With all the Catholic Priest molestations, why don't we hear the Bible scripture 1 Cor 7 discussed?

Question

These men can't control themselves, so why not just get married?
Catholic rules say marriage isn't allowed. Sure they say to all entering the seminary they need to be sure that they can do it. But feelings change. After years of studying a profession, it can be a very difficult decision to leave...maybe it's just easier to lie.

1 Corinthians 7, says,"1:... It is good for a man not to marry.[a] 2But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife.... 6: I say this as a concession, not as a command. 7I wish that all men were as I am [unmarried]....28But if you do marry, you have not sinned;"

Catholic church says, "33But a married man is concerned about the affairs of this world... 34and his interests are divided"

BUT 1 Tim 4: "3They forbid people to marry and order them to abstain from certain foods, which God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth."

THE CATHOLIC CHURCH HAS ASKED OF MAN WHAT GOD HAS NOT

Answer 1

Amen to that brother. It seems odd though that these 'priests' would take their sexual appetites out on children though. If sexually frustrated why not find a consenting adult?

Answer 2

Please do some more research before making absurd statements about the Church.

Actually, there are Catholic Priests that have been allowed to marry. It is rare though, only with granted consent from the Pope. And most of them are already married when they are welcomed to the priesthood.

Why not let them get married?
Since the RCC was established in 33AD when the original apostles were still alive, the Church decided to maintain the tradition by only allowing single men come into the priesthood. Just as Christ's apostles were. It's simply biblical.

Yes, it's distrubingly disgusting what these men have done. But it isn't the Church's fault, since many of these disgusting men come into the church knowing what they want to do.

And just as someone previously stated, most molestation comes from married adults. There is no correlation between being single (and trying to living a celibate life) and sexually abusing another person.

Hope I helped :)
God bless.

Answer 3

The problem with pedophile priests isn't caused by the fact that they're not allowed to marry. These men were pedophiles LONG before they entered the seminary, and the priesthood happens to be a convenient place where they can be put in a position of trust that gives them easy and private access to children. The church heirarchy basically needs to screen their applicants and start policing their ranks better if they want to get rid of these perverts.

However, the fact that priests aren't allowed to marry could be one reason why so few young men want to apply to become priests these days and would explain why seminaries have lowered their standards so badly and are willing to take pretty much anybody they can get.

Answer 4

What does your argument say about all of the married pedophiles out there? I'm no friend of Christianity, but lack of marriage isn't the cause of the problem. The boy scouts and Protestants have pedophiles among their ranks just as the Catholic church does. The problem is that these predators know where they can get access to children, and the cowards who lead these organizations (men like Cardinal Law) are desperate to sweep such things under the rug. Following your faulty logic, Jesus might have been a pedophile, because he never got married. Please, put down the bible and think.

Answer 5

Holds no water.

Look at the instances of Priest abuse and abuse by Ministers. The Catholic Church has drooped a dime on this, as a matter of fact, did you know that the largest percentage of abusers is School Teachers, Catholic Priest are WAY down on the list.

So by your reasoning, It would be better if School Teachers and Preachers would also be celibate?

I know that is ridiculous, but no more than thinking the Pedophiles would not be pedophiles if they were married, how about this, almost ALL Pedophiles ARE married Men.

Amazing what you can find out if you REALLY study!

Peace be with you!

Answer 6

Two points.

1) According to mental health professionals, pedophilia is not connected to celibacy or homosexuality.

This very small group of child molesters would be just as sick or evil whether or not they had taken a vow of celibacy.

For more information, see "10 Myths about Priestly Pedophilia": http://www.catholiceducation.org/articles/facts/fm0011.html

2) Priests, religious brothers and religious sisters (nuns) as part of their vocation choose not to marry following:
+ The practice recommended in the Bible
+ The example of Jesus Christ, John the Baptist, and the Apostle Paul.

+++ Scripture +++

In Matthew 19:12, Jesus says, "Some are incapable of marriage because they were born so; some, because they were made so by others; some, because they have renounced marriage for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Whoever can accept this ought to accept it."

In Matthew 19:29, Jesus says, "And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life."

Matthew 22:30 - Jesus explains, "At the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven."

In 1 Corinthians 7:1, Paul writes, "It is a good thing for a man not to touch a woman."

Then in 1 Corinthians 7:7, Paul says, "Indeed, I wish everyone to be as I am."

In 1 Corinthians 7:27, Paul writes, "Are you free of a wife? Then do not look for a wife."

In 1 Corinthians 7:32-33, Paul teaches, "I should like you to be free of anxieties. An unmarried man is anxious about the things of the Lord, how he may please the Lord. But a married man is anxious about the things of the world, how he may please his wife." And in verse 38, "So then, the one who marries his virgin does well; the one who does not marry her will do better."

Paul recommends celibacy for full time ministers in the Church so that they are able to focus entirely upon God and building up His kingdom. He “who refrains from marriage will do better.”

See also 1 Timothy 5:9-12, 2 Timothy 2:3-4, Revevation 14:4, Isaiah 56:3-7, and Jeremiah 16:1-4.

+++ Scriptural Examples +++

Biblical role models of a celibate clergy came from John the Baptist, Jesus, and the Apostle Paul.

John the Baptist and Jesus are both believed to have been celibate for their entire lives. Some scholars believe that the example of the Essenes influenced either or both Jesus and John the Baptist in their celibacy.

WWJD? What would Jesus do? Jesus did not marry.

The Apostle Paul is explicit about his celibacy (see 1 Cor. 7). There is also evidence in the gospel of Matthew for the practice of celibacy among at least some early Christians, in the famous passage about becoming “eunuchs for the sake of the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:12).

The concept took many twists and turns over the years and will probably take a few more before Christ returns in glory.

A priest is "married" to the Church. Some people think that a priest who takes his duties seriously cannot take proper care of a wife and family. "A man cannot serve two masters."

+ With love in Christ.

Answer 7

The whole idea of men being celibate in order to be a priest is and has always been a pagan perversion of Christianity from its original Jewish roots wish calls men to be fruitful and multiple and helped lead to the great schism between the Roman Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East-West_Schism Your argument that the Roman Catholic Church as demanded what God has not is essentially correct and it is sad that the Catholic Church does not understand the abnormallity of what it calls for and what it does.

Good Luck!!!

Answer 8

Great question. I just hope you don't get censored by some of the Catholic faith, who would like to see this swept under the rug. I saw on the news where 2 Billion dollars has been paid to people who took the Catholic Church to court, nationwide. No other church in the history of Christianity has done that.

The answer is as you have observed. Let the priests marry.
It is not natural for anyone, male or female to be deprived of sexual satisfaction. God made it that way for a purpose. Who can refute Gods plan and not be punished in the process.

Answer 9

molestation has nothing to do with celibacy. In general, the vast majority of molestation cases involve heterosexual, married men. Also, molestation occurs in all denominations, races, and social classes. Also, pedophilia occurs with far less frequency among catholic clergy (less than 2%) versus 6% in the general population.

The Catholic Priesthood is patterned after Jesus Christ, who himself was chaste and unmarried.

Jesus said that there are eunuchs (celibates) because they were born that way, others because men made them that way, and still others were eunuchs for the sake of the Kingdom of God. Let whomever can, accept it.

It would be one thing if the Catholic Church randomly selected males and forced them to be celibate priests. We know this is not the case. Men, of their own free will, enter the Priesthood and accept the discipline of celibacy.

Answer 10

I think you raise a phenomenal point. The only thing I would question is whether marriage would solve the sinful desire to molest children. I don't think I, for one, would ever consider molesting a child, being barred from marriage or not. There's got to be WAY more to a person's psyche to molest a child than just plain old lust that could be satisfied through marriage. I'd also like to point out that what you're quoting from the Bible is actually Paul's thoughts and not necessarily the strict word of God. Don't get me wrong, what Paul says makes sense. I could just see that being an argument from the Catholic side. I also think they'd probably say that the Catholic Church IS speaking on behalf of God with their additions to the Bible. Obviously people who aren't Catholic don't see it that way. GREAT research though, and great argument. :)

Answer 11

I agree. 1 tim 4 says they shouldn't forbid them to marry. Therefore if a man wants to be a catholic priest, he should be able to marry just like anyone else.