Why are they not allowed to marry? When was this ‘order’ decreed and implemented? Is marriage perceived of as something ‘evil’ - honestly, i am not trying to offend anyone i swear, i am just curious. i swear i don’t mean to offend anyone, just wondering from a religious point of view why they are not allowed to marry and they’ve taken that oath of celibacy. i never studied up on that, so just curious really - when did it start, who implemented it, and what is the rationale behind it.
"Now for the matters you wrote about: It is good for a man not to marry. But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband..." (1 Corinthians 7:1-2)
"Now to the unmarried and the widows I say: It is good for them to stay unmarried, as I am. But if they cannot control themselves, they should marry, for it is better to marry than to burn with passion." (1 Corinthians 7:8-9)
"Are you unmarried? Do not look for a wife." (1 Corinthians 7:27)
"I would like you to be free from concern. 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..." (1 Corinthians 7:32-33)
"The disciples said to him, 'If this is the situation between a husband and wife, it is better not to marry.' Jesus replied, 'Not everyone can accept this word, but only those to whom it has been given. For some are eunuchs because they were born that way; others were made that way by men; and others have renounced marriage because of the kingdom of heaven. The one who can accept this should accept it.'" (Matthew 19:10-12)
However...
"The Spirit clearly says that in later times some will abandon the faith and follow deceiving spirits and things taught by demons. Such teachings come through hypocritical liars, whose consciences have been seared as with a hot iron. They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods..." (1 Timothy 4:1-3)
Nadia this point abt christianity has always baffled me too, im really not sure what the reason is..
it seems like Christianity is kind of like that...it promotes self denial....promotes concepts like if someone slaps you, turn the other cheek...and dont marry...
which is quite different from Islam
They percieve sex as a sinful act, and thus all children areborn into sin, or something wagaira wagaira
Re: Priests, nuns and bishops
[QUOTE]
*Originally posted by Nadia_H: *
Why are they not allowed to marry? When was this 'order' decreed and implemented? Is marriage perceived of as something 'evil' - honestly, i am not trying to offend anyone i swear, i am just curious. i swear i don't mean to offend anyone, just wondering from a religious point of view why they are not allowed to marry and they've taken that oath of celibacy. i never studied up on that, so just curious really - when did it start, who implemented it, and what is the rationale behind it.
[/QUOTE]
OK let's explain the celibacy in Christianity and birth of Christ.
jesus and his family i sconnected to Essene people. fo rthe Essene people, Marrage an sex were considered to be unholy and the aim of the higher members was to be perfectly holy in oder to be pleasing to God. The highest order of Essenes lived a kind of live that can be called monastic. But some of them recognised that if did not marry and have children, the race would not continue.For the holiest order, this was not a problem. it is very likely that their members were drawn from the ranks of abandoned or illegitimate children whome the Essenes took in. The ancient equivalent of abortion was to expose an unwanted child in a deserted place. An the old testament shows that some priests have the custom of taking in the children, both male and female, and bringing them up in the sanctuary as acolytes or propheteses. As they had no family to perpetuate, celibacy was required, came to be associated with holyness. for some very important people in Essenes ranks, however it essential to continue their family. they were members of great dynasties, the Zodaks and Davids who had been the the high priests and kings of Israel. The priest and kings from these families believed that sex was defiling so they practice it only for the sake of having children, putting severe restrictions on themselves and their wives. for the most part they lived apart from their wives. But when rule required that they continue the family line, theyleft the monastery and prepared for marriage. There was first of all a long betrothal period of several years, then a marriage ceremony which permitted them to have sex. It was a trial marriage lasting for 3 years. when the woman became pregnant, they waited til she had advanced to 3 months to make sure ther is no risk of miscarriage, then had a second marriage ceremony, which was permanent. thus the women was 3 months preganent at her final wedding. after this wedding husband would go back to his celibate life. the women in such marriages musthave also dedicated to a religious ideal. she must be a virgin at marriage in accordance with the high order purity. in the hellinistic world of the time there were religious woman calld Vestal Virgins, the word "virgin" meaning the kind of nun. in the same sense, the woman in an Essene marriage would,before her first wedding, be a virgin, meaning a member of an institution or order. However the betrothal period was very long, and must have put strains on both parties. the new testament speaking of an ideal like Essenes one, discusses the case of a man who "has a virgin", whose"passions become strong". if it happened that during the betrothal period and before the first wedding, the passion became too strong, and a child was conceived, then it coild be said that "a Virgin had conceived".the woman was still a virgin legally, but not physically. Now Joseph was an Essenes, living according to their rule.It follows from all of this that virgin bith can be explained. Mary was a Virgin meaning a Nun and betrothed to Joseph. in their case Before the first wedding took place, Mary, the "Virgin" conveived.