@eladar saidThis is completely & entirely accurate, and this was one of the motivating factors for me to leave Protestantism.
Matthew 19
Some Pharisees came to Jesus, testing Him and asking, Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife for any reason at all?” 4 And He answered and said, “Have you not read that He who created them from the beginning made them male and female, For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh’? 6 So t ...[text shortened]... t married. Being single and therefore not having children is the preferred life according to Jesus.
There must be a role for celibate clergy in the Church. It's clear as day in the Bible. Any Church which doesn't have such an active role, and doesn't value its importance, is just not organized in the way that the true church would be organized.
There are bad celibate clergymen and women; there are bad monks and nuns and Bishops. Yet, it is also clear that when someone removes themselves far from the worldly concerns that occupy most of our lives, they can do more than us for the church community, and their lives fill up with grace in a way that it spills out upon the rest of us.
It is a huge, huge, huge net gain for the community and a necessary institution.
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@philokalia saidWhat does that say about the importance of having children? The instruction is not simply for clergy.
This is completely & entirely accurate, and this was one of the motivating factors for me to leave Protestantism.
There must be a role for celibate clergy in the Church. It's clear as day in the Bible. Any Church which doesn't have such an active role, and doesn't value its importance, is just not organized in the way that the true church would be organized.
...[text shortened]... the rest of us.
It is a huge, huge, huge net gain for the community and a necessary institution.
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Sure it does. If you can do without sex Jesus says avoid marriage.
So you lay hold of this and like a good marketing executive announce to everyone - "Jesus says do not get married"
Well, its probably sure to catch everyone's eye.
Go on and read that Jesus is called the Bridegroom. And the Bible ends with "the marriage of the Lamb" .
Okay seriously now, if He meant your broad scoped "Do not get married" He would have said that all must accept it. He did not. He said - Who CAN accept it, let him.
For there are eunuchs who were born so from their mother's womb, and there are eunuchs who were made eunuchs by men, and there are eunuchs who made themselves eunuchs because of the kingdom of the heavens.
He who can accept it, let him accept it." (Matt. 19:12)
At best you are putting a sensational twist on the matter with your marketeering slant - "Jesus says do not get married."
Peter, the arguably leading disciple, had a WIFE.
Do we [apostles] not have a right to take along a sister as a wife, even as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas (Peter) ? ( 1 Cor. 7:5)
@sonship saidCompletely irrelevant.
@EladarSure it does. If you can do without sex Jesus says avoid marriage.
So you lay hold of this and like a good marketing executive announce to everyone - "Jesus says do not get married"
Well, its probably sure to catch everyone's eye.
Go on and read that Jesus is called the Bridegroom. And the Bible ends with [b]"the marriage of the ...[text shortened]... as the rest of the apostles and the brothers of the Lord and Cephas (Peter) ? ( 1 Cor. 7:5) [/quote]
@philokalia saidMUST ??? MUST??? Show me that in the Bible. There is a place but nowhere would you find that there MUST be a place for a celibate clergy. It is an OPTION. The reason why the Catholic church has failed to produce trust among the masses is that they have FORCED clergy to be celibate contrary to the Bible. The result is sexual molestation of children and sexual perversions.
This is completely & entirely accurate, and this was one of the motivating factors for me to leave Protestantism.
There must be a role for celibate clergy in the Church. It's clear as day in the Bible. Any Church which doesn't have such an active role, and doesn't value its importance, is just not organized in the way that the true church would be organized.
...[text shortened]... the rest of us.
It is a huge, huge, huge net gain for the community and a necessary institution.
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Do not get married if you have a limited sex drive. The only reason to get married is to escape sexual immorality.
Marriage will not guarantee that. History and weekly news should tell us that.
To have your own dedicated spouse for sexual enjoyment is an incentive to find one.
If you hold it to be the ONLY reason you married, you probably will have a very unhappy one.
But you decided Jesus says do not get married is better at grabbing attention?