church basically banned celiac sufferers from being ordained, because they were unable to take communion (and in a stunning act of relational brilliance, they included in this same proclamation the banning of alcoholics, b/c of the wine, thus a little bit implying that celiac sufferers should in fact be able to eat wheat and their celiac disease was a result of their SIN).  Later, in 2003, they downgraded this ban to a "great caution".  And then in 2004, proving that all those sinning celiacs have been pardoned by God, some nuns made a wheat based low-gluten cake thingy that was approved by the Vatican.

 

Now to the Jews.  Matzo is key to their passover dinner; you HAVE to eat it.  Made of a mixture of grains including wheat, this has caused problems for observers who have celiac disease, especially the Ashkenazi Jews, who also avoid rice (thus cutting one of the common substitutes).  So how do they deal with this?  Well, it turns out that way back when, someone very reasonable included a clause in Jewish law that no one should ever endanger their life to fulfill a commandment.  So it's fine, no one was or is banned from anything, the end.

(Disclaimer: The Author is not a follower of any religion.  She is, in fact, a Heathen.  She's sorry if this distresses anyone, but would like to add that she means sorry in the "condolences" sense of the word rather than the "apology" one.)