It may well be that the Pope is a saved man, but the Catholic Church is wrong on several levels, not the least of which is Celibacy for the Priesthood-- the practice of demanding celibacy within the Catholic priesthood is unbiblical. Leaders in the church ARE to be chaste men, but chaste within the confines of biblical marriage. It is this restriction that has most likely contributed to homosexuality within the ranks of the priesthood over the centuries, to say nothing of its current problem with pedophilia.
Priests should marry, or at least be given the option to marry. To become a priest they should in fact, by the biblical standard, be required to marry.
Did God say it?
"It is not good that the man should be alone."
--Genesis 2:18
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Better to marry than to burn. That's not a ringing endorsement of marriage.
Do you *ever* get out of the O.T.? :-)
If that's not a ringing endorsement of marriage, and a requirement for office within the Church, I don't know anything at all.
1 corinthians 7:9 speaks of Lust-- "But if they cannot contain, let them marry: for it is better to marry than to burn."
This from the Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown Commentary...
if they cannot contain — that is, "have not continency."
burn — with the secret flame of lust, which lays waste the whole inner man.
Paul DOES say that this-- that men and women should remain single/unmarried --is by permission and NOT commandment. He would rather everyone be single and unmarried, but this is only his personal ideal, not a command from the Holy Spirit. The reason we know this is not a command is 1 Timothy 3:1-13, ALSO written by Paul.
What's the problem with marrying and having a wife and kids if indeed they are a true and faithful husband, and not a philanderer?
And if "soul freedom" doesn't mean the freedom to marry, or not, then I don't know anything. :-)
KEvron
Was Jesus a pedophile? HE never married.
The King James speaks of eunuchs in Matthew 19:12... Strictly speaking, incapable of sex. So some are born incapable, some are made incapable by others, some choose-- if not incapability --to make themselves unavailable for sex for the Kingdom of God's sake, but just as Paul stated his election of such in 1 Corinthians 7:7, even going so far as to say this is a desirable state for the believer, it is nonetheless a choice... Not a requirement. In fact, as I've previously pointed out, Paul had also listed requirements for those who would serve in the Church, who also felt Paul's choice was not for them.
The priesthood as well should maintain the vow of celibacy only as a choice-- not a commandment, as this goes against the Scriptures.
I'm not sure what Estase means by the pedophile comment, but perhaps it's to point out that such behavior is not necessarily the result of a vow of celibacy. Jesus, after all, was NO pedophile, but then there is no mention of Jesus ever vowing to remain unmarried. Jesus, for all He was fully man, was also God incarnate, and knew full well his mission. Call that a vow of celibacy if you wish, but Jesus had the luxury of knowing what awaited Him, and the face of His own Bride in due time.
The fact is celibacy is not for everyone; it is undeniably true that celibacy has been the cause of many an instance of sex-crimes commited against young boys by Catholic priests. I say 'undeniably' because there isn't a counter in the Catholic church to refute it, i.e.; there is no long tradition of men being allowed to marry within the Catholic Church. So what we're left with is a case of men closeted with men day after day, year after year... who's then to say this would not be enough to cause an otherwise normal/hetero man to turn to 'strange flesh' and end up committing an act of pedophilia on a young boy?