one MEEN Ag said:
Dad-O-Lot said:
I don't think you can compare a Catholic Priest to a Protestant Preacher. There are way too many differences in the two roles.
I also do not believe celibacy or restrictions against marriage are root causes of sexual sin of priests.
Not trying to be argumentative here, but honest question - why not? Both Priests and preacher prepare/lead the service, are responsible for being well versed in theology, and act as guidance counselor, and seek to implement sound doctrine. What about the catholic church specifically would cause men seeking to become priests and also be married have different outcomes than what can already be observed from protestant men seeking to become deacon/preachers and also be married? Its one thing to not like the outcomes, its another to say they are unknown. I can see the viewpoint that in protestant churches you have the whole family under the microscope. The wife and children are judged unfairly and the wife has her own power dynamic stumbling blocks.
You're also claiming that men who cannot act on sexual desire in any way doesn't lead to sexual sin? Denying marriage denies what is innate within every human, God gave restrictions on sex for it to be a blessing - not a commandment to not to engage in it. At the very least, you'd have to consider the requirements to not becoming married knocks out a huge majority of well qualified individuals. The talent pool then has to shift to those who would be okay with not pursuing marriage, creating a higher representation of gay and pedophile behavior.
Why not: I don't really have the time or inclination to go into a lot of detail, but there are two primary reasons which make a drastic difference in the roles of Catholic Priest versus Protestant Pastor.
1) The Priestly Hierarchy: Most Protestant Pastors are employees of the specific church they serve. If they don't keep their congregation happy, they are out of a job. If they "challenge" their congregation too much, they will be out of a job. Priests are employees of their Diocese. Their accountability is to their Bishop, who ultimately may be subject to the Vatican.
2) The Sacrament of Reconciliation: Roman Catholic Priests are tasked with listening to and providing absolution for the sins their congregants confess to them. I can imagine that if there were any possible romantic inclination from that priest, their congregants may be less comfortable being 100% honest in their confessions.
You should read some of Bishop Fulton J. Sheen's and other faithful priest's writings regarding Priestly Celibacy.
People of integrity expect to be believed, when they're not, they let time prove them right.