Question:
The Roman Catholic Church in the USA is in trouble with child abuse. The reason for this problem is that the church is reaping what it has sown because of it’s unscriptural teaching of celibacy.
So you think that celibacy causes child abuse!?!?! I’ll tell you what, why don’t you try being celibate for a period of time, you can then let us know if your thoughts start turning toward pedophilia.
Response:
Honorable marriage is a blessing from God. Enforced celibacy has turned out to be spiritually damaging. Freely chosen singleness, on the other hand, while not essential for holiness or salvation, has proved to be a rewarding and spiritually satisfying way of life for some.-Matthew 19:12. [Picture Credit Line on page 16] Life
Good point. Finding myself stuck at 1 Corinthians 7:11 for many years, the Lord has "compensated" me with a much closer relationship than I could have ever had being married. He has shown me many benefits of being single and celibate that married people just can’t know. Not only are there many good aspects to being single, but there are also good aspects to being isolated and secluded (alone with God) that constantly distracted married people will never find. Although there are mixed emotions and desires on both sides of the fence, it has gotten to the point that I would prefer the single relationship that I now have to reconciliation to my *wife* (?). The Lord has shown that it is right to want to reconcile, but, it is also right to want to remain single with him, too. It might sound like confused hypocrisy, but it’s not; both emotions are right. Now, after many years alone with the Lord, it has come to the point that, if she wanted to reconcile, although that would be a blessing of sorts, it would also represent a great loss to me, as my current relationship with God WOULD be diminished. IF she wanted to reconcile, I would be obligated by my vows to do so, but, I now prefer this to that, and find myself *hoping* that she doesn’t ever come back. It’s weird, but I find myself saying to God, "Father, I sure wish I had my wife back, but, Father, I thank you that I don’t have her back". This made no sense to me until he explained it, and showed me that both emotions are right in their own accord. Now, I find myself asking Him to keep lonely women AWAY from me, and rejoicing that I am NOT attractive! How odd is that? 1 Corinthians 7:32-35 comes to mind and the phrase "attend upon the Lord without distraction". Married people are constantly "distracted" with each other, and cannot give the Lord their undivided attention. It is no wonder that Jesus often sought solitude away from society and the company of women; the benefits far outweigh any "loss". So, even though MY soul is "bound" to my *wife* by vows (Numbers 30:4, etc.), and I would be obligated to reconcile, I am in NO hurry, and I hope it never changes (not likely anyway due to her unforgiveness and hard heart). One thing I have yet to figure out, though: WHY do all such Scriptures always pertain to women and not men? The same with 1 Corinthians 7:11 above; it is directed AT women and not men. I wonder why? Oh well, regardless, *I* find *my* soul "bound" to her in some way, whether or not I like it. Apparently I took my vows more seriously than she did (which is the case in two out of three marriages). Revelation 14:4 indicates that, although the sanctity of marriage is right in the sight of the Lord, there IS a measure of "defilement" upon a man for touching a woman. I expect that that is in the context of marriage, as it certainly doesn’t apply to fornicators and adulterers. (Just one more Scriptural indication that men are ordained as the spiritual head, too). I wonder if this "defilement" "wears off" (in about twenty years or so 
)? It appears so, as God certainly seems to have blessed and anointed this lifestyle! That being said, I find myself extremely happy and content in my life as it is now. I am grateful to the Lord that I have known the joys of being married, which many will never know, but, I am more grateful in what I now have. Society has gotten so marriage minded that people like *me* are often chastised and scorned even for choosing to remain single. Often times, people think someone like me "queer" because they don’t want a woman. They base their assumptions on their own habitual lusts of the flesh, thinking that "if he doesn’t want a woman, he *must* want a man". They fail to realize that a person CAN want neither, and CAN be very happy alone with God. The concept of a man who’s priority is NOT sex is alien to them, and they can’t cope with it. People often think that they will "fix me up with someone", but the first thing I do is promptly pray the Lord to firmly BLOCK such attempts (and he always does! ). Although a competent "help meet" would sometimes be a blessing and a needful thing, it would also be a "curse" of sorts, and would do more damage than good in the long run. Besides, even if *I* were free to marry again, there are no more decent, respectful, godly women left anyway; they have virtually all grown totally insubordinate and self-willed (stubborn). I feel so sorry for today’s generation of young men, thinking that they will find a faithful woman; most will not. Today’s generation of women can not be trusted with a man’s heart. So sad. Gary Schooley
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