Bait for the person who is supposed to be outing FR as anti-Catholic or openner to a legit debate about differences between Catholic and Protestant Christianity?
This line is troubling: “But Catholic authority requires Catholic priests to take vows of celibacy, which are contrary to human nature and create terrible stumbling blocks leading to sin (which is now being plastered shamefully all over the public media).”
That’s SRM leftist garbage. Incidence of child abuse are no higher for celibate priests than for ministers in Protestant churches (or any other large group for that matter). Then again, most don’t know that because the media has done such a good job equating “priest” with “child molester” and vice versa.
Or is this a reply to an earlier thread about Catholic vs Lutheran from the Catholic viewpoint? If so, I find it interesting - and telling - that the Catholic viewpoint included much praise of the strength of Lutheran faith. In contrast, this entire piece reads like an SRM hit piece on Palin complete with media-based distortions (see above).
About two miles down the road from where I live is the Presbyterian church that my family has attended in one way or another for four generations. When my grandfather first joined, he did so as a Texan who had moved east for his career. That was almost 100 years ago. Over the past 20 years the church changed so much that it is teetering on the brink of extinction. The manse across the street where the minister always lived, is now rented out for income. The last four ministers have been rentals who come in only for a service. The last two ministers were a homosexual and a lesbian respectively. The minister prior to that was thrown out for adultery with a parishioner. This year the Christmas Eve service was noticeably lacking in attendence.
Why has all this happened? Liberalism and moral relativism. Although I was married and both my children were baptized in this church, I almost never go there anymore.
**Catholic authority requires Catholic priests to take vows of celibacy**
This is true. And the work has been done in the seminaries all ready. Pope Benedict XVI is now reviewing all the liberal feminist nuns.
Men and women who become priests and religious dedicate their lives to Christ. This does not conflict with the Catholic faith or with any other faith for that matter.
How many Protestants do you know who have TOTALLY dedicated their lives to Christ? (I don’t think you would find any.)
Most Protestants and too many Catholics think that celibate means chaste, it doesn't. I simply means that priests take a vow to not marry so that their number one priority is to the Church and its flock, not to their personal family. Sexual activity out of wedlock is a sin for priests no different than for any other Catholic.