The Catholic Church

To start with, let's take a type of religion, christianity, and the United States’s society and see how their views of sex are. Since the christian religion is large , I will narrow it down to my christianity, Baptist, in order to avoid conflict with other christian

Biblical sexual fulfillment is only achievable in the covenant of marriage, which is how God intends sexual fulfilment to be. In marriage sexual openness and fulfilment brings the two individuals that are united together into a deeper more intimate loving state. This deeper bond and intimacy that sexual fulfilment creates in this covenant of marriage between the two individuals also creates an understanding of the spiritual intimacy and closeness our Creator desires to have with us as individuals. Sexual fulfillment does not automatically occur in marriage between the two individuals that have united as one. They have to purposefully and intently strive towards obtaining this goal together to deepen and grow the marriage relationship. “The Gift of Sex: A Guide to Sexual Fulfillment” by Clifford and Joyce Penner provides the information and guidance to understand and obtain sexual fulfilment in marriage the way God created and intended sex to be enjoyed, a wonderful gift from God, while learning together how to overcome the stumbling blocks Satan places in your path.

Growing up as a Catholic I was educated in the spirit of living a pure life, learning many aspects about what I should not do. My parents and the entire Catholic community in which I grew up praised a restrictive life, wherein most of the pleasures in life were forbidden. Sex has been always a taboo subject for Catholics. My parents taught me that sexual relationships are only allowed after marriage. People who were known to be engaged in sexual relationships without being married were regarded as sinners and they were not respected within our community. Being raised in this spirit of considering sexuality a sin, I had become to despise the idea of sex, considering it impure and vulgar. As a child I could not imagine myself ever being married and desiring to be involved in sexual relationships, because I was inculcated with the idea that sexuality is

The most important recurring issues in the study of the history of Christianity during our time period is sexual abuse amongst the Catholic Clergy and abortion, the killing of a living entity, as it is a sin against God according to biblical doctrine. Many believe that sexual abuse happening in the Catholic Church, is directly related to celibacy. The Churches restriction on priests that directs them to abstain from sexual relations. This issue has been debated since the reformation in which Martin Luther and other reformers opposed celibacy. They based their argument against celibacy on the bible scripture, namely Genesis 1:28, where God wanted people to “be fruitful and multiply”. There is nothing in the bible that directly mentions celibacy. There are many versions that mention fornication and uncleanliness and the interpretation of the Catholic Church seems to have made this deduction based on those scriptures. The other major issue that is common in most of the world’s religions is abortion; the Catholic Church, the Orthodox Church, and the Protestant Church still adopt the early church’s belief to oppose the practice of abortion. Abortion is considered murder and a mortal sin in accordance which many versus in the bible as it relates to each of these faiths. Even between the Old Testament, where the law or Tora refers to the 10 commandments, where Exodus 20:13 states “Thou shall not Murder” and

According to Our Sexuality by Crooks and Baur there are two forms of celibacy “In complete celibacy a person neither masturbates nor has sexual contact with another person. In partial celibacy an individual masturbates but does not have interpersonal sexual contact” (Crooks/Baur,2014, 226). There are so many reasons as to why some people choose to be celibate. Religion is a big reason. In most religions they teach that masturbating and sex before marriage is a sin. The people who are celibate because of religion do it because they agree with what they are being taught but some are scared into following. Another reason people decide to be celibate is because they are waiting for marriage, whether it’s for religion or morals. They want to wait until the wedding night.

Their chapter on Homosexuality has been referred to this author numerous times, and has been read nearly as many times, with personal responses varying wildly between readings. What is most interesting, reflecting on Brueggemann as discussed above, is Hays’ conviction for calling the Christian community to a holiness that would be inoperable in the modern era outside of the closed community of a Biblically functioning Church. Furthermore, the manner in which Hays uses the story of their friend Gary to emotionally leverage the reader is sickening. Regardless of Gary’s convictions about sexuality, the man’s story is undeniably more complex, and marked with mental health difficulties beyond the comprehension of Hays, a self-identified heterosexual man. Depending heavily on Romans 1:18-32 , Hays’ argument relies on reinforcing the normative state, ie Adam & Eve were created by God as (apparently) robust heterosexuals, therefore so are we . Despite what the sciences of genetic divergence would say to refute this foundation, Hays charges on with fervent moral integrity. Hays’ argument gets shaky because of their obsession with the sexual conduct, stating that engaging in same-sexual activity defiles the Body of Christ. Hays sees sexuality as a central concern for Christians in the modern era, stating that “sexual gratification is not a sacred right, and celibacy is not a

This is important because priestly celibacy is very controversial. Chastity is living holy in the physical or sexual way. This will vary according to lifestyle and does not necessarily mean abstaining from sexual intercourse. The Church calls it’s faithful to lead a chaste life by experiencing sex within a sacramental marriage or by choosing to abstain while in an unmarried state. Deacons and married couples take vows of chastity as well as lay sisters and nuns. Celibacy is the state of abstaining from marriage which entails abstaining from sexual intercourse. This is the state of lifestyle or discipline for religious men and women, as well as those who simply live a single lifestyle. For some Roman Catholic priests, however, there are exceptions. For example, some Lutheran and Episcopal ministers who are married and have converted to Catholicism remain married. Deacons are not required to live this spiritual lifestyle. The religious take vows of celibacy when they are ordained or make their perpetual vows. Any sexual act, including the use of pornography, that violates one's vows or their lifestyle, is considered a sin against chastity or celibacy. Sexual abuse is such a sin. Not only is it a sin in itself, but it also entails other sins against chastity. These sins are lust, fornication, and rape and are in a violation of a priest’s vow of

Celibacy was made a Roman Church law. In return, all manners of immorality cropped into the clergy. Most members of the clergy hosted mistresses . This converted the convents to houses of immoral fame. The priests could keep many mistresses and abuse them as a result of the power and fame that they had. In doing this, sexual immorality became pronounced in the church, especially in the convents. According to the Roman Catholic church, the priests and most members of the clergy were not allowed to marry or have families. In fact, they did not have families in the eyes of most believers. Their indulgence in high immorality levels came as a result of their abilities to cater for the costs incurred in hosting such

Due to the Sexual Revolution in the 1960s, sex has been redefined allowing for cultural acceptance of societal phenomena such as the Hookup Culture, pre-marital sex, and cohabitation. Redefining sexual relationships has aided in the fundamental distortion of human sexuality and sexual relationships, causing the institution of marriage to be affected. Marriage has transitioned in the minds of contemporary culture from a covenant made between two people as reflection of “Christ’s self-offering to the Church” to “a mere ceremony – a ritual devoid of efficacy” (Grabowski, 117). This change in marriage has allowed the practice of cohabitation to increase. This increase occurred as individuals came to view marriage only as a capstone to their relationship,

Their celibacy expresses their complete and total identification with Christ and their commitment to continuing his mission. Surely this preparation phase is enough time for a priest to either see the benefit in celibacy or lack there off for them as an individual.

A book in which could mobilize people in living a chaste life is The Courage to be Chaste, written by Benedict J. Groeschel. This book showcases traditional theme of chastity to acknowledge that mature chastity can be loving, peaceful and fulfilled (GoodReads). The author, Benedict J. Groeschel, a Franciscan Friar of Renewal and a psychologist. In this book, he has shared his insights on the virtue of chastity and how to live it in the modern world. However, the book pivots on celibate chastity that includes addressing sexual problems in general and the benefits of spiritual connection, but it is open to married couples who wants to live in a chaste marriage. It gave sufficient information on psychological and spiritual reflections and diagnosis

In the more modern Buddhist traditions, monastics and clergy have a particular view on sexual activity. There is a specific monastic ethical code that they must follow. In

Casti Connubii (On Christian Marriage) by Pope Pius XI which literally means “chastity in marriage” addresses Catholic teaching on marriage and procreation. The pope declares that marriage is a divine institution and uniquely suited to the raising children. The encyclical also stresses the indissolubility and stability of marriage. This comes to be through the consent of the spouses-it is a sacred and inviolable bond. The document underlines that the spouses must be joined in “an especially holy and pure love”

This scripture distinctly indicates this instruction transpires unequivocally from Christ Jesus, stating this is the will of God; whereby, if people ‘despise’ anything concerning this teaching – then they need to speak to God, and not the messenger. Another scripture of Paul writes, “But we have this ‘treasure in earthen vessels,’ that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us” (2 Cor 4:7). This occurs as an alternative scripture praising the sexual treasure of people’s vessels that exists by the power of God. Frankly, it remains puzzling to me how this “personal involvement” of self stimulation became quite demeaning and ridiculed by a large amount Christians and, generally, making the sheer thought appalling for scores of folks. Conversely, just as a person’s sexual activity ‘within a marriage,’ becomes dictated by the loving thoughts, feelings, and attitudes of a couple’s mental behavior; undeniably, this same evaluation should occur toward a wholesome Godly relationship. This sexual mentality becomes in complete control and operates according to a person’s thoughts and what persists within a person’s makeup that establishes integrity or confusion within their heart.

It seems like a simple decision for the church to make: Make celibacy optional, recruit much-needed new priests.