Does God force people to become celibates?

[ThornGenX]

I do not at all feel forced to be celibate. Infact, I consider it a gift. Challenges to that from within or without I offer up to God. Now that I have found this board and websites like this in general I feel I have a places to go to for help. Confession and when I find one, a spiritual director help too.

I do feel called to the religious life, but my age (36 doesn’t seem that old to me, but many orders have “age limits” of 40 or LESS ) and other complications could get in the way. Still, even if I stay secular or join a 3rd order (secular order), I know God will show me the right path for me. I hope you find the right path for you be it single or married. I do pray for you

 

[Island_Oak]

It is my understanding that the answer to the original question would be “yes” according to the teachings of the Church if the “people” at issue are homosexual. I am unaware of any permissible sexual outlet for them and it appears life-long celibacy is a cross they are expected to bear.

 

[Pug]

Island Oak:

It is my understanding that the answer to the original question would be “yes”

I agree, the answer to the original question is yes so long as you allow folks who don’t seem to be in the same situation as original poster.

Of course, “force” is a strong word. If one takes celibacy to mean taking a vow of not getting married, then no one is forced into taking a vow. But if it means you don’t get to have sex with anyone henceforth indefinitely on account of circumstances (typically what people seem to mean) then there are lots of people in those circumstances.

 

[puzzleannie]

God does not force anybody to any state in life. He does not force you to be celibate any more than he forces you to get married. We are not puppets controlled by a capricious puppetmaster. What he has done is create us in his image, for the purpose of knowing and loving him and achieving ultimate unity with him. To that end we are given this time on earth, to make use of all the conditions and circumstances of our life to grow in relationship with him. The ordinary means of that is through our relationship with others. Whether we live that life out in the single or married state, or in an ordained ministry or consecrated religious life, is a matter of calling or vocation. Not all are called to any of those states. Whom God calls, he equips with the graces to live that vocation and to grow in virtue within that state in life. He gives none of us a greater cross than we can bear, and gives all of us sufficient grace to carry our cross.

Whether or not you have answered God’s call for you, he has not forced you into your current state in life. You made choices all along the way. He does warn us that to act in ways contrary to the nature he endowed us with–in other words, to sin-- is to damage ourselves, others and to risk spiritual death.

 

[caroljm36]

I think celibacy is a lot more common and natural than the common wisdom would have it. It’s just that there is so much pressure and BS about everyone else’s sex lives, and a lot of phony psychologizing that someone is not “authentic” or “mature” unless they have an active sex life. That bias sure affected my life. Yet I think sometimes I could have felt, back around age 12, just as natural deciding to be a nun as doing what I ended up doing. Celibacy has gotten a bad rap, and sex ain’t all it’s touted to be either.