Why do we continue to not allow nuns and priests in general to have sexual relations/get married?

Question

Time and time again, we come across the obvious fact that being celibate leads to sexual frustration for these poor people. We've seen priests who start having sexual fantasies about young children. I've even heard of nuns having sexual fantasies about Jesus Christ. Obviously, this is totally inappropriate. Why then, do we continue to punish these poor people, when we know the detrimental effect this is having on them/their mental health, and our society today?
Especially considering, that we now acknowledge the fact that we're mere human beings, and no one is above anyone else. Why should these people have to possess god-like qualities, when they're just like any other human beings?

Answer 1

Apparently, this clergy people are following Jesus' celibacy, but know that the Catholic church is an institution of man, they make decisions at the vatican that will be made into instructions for all catholics to follow.
Now, sooner or later the church will have to allow this human practice since priests and nuns are humans. It would'nt surprise me if one day, all of a sudden the church accepts the theory that Jesus Christ did in fact have sexual relations with Mary Magdalene and had offspring, and since they're gonna come up with the evidence for this, they'll make it a new following and allow sex by the clergy and throw away celibacy since now they'll claim that if Jesus did it than it's ok.
Another fact is that men who are not attracted to women and are repulsed by the other option which would be anal sex with men chose to become asexual and thus join the church, but for how much time can they keep the urge bottled up?....they abuse children and do their perversions, and then ask god for forgiveness......some priests i'm sure not all of them.

Answer 2

The fact that Nuns actually have a full blown ceremony where they are married to Christ, even wear wedding rings, would have to be discarded.

The priests, well, historically there has always been a certain percentage of them who were not just fathers via tradition. They are, obviously, not married to Christ. Though they do take vows of celibacy.

There were very good and practical reasons for both traditions. STDs, would crash through whole areas of a country in the middle ages. Sometimes, only the priests and Nuns were well enough to care for the people and orphaned children.

Answer 3

Ask the Pope that one.

Beats me.

That's why Greek, Russian and Romainians broke away, as did the Lutherans.

ONCE upon a time Catholic Priests WERE allowed to marry, then some Pope changed all that.

Remember in 1960 you couldn't eat a Roast Beef sandwhich on Friday, now you can!

Answer 4

Who is "WE"

I have never been asked.

Your Obvious "Fact" forgets about the long history of celibacy.

Many married man have had sexual fantasies about boys/girls also!

The answer is more along the lines of PERMITTING marriage if a person can not fulfill their vow of celibacy.
As far as I know NO ONE forced them to take that vow and no one is forcing them to keep that vow. They may leave the Priesthood and serve God in some other fashion.

Answer 5

You forget about the power of Grace. Humanly speaking it would be very difficult if not impossible. Grace has the power to conquer those feelings. Priest already have a bride which is the Church and also have many children to attend to which is us and they go through the same types of struggles as we do. They do need our Prayers as well to keep them strong

Answer 6

Nobody forces these people to become nuns or priests. They know the rules. If they don't want to follow them, they can leave the priesthood or better yet not become one at all. People need to stop viewing the priesthood from worldly eyes. The priesthood is for the Kingdom of God and Jesus has said that his Kingdom is not of this world.

And another thing, why do you use the term "we", --- Like you have something to do with it?

Answer 7

"Good News about Sex & Marriage" by Christopher West

"Q: 4. Celibacy is simply unnatural. It's no wonder that so many priests have sexual problems. This type of scandal would end if priests were allowed to marry.

A: In some sense you're right to say celibacy is un-natural. As Christ reveals, celibacy is super-natural. It's celibacy for the sake of the kingdom. By calling some to renounce the natural call to marriage, Christ established an entirely new way of life, and in doing so, he demonstrated the power of the cross to transform lives.

For those who are stuck in a fallen view of sex with no concept of the freedom to which we're called in Christ, the idea of lifelong celibacy is complete nonsense. But for those who have experienced the transformation of their sexual desires in Christ, the idea of making a complete gift of our sexuality to God not only becomes a possibility; it becomes very attractive. The celibate vocation is not a rejection of sexuality. If some approach it this way, according to John Paul II, they're not living in accord with Christ's words.

Celibacy is a grace, a gift. Only a small minority of Christ's followers are given this gift. But those who are given this gift are also given the grace to be faithful to their vows, just as married couples are given the grace to be faithful to their vows.

In both vocations people can and do reject this grace and violate their vows. Certainly there's a need in the typical Catholic diocese for greater openness about sexual woundedness and for development and promotion of ministries that bring Christ's healing to those in need, including priests. But the solution to marital and celibate indidelity is not to concede to human weakness and redefine the nature of the commitments. The solution is to point to the cross as the font of grace that it is, a font from which we can drink freely and receive real power to live and love as we're called.

Furthermore, the statistical rates of sexual misconduct amoung celibate priests is no higher than that of clergy in Christian denominations who are allowed to marry. There is absolutely no evidence that allowing priests to marry would solve or even alleviate this problem.

There's also a dangerously misguided approach to marriage inherent in the idea that marriage is the solution to the sexual scandal of priests. As has been stressed throught this book, marriage does not provide a "legitimate outlet" for disordered sexual desire. Celibacy does NOT cause sexual disorder. Sin does. Simply getting married does NOT cure sexual disorder. Christ does. If a priest, or any other man, were to enter a marriage with deep-seated sexual disorders, he would be condemning his wife to a life of sexual objectification. The only way the scandal of sexual sin (whether committed by priests or others) will end is if people experience the redemption of their sexuality in Christ."

Answer 8

Is bull **** of the vatican..the priest and nuns don't have the rigth to get married because the vatican take this rigt for make the cristian reliogion free of sin. but right now the the vatican have more case of priest raping children because the priests get to they limits.

Answer 9

I'm not catholic, so I don't condone clergy having to be celebate anyway, but truthfully, isn't it their choice? Is it a surprise after they're ordained that they suddenly discover they have to remain celebate? Of course not, its their own free will. Some people decide to remain celebate without even taking any vows. If they don't agree with it, they can change religious affiliations or not become clergy. Free will.

Answer 10

And when we're done dictating to the Christians what they can and can't do, let's go dictate that the Jews can't wear a yalmulke if the want to, and the Muslims have to eat pork, and that Buddhists can't have their temples.