Debate Moment

Debates are filled with tons of sayings and thoughts, but what people seem to remember is a striking moment.  How's that for making a debate somewhat pointless?  And yet, humans being human, hang onto the trivia.  JFK looked loose and Nixon didn't.  Reagan said "there you go again." but Al Gore couldn't even sigh, the non-verbal equivalent of what Reagan said. 

And ever it has been.  My favorite "moment" from a debate occurred in 1519.  Lutherans and Catholics have long since agreed to disagree on the sacraments.  Catholics believe the bread and wine transformed into the real presence of Christ's body and blood with the pronouncement of the sacrament (Transsubstantiation). Lutherans believe in a real presence but that it occurs simultaneously with ordinary bread and wine and must be made so by the faith of the recipient(Consubstantiation).  Transubstantiation was the teaching of the church in 1519 and a small consubstantiation minority disagreed, among them such notables as Luther of Germany and Wycliffe of England. 

The debate was the Luther-Eck Debate but it really got that name by happenstance.  John Eck, champion of the learned Dominicans challenged Luther's buddy, Carlstadt to debate church practice.  The Dominicans hated Luther and other members of the Catholic Reformation. Knowing Luther couldn't keep his mouth shut, they set a trap for him by challenging his less intellectual sidekick, Carlstadt to a debate and hoping to draw Luther into it and get him to commit heresy by some unguarded thing he would say. 

Carlstadt was getting his clock cleaned by Eck.  Eck had memorized councils and church writings and scripture galore.  But when they got on the topic of communion, Luther, seated in the front row and unable to take it any longer, suddenly shot up to his feet and asked Eck, "If a mouse is running back and forth along the railing eating crumbs during communion, is he eating bread or is he eating God?!"

I can imagine all eyes looking at befuddled John Eck, who reportedly couldn't answer such an odd question.  All his great scholarship hadn't prepared him for an earthy but brilliant Luther who could think up puzzles no one else had considered.  "Okay, John, whatta ya say to that?" And of course this question captures the debate squarely, for if consubstantiation, then the mouse has no faith and thus eats only bread.  But if Transubstantiation, then he is eating the body of Christ. (say, aren't you glad we don't have mice running around churches anymore?)

Bottom line: Eck won the debate, but no one remembered.  All of Germany was chuckling about Luther's audacious question.  There were no newspapers yet, just letters and certain pamphlets exchanged.  But it is clear from comments, that Germany had found a national hero who wasn't scared to stand up to Rome.  It was something of a debate "moment" heard round the world.