Confused

[Scarlette]

Oh, I agree! Which is why it should be truly medieval: only celibate bishops, and monks and nuns with vows of poverty. People who run hospitals and schools without pay.
No "prosperity gospel", for sure.

Its kind of sad how monasteries and convents have declined, but people got really into the Money Thing.

I think the worst practice the Catholic church has is celibacy. How can a priest really minister to a family when he has no idea what it's like to have a wife or children? I don't understand this obsession with sex....God did make us sexual beings and it seems unnatural to insist that his servant deny that side of their humanity. I'm thinking of all the little altar boys.....

[Anymouse]

The altar boy abuse was awful, but it is also no more statistically common than for non-celibate people. All the people I know convicted of child pornography or sexually abusing boys were successful married men, and as I recall they were all protestant, although I can't remember exactly about the friend of my father who owned the twin engine airplane.

I do think there is something to be said for celibacy making it easier to minister to a family in certain ways; they certainly know how to advise a man who's wife is sick or in the hospital. It also means they aren't limited by married life, and they can take lower salaries than would be appropriate for a married man, and can more fearlessly take risks without worrying they will leave their family fatherless. A lot of medieval hospitals and schools were available to the masses and to the poor, partially because the teachers and nurses were all unpaid people with a vow of poverty and celibacy. It was a truly great thing, really, something which today's America has not remotely achieved with few Christian schools providing a free education, and hospital executives making huge salaries.

It of course depends on culture as well. In the middle east Catholic priests are sometimes married, but the western approach is different, and married priests can't become Bishops whether Lebanon, Japan, or America.

[Kim3]

I would like to see married priests simply because there is such a shortage of Priests. The vow of celibacy is not for most people. I think, in my life, I would be better able to talk to a Priest about family matters if that Priest understood, first hand, the difficulties of raising a family in today's world.

[Anymouse]

The priest shortage is an issue, which is why so many places in the eastern side of the world embrace married priests. It allows for part time priests, also.
I knew a guy who is a university librarian with a family, but also a priest, he is a Russian Orthodox Church Outside of Russia priest.
But that is also why a lot of East European countries don't have daily church services, the priest is busy with his day job during the week.

[Kim3]

And yet so many ministers are able to marry, have families and meet the needs of a congregation. A Priest is required to say mass daily, be it public or in private, at least that is the case for the Roman Catholic Church.

[Scarlette]

The altar boy abuse was awful, but it is also no more statistically common than for non-celibate people. All the people I know convicted of child pornography or sexually abusing boys were successful married men, and as I recall they were all protestant, although I can't remember exactly about the friend of my father who owned the twin engine airplane.

I do think there is something to be said for celibacy making it easier to minister to a family in certain ways; they certainly know how to advise a man who's wife is sick or in the hospital. It also means they aren't limited by married life, and they can take lower salaries than would be appropriate for a married man, and can more fearlessly take risks without worrying they will leave their family fatherless. A lot of medieval hospitals and schools were available to the masses and to the poor, partially because the teachers and nurses were all unpaid people with a vow of poverty and celibacy. It was a truly great thing, really, something which today's America has not remotely achieved with few Christian schools providing a free education, and hospital executives making huge salaries.

It of course depends on culture as well. In the middle east Catholic priests are sometimes married, but the western approach is different, and married priests can't become Bishops whether Lebanon, Japan, or America.

It could just be me and a misperception, judgment, stereotype.....But....doesn't the joy of Faith get lost if there are so many rules and restrictions that they become what is important rather than being joyful? Too many rules seems oppressive and I have a hard time believing there is joy or love in oppression. Also, what is good in forcing someone to be alone....even Jesus needed people.

[Michaela]

My dad's a preacher so I don't really get much choice at all.

Nobody ever ever tell him, but I don't really know what I think about God

[Kittykat]

My dad's a preacher so I don't really get much choice at all.

Nobody ever ever tell him, but I don't really know what I think about God

And that's normal, just because he is a preacher doesn't mean you have to follow his beliefs once you move out.

Though I do recommend staying in church until then to keep the peace.

[Michaela]

I don't have any choice about staying in the church ma'am

[Garth]

When I was growing up I was not forced to go to Sunday School. But I liked it because my friends also went to Sunday School.