Retriever, who is vacationing in Iceland and sending photos, also sends a link from First Things about a WSJ column criticising the Catholic requirement of celibacy for its clergy. It seems that the whole practice is unnatural enough that it much be the cause of the child-molestation scandals. Never mind that Protestant ministers, Jewish rabbis, cultists, Boy Scout leaders, schoolteachers, and coaches all also molest children. Details, details.
It's not a topic I think about often. I don't agree that celibacy should be required. But I also see the point of it, and don't like to see folks criticised stupidly.
This comes up especially around the election of popes, doesn't it? I recall my frustration in 1978 (both times) when all the news sources could talk about was whether the possible new popes would change the RCC teachings about abortion and the ordination of women. (You will notice that gay marriage was not even on the radar at that point.) Those were the things they and their friends were most interested in, so of course that's what everyone was really concerned about. Plus, if you keep selling that idea, that your issues are the only issues, it has a certain self-fulfilling quality, in that young, weak, or impressionable minds tend to believe you that all the cool kids care most about those issues.
Prayer? Humility? Scholarship? Piety? What are those compared to real issues?
They and all their friends are concerned, so naturally, everyone must be, or be accused of bigotry and prejudice and raaaaaacism.
ReplyDeleteI also think those are the issues that make the best headlines. Sex, discrimination, etc.
ReplyDeleteI can't remember if I made the comment to you, but I kept wondering how the whole birth control debate would have played out if it was say, a diabetes medication in question.
I think we just like to talk about sex without admitting that's what we're doing.
Well yeah. That's what the entire field of psychology is founded on.
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