Why doesn't the Church allow it's Priest and Nuns to marry?
I don't understand that. How do they expect human beings to just shut their sexual drives off? Our sexual drives are a deeply ingrained part of what makes us human. So what the hell does the Church expect them to do?
Personally speaking, I don't know where the Church even got the idea that celibacy makes a person closer to God. From what I've heard, ones like Saint Peter; who was the first Pope, was married, and we know this because Jesus healed Peter's mother-in-law when she was sick.
And there were others within the early Church who were married as well. So why does the Church prohibit its Priest and Nuns from marrying and having children?
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They just believe in staying celibate, so they devoted themselves to God instead of a spouse.
(Im not even in the Catholic denomination so idk.)
It was done to prevent Papacy and other religious titles (and the properties that come with them) from becoming hereditary, the whole "being only devoted to God and stuff", while mostly genuinely applied today, was just a front back then.
By the way man, you do want to debate on a lot of stuff, I gotta say.
I'd say it's because priest had the role of psychologist in the past: confession had a great role before. When you deliver what's on your mind to someone, you're kinda weak. So I'd say it's the same way one would find weird a psychologist marrying/banging his client.
Now letting them marry would probably prevent pedophilia in a way and confession don't have that much a great role anyway
Also I'd say tradition. Hard to fight it when the religion is something seen as conservative.
Protestant here, so we work a little different, but this is probably one of the biggest differences in the church, as far as I know.
As far as I know, it's because the Priest and the Nuns have devoted themselves to God - figuratively, they've married Him (kind of, not really). I'm sure that's the short version, though.
Like I said, not Catholic, and I don't know the specifics. That's the short version.
Krazy Katholic here.
Priests, are meant to represent Christ, who was celibate, but also married to the Church. This also explains a lot of other things priests do, such as the Eucharist, which are all rooted in what Christ did on Earth. The early Church did not always have celibacy because Peter was likely already married before he went up and joined Christ. Eventually they ironed it out completely and made it official. However, since Vatican II, married men can be permanent deacons, but not fill priests.
Nuns, as I've always been taught, are effectively "married" to Jesus, so that's probably the simplest way to explain their celibacy.
Well it's even been this way for centuries, so, it works. Of course during the Protestant Reformation many of the splinter groups wanted an end to clerical celibacy. Good thing it is voluntary.
Quite simple- the Catholic Church's full of shit.
Why do that when there are all those yummy alter boys.
It's just stuff I don't understand. There's a lot of stuff I don't understand. I'm kinda at a crossroads right now in my life.
Most of my family is Catholic.
Many priests I know have lovers and kids. They just don't talk about it. Crazy law.
Why Church doesn't allow? Because of MONEY. Wife, children, family - takes money and time.
Church doesn't like to share.
Simple, romance in the work place is distracting and not a viable thing for any career. It's like that in a ton of other places too.
EDIT: Ohhhh, I thought you meant Priests and Nuns marrying each other. My bad. Yeah I dunno why they can't marry. Must be a religious thing.
SHIT BOI
Some sociologists have come to the conclusion that the general suppression of base instincts, like the drives to have sex and fight, leads societies to become more civilised and technologically advanced.
When people just follow their urges and don't have to work hard for sex, or even start relationships, then the foundations of civilization begin to crumble.
The family unit and the communities it fosters are what makes civilisation. I think it no surprise that the 'great' sexual liberation was followed by a slow decline in community feeling and societal morality. Though, obviously, that wasn't the only factor, just a large one.
As for priests not marrying, that was due to a multitude of factors. It prevented seats from becoming hereditary for one, it also removed any obligations other than the Church and the local community, hopefully resulting in no conflicts of interest. As well as this, it meant that the priests were priests full time, it's not a lie that you could knock on their door at any time and expect to be let in.
Then we have nuns & monks. Celibacy made these communes where people could feel safe. It created a place hopefully free of the kinds of drama you get when sexual relationships are involved, so that they could fully devote themselves to God, the church and their fellow humans. It allowed them to raise orphans as their own children without favouring their own kin too.
Another thing many people don't know is that nuns & monks were usually obligated to give shelter to anyone who needed it. Monasteries were basically medieval homeless shelters for a lot of the year. These shelters would obviously feel safer for those who have been traumatised if they were all single-gender sexless places. Convents would often act as rape shelters, taking in the woman and later maybe even sending her child to a church run orphanage, if that's what she wished.
Also, it's not like religious folk didn't masturbate. There have been dildo finds at many religious sites.
Nuns, because they make candles. If they had access to a penis why would the bother making candles? The candle industry would collapse if nuns were allowed to marry.
Priest aren't allowed to marry, because they'd get into too many fights with their wives about who wears the prettiest dress.
I see, hope you solve your doubts.
Be respectful, it's not okay to disrespect a religion.
TRU THO
Well, the church believes that with the help of the Lord, you can leave your flesh's desires. Corinthians chapter 7, the apostle Paul teaches, “An unmarried man is concerned about the Lord's affairs — how he can please the Lord. But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world — how he can please his wife — and his interests are divided” So, they usually dedicate themselves to the Church and God helps them with their desires.
It depends on the religion. Also, people choose to give up their right to marry and habe sexual relationships for their church, nobody forces them.
Incorrect.
lol I knew this was your thread
So are mine. Doesn't change the fact the church is living in the past with outdated principles no one cares about anymore. There's also the facture that when they did have influence over my country (Ireland), they used their power as a means to abuse and control much of those that had the displeasure of encountering them, especially women and children.
So, yeah, I generally don't have much time for the Catholic Church or what they preach.
That's what I was implying by mentioning about my families faith.
That actually makes sense.l, I hate to say.
Religion may have been used for bad things in the past, but they were abused, true religion is all about your choice, and I think some of the teachings are still applicable. Think of the people who have done good things in the name of religion, like the thousand of churches that go to third world countries to help the people suffering there, in the name of their religion.
I am very sorry that you did have that negative experience with religion, but it is not what religion truly is, its just a warped version of what religion is.
Well, I hope that you know that there are a lot of sinners and some are Priests, Im sorry though, that your church had to have something like that. But Priests usually pray when they have fleshly desires. God, helps the priests stay celibate so they can dedicate themselves to the church.
The thing is there are a lot of churches that exist just to look good, and that includes the Priest. But, If you go to a church where they are dedicated and in love with God, it is very different, I promise you.
Yeah, I know, you're probably right, I was being disrespectful. Religion is, of course, someone's own choice and isn't necessarily a bad thing just because of some of the things the church has done throughout the years. Now, I'm not very religious, so I do generally perceive their teachings to be outdated, but as you've pointed it, that all lies solely on someone's own opinion and whether they find comfort in believing in it. I still believe that as a whole, the Catholic Church is largely negative due to my own experiences and others, but by simply describing them as being "full of shit", I was being disrespectful to anyone that actually is a practicing Catholic and for that, I apologize.
So, yeah, sorry for sounding like a bit of dick.
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