I googled this subject via the Nairaland search engine and did not come up with an appropraite section to post this under an existing thread. If it does, it can be redirected there without qualms.

No, I am not a 'practicing' Christian.

This discussion is not meant for just for Christians, but for all faith as can be used to elaborate on, interprete and analyze the presence or the absence of ritualism in Christianity. This is not meant to be insultive but informative. My main focus is the holy communion as the main ritualistic tenet of Christianity and how the members of the Christian faith apply this kind of ritual to in their daily lives. How beneficial is the object of ritualism to Christianity?

Is the element of ritualism a hindrance or a succor to the Christian faith?  I do not mean paganism or idolatry.

Intelligent contributions only. No abusive language.

Thanks in advance.

What is ritualism?

http://www.babylon.com/definition/Ritualism/

Ritualism

This article focuses on a ceremonial aspect of the Anglican church, and on the Anglican church in particular. See orthopraxis for ritualism in general. Ritualism, in the history of Christianity, refers to an emphasis on the rituals and liturgical ceremony of the church, in particular of Holy Communion. In the Anglican church in the nineteenth century, the role of ritual became a subject of great, often heated, debate. The debate was also associated with struggles for influence between High Church and Low Church movements.


Opponents of ritualism have often argued that it privileged the actions of the ritual over the meanings that are meant to be conveyed by it.


Supporters have sometimes maintained that a renewed emphasis on ritual and liturgy was necessary to counter the increasing secularisation of the church and laity.


http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Ritualism

–noun
1. adherence to or insistence on ritual.
2. the study of ritual practices or religious rites.
3. excessive fondness for ritual.

http://stempublishing.com/magazines/bt/BT10/1875_232_Ritualism_Christianity.html


Ritualism and Christianity.

1874 232 etc. The epistle to the Hebrews throws great light on the question of ritualism so rife in our days. In the first epistle to the Corinthians is found the christian man's directory for public worship, and the second chapter of the first epistle to Timothy contains apostolic instructions for those who meet together for prayer.

No thought have we in the word that assemblies, or churches, have power to decree rites and ceremonies in connection with public worship, nor are individuals at liberty to choose for themselves how they will approach their God. What might be wrong at one time may be right at another. What is suited for a former dispensation may not, in God's mind, be in harmony with the character of a later one. It was wrong for Cain to draw near with the fruits of the ground and not with a lamb like his brother Abel. Yet in after ages the children of Israel were enjoined to present their basket of first-fruits. (Deut. xxvi.) An offering of the fruits of the ground was not wrong in itself, else Israel never would have been commanded to present it; but of the time, and the occasion for its presentation God, not man, was to be the only judge. Again, before the giving of the law there was no distinction, that we read of, between a burnt-offering and a sin-offering; but after God had communicated to Moses that elaborate ritual, which is often called by the lawgiver's name, no one in Israel would have ventured to follow the example of Job by offering a burnt-offering on behalf of those who had sinned. The sole authority however for this change from patriarchal practices was the Lord's revelation to Moses. (Lev. iv. 1.) It was right of Job to offer burnt-offerings for his sons, when he thought they had sinned. It would have been utterly wrong in an Israelite thus to have acted. Job too was free to offer for his children; but each one in Israel had to bring his offering for his own sin, when the law enjoined it, if divine forgiveness was to be assured to him. So what Cain ought not to have brought certainly without a lamb, the children of Israel were commanded to put in a basket, that it might be set by the priest, unaccompanied by any sacrifice, before the altar of the Lord their God. On the other hand, what Job was free to do, would have been disobedience if attempted by any of the children of Israel; and no plea, based on the antiquity of the custom, nor urged on the ground of patriarchal usage, would have availed before God, when once the different laws as regards sin-offerings and burnt-offerings had been communicated to His people. For God was the sole judge of what was fitting for His creatures to do in connection with worshipping Him.

In Christianity you can't call it Ritual, it is called Rites.

^^^^ But the two terms effectively mean the same thing, right? I just love wordplays.

Jenwitemi:

^^^^ But the two terms effectively mean the same thing, [b]right? [/b]I just love wordplays.

Right? No, Rite.

Lol!

Pastor AIO:

Right? No, Rite.

What is ritualism?

If you sit daily with your family to eat at the dining table, then you are observing a family ritual.

If you take bath and cleanse yourself daily, then you are observing a ritual.

If you take class test or exam at the end of every semester, then you are in a ritual.

If you pray five times daily or every morning, then you observe a ritual.

If the Chief priest offer a slaughtered goat or dog to Ogun every year, then that's ritual.

If the village make sacrifice and give offerings to Yemoja every year, then this is ritual.

Ritual is that activity which is routinely observed or carried out as an actionable event to preserve the cohesive and communal bonding of a family ties, or an individual with another individual or with God, or a village or community with another community. . . . . it is an exchange and nothing to be scared of.

We need to change our view and fear of the word "RITUAL". There is nothing there waiting to kill or change who you are. A person seeking to kill or change you really does not need a ritual sacrifice to do that, they just need to know how to speak and influence your mind. WORD and INFLUENCE is more dangerous than RITUAL and SACRIFICE.

^^^^ As a matter of fact, i am observing my nairaland surfing ritual at this very moment. I wish i could include isi ewu goat head for the sacrifice to the www gods.

call it ritual or rites, why do you think something is wrong with it.
I wake up everyday & say "good morning mom, good morning dad" that's one of my daily rituals. why should that sound wrong in your mind? likewise religious rituals.