Phrogge, Monica:

I have wondered, on occasion, whether the celibacy rule may have impacted the church in more ways than we realize.  When one holds his/her newborn child for the first time, the kid is usually a mess.  It's gonna be quite a while before you can have a nice, philosophical discussion with her/him, for example.

Yet that process, going from complete and total dependency, to adulthood, is something that while seeming "normal," is nevertheless truly awesome to witness firsthand.  

Nobody will ever convince me that a 3 or 4 year old is fallen, or unclean. That curiosity, that innocence, that curiosity, and the unexpected moments of laughter, wisdom or pain are sublime to the extreme.  I have often wondered what church teachings would be like had those setting them lived that experience, had understood the vulnerability, and power, the hope and insight that these children offer.

This isn't just about the scandal: there's so much more that Jesus loved, but the church missed.