Catholicism Sex And Religion
Sunday, November 15th, 2009
Is Celibacy Healthy For The Church?
Posted by Melissa Norbeck
People choose to abstain from sex for various reasons. One may abstain from sex because he/she is too young, wants to wait for marriage, isn’t in a committed relationship, etc… But those who take a vow of celibacy are the Catholic Priests and Nuns. Deciding against having sex or any type of sexual relations for the rest of your life is a huge commitment. However, for those who are “marrying” God and devoting their lives to religion, it’s only a small gesture.
A Natural Fantasy
Catholicism is a broad term referring to the Catholic faith and has been around for centuries. Nevertheless, there seems to be a double standard when it comes to the priests and the nuns. Nuns must try to live the life of perfection. Although priests do take the vow of chastity, obedience, and poverty, we all know that some of them do not uphold their ends of the bargain. Growing up Catholic and attending Catholic school for eight years, I have seen the differences: the cars they drive, the smoking and drinking, and the way they live. And of course we have all the heard the sad stories of the young boys. The priests who did those horrible things ruined the images of the good priests. There are also incidents in which the nuns were forced to have sex with the priests and had abortions as a result. All of that being swept under the rug.
Is Celibacy Hurting The Church?
I know a woman who was going to be a nun before she met her husband. I got in touch with the daughter to see if her mother would be interested in answering a few questions. The woman declined to comment. I know of another woman who was a nun for years but left the order. I got in touch with her, and she wanted to know why I needed this information. When I told her it was for a piece I was writing for Tony Ward’s website, of course she wanted to see the site. I gave her the web address, and I’m sure you can guess what her answer was after she saw this site. I could have lied and said I needed the information for school or something else but being a Catholic and all, I shall not lie, right?
Should Nuns And Priests Marry?
What I find even more intriguing than any answer either of these women could have given me, is the secrecy. I cannot understand why these women would not want to answer questions about something they feel strongly about, about something that is part of them. I think the fact they said nothing says a lot – makes you wonder what goes on behind the closed doors of the convents and the rectories.
Is Chastity Good For The Church?