Reply to S/o Celibacy in Buddhist Monastic Life

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[quote=Anonymous][quote]the rule seems just cruel and unnatural if it is forced and not embraced. 
I can not imagine why you have to be depraved of having a life partner, of having offspring and how can you make such a decision at 18 years old, when you dont' even know who you are yet.[/quote]

Again, no one is "forced" to become a priest. To the contrary, seminarians undergo years of training and study, including much soul searching directly concerning the commitment to celibacy.

No one is "deprived" of a life partner or offspring. They willingly choose to sacrifice those things as a means to holiness and to be more available to serve their people. Celibates are a "sign of contradiction," showing by their lives that there are eternal goods beyond those of the present life.

Finally, no one makes the decision at 18 to be ordained. Ordination requires a 4 year undergraduate degree, typically a year or two of pre-theology and spiritual training, and a 4 year graduate degree concentrated in theology. So 22-26 would be the minimum and most are older than that. There is significant focus in the seminary on human and emotional maturity.

The idea that it is "unnatural" for grown adults to choose a different life than the mainstream, after years of preparation, bespeaks a profound misunderstanding of the entire question.

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