From my point of view the protestants got it wrong, since they abandoned celibacy.
please explain
RE: I have spent lot of years mainly figuring out what myself and this reality is all about.
You are viewing a single comment's thread from:
I have spent lot of years mainly figuring out what myself and this reality is all about.
You have an optimum/ideal. The optimum stands in stark contrast to the non-optimum. It makes a categorical statement.
For example: Thou shalt not commit adultery.
Everyone is a sinner. Or, to put it in more modern terms: Everyone is a rule-breaker. If I now water down the ideal, i.e. the categorical ought provision, and include exceptions to the rule in the formulation itself, turning it into an optional provision, I weaken it.
The statement would then be lame and would read, for example:
If you can, don't break your marriage.
Or: You can honour your parents.
Or: Decide whether you steal or not.
It's not provocative enough. There is little inner resistance to the wording. You read a sentence like this and could as well shrug your shoulders. If I "can" do something, then I don't "have" to.
I don't immediately ask: "And what if I break the marriage?" Or "And what if I don't honour my parents?"
These questions lead to the exceptions to the rules. Because, of course, there are always exceptions. But if you turn the whole thing round and declare exceptions to be the rule, nothing is achieved. No provocation, no debate. To put it bluntly.
I look at celibacy and monasticism in the same way. Through their renunciation, monks or priests represent an ideal (extreme). They are a living contrast to those who do not live a celibate life. Without them as a provocative ideal, this contrast would not exist.
The monks do not see themselves as being on a superior path (when they are genuine). They offer themselves as a contrast to worldly life. So, as you said, an "other". That's the point, isn't it?
When you look at a picture, you have a foreground and a background. Both are components of the picture, neither superior nor inferior, but necessary to distinguish the foreground from the background. The whole thing then forms a picture.
There's no way I could live the life of a nun, I wouldn't want to give up the occasional glass of wine, beer or cocktail, I wouldn't want to give up my husband and I certainly wouldn't want to give up my son. The monks, who live off the gifts of the people around them, may seem to lead a fairly comfortable life at first glance, but most people would probably not want to swap places with them. Getting up at 4 in the morning, meditating several hours, strict daily structures, frugal food and frugal rooms etc. etc. etc.
But if you are a Protestant pastor, then you can lead a completely secular life and basically you are hardly distinguishable from the non-consecrated. The fact that Protestant pastors can marry, have children and do not have to be teetotallers means that they have to give up very little. That's why Catholics don't get on very well with Protestants. And the Orthodox don't get on very well with the Catholics, I guess. I think it's because of the perceived watering down of the rules when it comes to religious appointments.
The reproach of all non-office holders towards the institutions is precisely that: That water is preached but wine is drunk. They made their nest too cozy and have become indistinguishable. (preaching water remains a correct message, though). Still, even celibacy is already a lot to give up. I think it is easier said than done.
I have heard of protestant female pastors who now preach that being lesbian or whatever sex one might prefer, is "alright" since "Jesus loves everyone". While I think that what they do is erasing all contrast between the ideal and the ordinary.
thanks for clearing that up
some paths are for some people
other paths are for other people
i'd have to think very long and hard before i even considered starting to begin attempting to "make a plan" to "improve" "myself"
Thanks for asking :)
uargh... I really cannot stand this expression. Same with "becoming a better version of myself".
It's too much about "me, me, me"
Thank goodness we can tell each other jokes and provide ourselves with interesting riddles and challenges.