Log in

No account? Create an account
Eroticdreambattle [entries|archive|friends|userinfo]
Tony Grist

[ userinfo | livejournal userinfo ]
[ archive | journal archive ]

Celibacy [Mar. 22nd, 2010|10:08 am]
Tony Grist
"No-one chooses the monastic life," said the monk, "unless they have serious problems with their sexuality." That took me aback. Up until then I'd supposed- if I thought about it at all-  that monks and nuns and celibate priests were heroes of spirituality.

So that's the first and biggest problem with the celibacy rule. You're going to attract a whole lot of people to the priesthood who are running away from themselves-

People who are confused,  immature, cowardly.

And the second problem is that you're attracting them on a false promise. The Church isn't the refuge from the world they think it's going to be. The new priest is the man he always was- with the same old urges- only now he can only satisfy them furtively.   Shut the door on  sex and it'll walk through walls to find you. So there you are- you and your sexuality- and instead of having the whole wide world to prance about in you're locked up together in a teeny-tiny cell.

[User Picture]From: internet_sampo
2010-03-22 01:53 pm (UTC)
I agree. You are going to attract a lot of people running away from themselves. But I also thing there's a second type. Something Penn Jillette said made much sense: when he was talking about religious celibacy he said it was, "a kink." When I hear some (a lot) religious people talk about celibacy and when they also talk about the virtues of "suffering", what Penn said makes a lot of sense.
(Reply) (Thread)
[User Picture]From: poliphilo
2010-03-22 03:23 pm (UTC)
I hadn't thought of that, but, yes, I believe Penn is onto something there.

(Reply) (Parent) (Thread)