posted on Aug, 4 2004 @ 09:13 AM
It is the silliness of man that there are celibate priest...if you look at it from the biblical point..
In the first century, long before the rise of Catholicism, the church was served by "bishops," also called "elders" (Titus 1:5-9). Among the
biblical qualifications of bishops was that they be married. "A bishop then must be ... the husband of one wife ..." (1 Timothy 3:2; Titus 1:6).
Celibacy was not an option for any man desiring to serve as a bishop in the church that Jesus Christ established.
On a side but related note, the New Testament church did not have a priesthood comparable to either the priesthoods of Judaism or Catholicism. The
word "priests" in the New Testament is synonymous with being a Christian (1 Peter 2:5, 9). In light of that fact, the Catholic doctrine of celibacy
would effectively prohibit marriage for all Christians. In truth, both the doctrine of celibacy and the Catholic priesthood are groundless,
anti-biblical, manmade contrivances. Also...why do Catholics go to a priest for marriage counseling when they have no experience what-so-ever with
marriage......