Reply to S/o Celibacy in Buddhist Monastic Life

Forum Index » Religion

Reply to "S/o Celibacy in Buddhist Monastic Life"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote]But celibacy amongst the Catholic clergy creates a culture of secrecy where child abusers can thrive. One priest may be abusing children, another priest is having an affair with a woman (or a man) and they each look the other way because they don't want to be exposed.[/quote]

And the abolition of celibacy would somehow eradicate this presumed "mutual assured destruction " environment?  Because married clergy (business executives, teachers, neighbors, etc.) never have affairs and/or "cover" for each other?

Even in this supposed example, it would not be celibacy creating a "cover for each other" situation, but non-celibacy. Practicing celibates have nothing to cover for.

As for alleged sexual misconduct being confined to Catholic priests, as PP's have observed, we just learned of s huge problem at the Episcopal Cathedral, the Baptist's were in the news a while back, there have been problems with the Boy Scouts, and let's not forget the rabbi with the cameras in the mikva. Nor, as a PP pointed out, have the Buddhists been spared.

As for blaming sexual misconduct on the availability of "weekly" confession (only a tiny minority of very devoted people go weekly), or the Christian belief in forgiveness, the power of evil, or human imperfection (all of which beliefs other than sacramental confession are common throughout Christianity, not just in Catholicism), it is a fundamental component of confession that the penitent must demonstrate true sorrow and a firm purpose of amendment before sins can be forgiven. Human frailty and demonic influence are not "get out of jail free" cards in any version of Christianity. They can be viewed as mitigating culpability, but the sinner must turn sincerely back to God; mere "words" are not enough.

[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics