UCF Student Communion Controversy
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Updated: 1:02 PM Jul 15, 2008
UCF Student Communion Controversy
A University of Central Florida student is fighting to stay in school after he says he was attacked by church leaders on campus.
Posted: 12:15 PM Jul 15, 2008
Reporter: Shonda Knight
Email Address: shonda.knight@wctv.tv
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UCF student Webster Cook says on June 29th he attended a catholic mass on campus with a friend. Cook says he stood in line to receive the body of Christ. That's the bread wafer known as the Eucharist.
Catholics believe it is the body of Christ, after a blessing from a priest.

But cook didn't eat it in front of the altar, he took it back to his seat to show his friend. Cook says that's when church leaders got physical. He says they attacked him based on the assumption that he was going to use the Eucharist to do either witchcraft or black magic. Cook held onto the bread for a week but returned it after several people threatened his life.

In the past few days, some students have even filed complaints with the university's office of conduct trying to get him kicked out for disruptive conduct. "I think it's absurd. You can't disrupt your own event and then blame it on someone else" says Cook.

Cook is firing back, filing a complaint alleging physical abuse and hazing.
He says forced consumption of any food is considered hazing and that applies to all organizations not just greek organizations. University officials have not commented on the issue and are determining if the case has merit.


Latest Comments

Posted by: the Location: Leller on Aug 14, 2008 at 08:12 PM

Great way to show that your religion is loving and true - attack a newcomer. That figures, stupid catholics - I mean... the religion has been corrupt since the age of constantine, all it's in place for is to make people feel secure about themselves even if they're inherently bad people, then THEY go around preaching that We'll goto this place called hell because even though we're good people, we don't believe in some guy who allowed himself to be killed... can we say SUICIDE?
Posted by: Ethan Location: Charlottesville VA on Jul 22, 2008 at 04:34 PM

Note to self: Religion? Creepy! :/ Besides, the world was created -- by Penn & Teller.
Posted by: Overheal Location: Ormond Beach on Jul 16, 2008 at 11:06 PM

Two things: 1) Whether you are religious or not, you are a guest there, and its only polite to show some respect. I am an atheist and I have attended several communions on the ground of respect: I spent many years living in an Irish Catholic community up in the Shannon Region. 2) Keeping the believed-to-be Body of Christ (as not all christian churches actually believe the bread to be the body) as a souvenir aside (heinous as it is disrespectful to those Faithful) - I am shocked to find that the response given here was Death-Threats and Violence. Having read the bible in a few places I hardly think - forgive me - that is the way the son of God would have handled the situation. 3) Offering up this swift and negative response by the Church will only reaffirm in the students mind that the church is 'whacko'. Take time to consider any person with conscience would develop healthy guilt about it over time: as I understand it in Irish Catholicism thats how God intended it to work.