[Aliska]

The demand of celibacy is creating many problems. Failure to acknowlege such problems just makes the cure more difficult.

The only cure is in getting the church to abolish the discipline.

At one time, my own personal preference was that priests be celibate. Because it causes so many to stumble, it would be better to change it. Ideally, I would still prefer priests to be celibate, but I now think that is unrealistic, at least in our time.

In the early church, I think it probably worked generally because people were more charged up then, more focussed, the world had little to offer anyway other than misery, and people didn't live very long.

Sexual abstinence for women comes a bit more naturally, not because they don't have similar desires and urges, but because the societal penalty for misbehavior was severe. It isn't quite that way today, but how many women do you know who have four different kids by four different fathers ending up in a good marriage? I don't know any offhand.

[Bluntpoint]

"In the early church, I think it probably worked generally because people were more charged up then, more focussed, the world had little to offer anyway other than misery, and people didn't live very long."

We will never really know if it really ever worked, will we?

[marajade]

" ... but how many women do you know who have four different kids by four different fathers ending up in a good marriage?"

I know a woman who has four kids with three different fathers now married to my brother in law with no kids between them in a good marriage. Does that count?