on the doctrines of celibacy and marriage? what are the theologies pro and con?

Question

http://scriptures.lds.org/en/1_tim/4/1#1

Timothy 4:1 and 3 describe what the doctrines of devils teach.
devils preach abstinence from meat and forbidding marriage. I think this verse alone condemns the law of celibacy.

but when Jesus defended those that "cannot" accept marriage, he defined that Eunichs are made by kings and some are by choice.
so concluding that forbidding marriage is of the "liars" that pretend to teach Gospel truths, and seeing that not everyone can live the commandments of marriage, I conclude that Marriage is a greater calling.

Answer 1

Well, it certainly is the most common one.

And the teaching on divorce? I'm sure you have some wonderful insight into that scripture.

Answer 2

The Roman Catholic Church forces no man to become a priest. He chooses to be a priest of his own free will and does it knowing what the church rules on celibacy and abstinence are. He is not forbidden to marry. He chooses that life before he becomes a priest after several years of study and formation so that he fully understands his commitments. At any time up until his ordination when he receives the sacrament of Holy Orders he can change his mind and walk away remaining a Catholic in good standing. If a Roman Catholic wanted to become a priest and still wanted to marry he could conceivably go to the other Catholic Rite churches such as the Orthodox or Eastern Rite which are not Roman but I have never known anyone to do that. In the Roman Catholic church you cannot receive the sacraments of both Holy Orders and Matrimony. You must make a choice. You cannot have your cake and eat it too.

Answer 3

The requirement of celibacy is a false teaching.
Peter was married with a mother in law.
And he was supposed to be the first Pope.
Yet Paul advised that you could achieve a lot more for God if you stayed single.
It was a suggestion, but wrongfully has been made law in the Catholic church.

Answer 4

webster's revised unabridged -the slanderer to slander,calumniate,,1. the evil one;satan represented as the tempter and spiritual enemy of mankind. 2. an evil spirit; a demon. 3.a very wicked person; hence,any great evil.
I only question who acuses these doctrine writers of being devils ,not that I agree with what they wrote . but it's quite possable that they had good intentions NOT evil ones.. so who is our condemmer ? Paul ? these doctrine writers may have been wrong but there opinion isn't necessarily a lie ,it's just rong is all,,

Answer 5

Yes and these verses show that it's not God who forbids the foods and marriage but men teaching their own rules!

Answer 6

Actually the Catholic church started making their priests celibate to prevent married priests from passing on church property to sons who might break from the church. So basically it had nothing to do with holiness or faith; it was a way for the Church to hang onto its loot. Cute, huh?

Answer 7

Celibacy is based on Mt 19, 12 and on 1 Kor 7, 32-35. These suggestions from Jesus and Paul has been lived by monks and nuns for about one and a half thousand years. This practically began some centuries after Christ with hermits, who wanted to radically live a godly, spiritual life, when Christianity became "watered" by the great pagan masses, who converted simply because Christianity became an officially supported religion. Somewhat later hermits moved together in celebs communities and this way they became monks.

I have read about Benedictine monks of the Middle Ages that they prayed for hours, read (or listened to) Bible and spiritual books for hours besides working for hours every day. This way they became rich in their spirits and became spiritual "power stations" for ordinary Christian people around them. One cannot do this when married and have children. (And I guess that they could replace the time spent on spiritual things in stead of work by working more efficiently, what is possible in a humble, loving and well-organized community, like theirs.)

Several monk orders have been created throughout centuries. They usually had a special profile, like mission or prayer or caritative work.

10-15 years ago I have read world data about the Catholic church. Then the church had about a quarter of a million priests who were monks and an about similar number of priests, who were not. There were about 70 thousand monks, who were not priests, and more than 900 thousand nuns. So only about half of the priests and and about one sixth of all celebs people are such priests, who did not choose it as a natural part of a greater spiritual package or calling.

And there were about 1 billion registrated Catholics at that time in the world. Let's suppose that only 20 or 30% of them practiced religion. Even then the officially celebs (priests, monks, nuns) among them meant only about 0,3-0,6%. Think about 0,5-0,7% (especially after subtracting children from the whole population). So then we can say that there is one celebs among 150-200 adult, practising Catholics. We know that Jesus and Saint Paul were celebs. Do we know much more, than 3-400 persons from the New Testament, who we know were not celebs? If not, then contemporary Catholic situation is not basically different from biblical Christian situation (looking at the rates of the celebs).

In Eastern Orthodoxy ascetism of celibacy did not become seen so much part of holiness a priest needs as in the West. In most of Europe priestly celibacy was gradually seen as right and necessary even for those priests, who were not monks. (Perhaps partly because of the example and influence of monks and partly because Crist was celebs, too, and priests are especially representatives of Christ.) This is another reason besides objecting heritage problems why from the Middle Ages celibacy became obligatory even for those priests, who are not monks.

This way this has nothing to do with those Gnostics, who hated material world and so marriage (which leads to having children, new material beings), and who are condemned in the quoted letter from Paul.

Celibacy means a possibility for today's priests to work more for their communities and live a richer spiritual life, than they could, if they had children and wives, whom they had to care for. Even if they are not monks, they have the possibility to "think it again" and try if they can live like this throughout seminary years. And many change their minds, and choose something else in the period of preparation.

There are many more unmarried pepole among both Catholics and Protestants, who did not solemnly choose this state, just could not find a proper companion, and they live this as a (quasi)natural condition (even if they did not choose it). And they can live a rich and blessed Christian life even this way. So celibacy means a much wider circle, than just (not monk) Catholic priests.

I think that God created the two sexes and sexual contact to teach us self-giving, and intimate, loving unity - so that by these material examples we understand better spiritual truths, a bit the inner life of Holy Trinity. Celibacy is a sign for us (like fasting) that teaches us not to overestimate the earthly, material side of marriage (not only sex, but every common - e. g. financial - things of it), but to see it as a means of spiritual life. (Otherways monks have a vow not only abut celibacy, but also of living in poverty, which means not only a poor or maximum moderate living standard, but also that any means of their lives is for the service of God.)

Answer 8

I think I got it. and I agree! You write really mystically.