Celibacy Debate

That high-profile Catholic woman doesn't value sex at all.

Promiscuity isn't the answer, but Paul wrote,

"This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be

• blameless,
• the husband of one wife,
• temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior,
• hospitable,
• able to teach;
• not given to wine,
• not violent,
• not greedy for money, but
• gentle, not quarrelsome,
• not covetous;
• one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);..." 1 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV

Celibates bypass the two highlighted requirements and have not been tempered by them.

Sabertooth said:

Promiscuity isn't the answer, but Paul wrote,

"This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be

• blameless,
• the husband of one wife,
• temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior,
• hospitable,
• able to teach;
• not given to wine,
• not violent,
• not greedy for money, but
• gentle, not quarrelsome,
• not covetous;
• one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);..." 1 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV

Celibates bypass the two highlighted requirements and have not been tempered by them.

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I have a question.
Can an ex-bishop who committed sexual immorality still come back to being a bishop after repenting of that sin?

spiritualchristian7 said:

Can an ex-bishop who committed sexual immorality still come back to being a bishop after repenting of that sin?

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It probably depends on the church in question and things like whether there was consent, etc.

The most holiest priests I've known value celibacy and said to me it was such a grace from God.

Now we can listen to all the arm chair quarterbacks.

concretecamper said:

The most holiest priests I've known value celibacy and said to me it was such a grace from God.

Now we can listen to all the arm chair quarterbacks.

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The recent scandals aren't being brought about by those who remain celibate.

Sabertooth said:

The recent scandals aren't being brought about by those who remain celibate.

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what on earth are you talking about

concretecamper said:

what on earth are you talking about

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I think he's pertaining to the article? (maybe)

Replies opposite,against,or contrary to what you said doesn't automatically mean it's a violent/aggressive reaction.

Let's try to make everything as peaceable as possible.

spiritualchristian7 said:

I think he's pertaining to the article? (maybe)

Replies opposite,against,or contrary to what you said doesn't automatically mean it's a violent/aggressive reaction.

Let's try to make everything as peaceable as possible.

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Well let's wait to listen to what he/she meant. And as far as the replies go, I'll take the replies from those who have no skin on the game accordingly..ok?

From the article:

"We know that a hungry man cannot be judged for stealing a loaf of bread," she wrote.

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Doesn't mean he hasn't broken the 'law'.

Hungry man? We are not talking about TV Dinners.

Sabertooth said:

Promiscuity isn't the answer, but Paul wrote,

"This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be

• blameless,
• the husband of one wife,
• temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior,
• hospitable,
• able to teach;
• not given to wine,
• not violent,
• not greedy for money, but
• gentle, not quarrelsome,
• not covetous;
• one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);..." 1 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV

Celibates bypass the two highlighted requirements and have not been tempered by them.

Click to expand...

Paul was meaning that the husband was only having one wife. In that culture, a man could be polygamus. If Paul intended that a man could not be bishop if he was not married at all, then it would disqualify himself (see 1 Corinthian 7, where he states that he is a celebate). If he is disqualified from being a leader, then why is his letters in the Bible.

Also, there are many youth ministers and assistant ministers who are still single. Are you proposing that they should all be kicked out the ministry.

And I guess that disqualifies Jesus, because He was not a husband of one wife.

packermann said:

Paul was meaning that the husband was only having one wife. In that culture, a man could be polygamus. If Paul intended that a man could not be bishop if he was not married at all, then it would disqualify himself (see 1 Corinthian 7, where he states that he is a celebate). If he is disqualified from being a leader, then why is his letters in the Bible.

Also, there are many youth ministers and assistant ministers who are still single. Are you proposing that they should all be kicked out the ministry.

And I guess that disqualifies Jesus, because He was not a husband of one wife.

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That is an interesting point about Paul himself being single. I have never considered that in relation to this verse.

concretecamper said:

what on earth are you talking about

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The rash of child molestation cases.

Paul was believed to be either abandoned/divorced or widowed. Marriage was a requirement for being on the Sanhedrin.

Sabertooth said:

The rash of child molestation cases.

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What % of alleged cases were prepubescent boys or girls? Remember, I asked alleged.

concretecamper said:

What % of cases were prepubescent boys or girls?

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Too many.

Sabertooth said:

Too many.

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1 is too many, I agree. However...next...anyone have something substantive to add to this thread?

Sabertooth said:

Promiscuity isn't the answer, but Paul wrote,

"This is a faithful saying: If a man desires the position of a bishop, he desires a good work. A bishop then must be

• blameless,
• the husband of one wife,
• temperate, sober-minded, of good behavior,
• hospitable,
• able to teach;
• not given to wine,
• not violent,
• not greedy for money, but
• gentle, not quarrelsome,
• not covetous;
• one who rules his own house well, having his children in submission with all reverence (for if a man does not know how to rule his own house, how will he take care of the church of God?);..." 1 Timothy 3:1-5 NKJV

Celibates bypass the two highlighted requirements and have not been tempered by them.

Click to expand...

Great post and layout.

Carl Emerson said:

Comments on this article would be interesting...

Priest's sexual relationship 'would make him a much better bishop' - Children's author Joy Cowley

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I think Joy Crowley seemed sincere and probably is disturbed that her friend was forced to leave his job; but he went into the job knowing the requirements and took a vow that he has now broken. It can become so easy to slip into the modern viewpoint that sees sex as the ultimate goal. It is hard to judge the extent of the Bishop's sin without knowing the age of the girl; but I am reminded of something that Oprah Winfrey said during the Bill Clinton scandal with his intern, Monica Lewinsky. She said that she had interns as well and could not condone any behavior that Bill Clinton did towards an intern because the power dynamic is so tilted that the intern could not feel in complete control of the situation.

Mrs. Crowley seems to think that love justifies anything. This is an admirable sentiment; but she does not really know if the Bishop fell in love with this girl. If so and if love justifies anything, then the Bishop should be happy to move on and marry this girl. For the Bishop to do this, break his vow, and keep his job would be more of a scandal than his leaving the post to marry. Catholic Bishops should be held to a very high standard of morality and it is painful and disappointing when some do not live up to this. Ignoring their indiscretions or even allowing them is to let the way of the world conquer over the way of Christ.