Some traditions have come down to us through centuries of use, some from the darkest corners of prerecorded history. This does not mean they are necessarily good traditions and should be preserved just for age alone. An evident example of this is the custom of human slavery, which existed through some of the greatest civilizations of the world such as the Mogul empire, early Greece, Rome and Egypt, and even our own. Today slavery is considered horrifying to civilized peoples. A tradition to be examined carefully by each of us today concerns the common cup as used in our ritual ceremonies.
Tradition calls for the contents to be wine or some alcoholic beverage.
This alcoholic content, by itself, may even prevent the passage of many disease organisms. With the emphasis today on health, and our knowledge of the mechanisms of passage of diseases, the alcoholic beverage alone is not a problem, except to those who are alcoholics and must abstain entirely. A few other more isolated and perhaps less drastic cases, such as those on certain medications, must also abstain. When I was a practicing Episcopalian, use of the common cup for communion rituals never bothered me. The contents are wine and a little water.