Can children receive the blood of Christ?

That depends, of course children can be saved by the blood of Christ, but please, just do not force it on them to do so. Forcing religion is wrong because, it can offend children, cause depression, suicide, stress, and even anger. It may even offend Christ. Also, this could make people offended, annoyed, and frustrated about Christianity or Religion all together.

Just being patient and allowing them to make decisions such as, praying, asking for forgiveness, and talking with / to Christ will not only give them confidence, help them by calming down, and even making decisions will help them with making decisions too later in life.

This could have other people not get annoyed and frustrated with Christians too. This could make Christ happy too.

Thank you.

AnswerTo begin, the scripture for Luke 18: 15-17 comes to mind:

" People were also bringing babies to Jesus for him to place his hands on them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I tell you, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." "

The problem over children receiving Holy Communion - the spiritual Body and Blood of Christ - depends very much on the beliefs surroundiing the bread and wine themselves.

Roman Catholic doctrine (and that of some other churches too) states that the bread and wine actually become the body and blood of Jesus and so the consecrated bread and wine in themselves are holy and have special qualities, irrespective of who receives them. This means that those (both children and adults) who are deemed not worthy to receive the consecrated bread and wine, or who do not understand their significance, can be refused the consecrated bread and wine. Therefore giving the consecrated bread and wine to children in these circumstances becomes much more difficult.

Many other denominations, however, interpret scripture very differently. They regard the bread and wine not as having any special properties in themselves, but it is the receipt of the consecrated bread and wine in faith, that is the miracle and spiritual gift given to us by Christ himself. No one knows the mind of a child, or just how much faith in Christ that child has and will have. But in my experience as a teacher for a very long time - in a Christian school - there are many children who have a great deal more faith, having made their own minds up about Jesus Christ - than some adults who have attended church all their lives. And therefore, in these circumstances, who are we to deny children receiving the sacrament just because we, as adults, do not deem them 'grown up' enough, or 'not having as much faith as me'.

There is nothing so moving as ministering to a family at the communion rail who all receive - from the parents to the smallest child - the consecrated elements. It is just one way in which the Church can acknowledge and endorse Christian family life, and the way in which Christian parents bring up their children to be full participant members of the Church, without feeling that some family members are not invited (and where do you draw the line??). In many churches' understandings, receiving in faith means that those who have no faith, though they will eat the consecrated bread and wine, do not partake of the Body and Blood of Christ. Therefore refusing a child is meaningless as he or she will receive the Body and Blood of Christ, in faith, or receive just bread and wine, if there is no faith present. And we cannot judge which it is lest we be accused of judging them too.