“Presumed” is right – by homosexual activists. 3.8% is closer to the truth according to Gallop polling. Even that sounds high to me: http://news.gallup.com/poll/183383/americans-greatly-overestimate-percent-gay-lesbian.aspx
The sample, however, was really 1000 priests (the other 500 are people who had relationships with priests). I would assert that it’s not statistically valid to rely on their testimony. So, what we’re left with is a sample of 1000 priests, half of whom are in therapy (presumably) for their struggles living chaste and/or celibate lives.AlNg:
The data sources are listed in my response, though keep in mind that a sample of 1500 individuals represents a small fraction of the church.
These particular statistics? Do you have a citation we can look up?
That is not true. There have been exceptions to this rule. For example, if a Russian Orthodox priest has a large family with several young children and his wife dies, then it has been known that in Russia that priest may possibly be allowed to move to the countryside and remarry.
What does that prove? You recently mentioned that Rodrigo Borgia fathered children out of wedlock while he was a cardinal. All that proves is that he sinned. It doesn’t prove that the Church allowed/allows clerics to get married and have kids.
Apples and oranges.
In the Catholic Church, if a man who is married and has children becomes a deacon, and his wife passes away, and he is a widower with young children, he can petition for permission to marry again (for the sake of the children). This is not a problem, as clerical celibacy is a discipline. However, in the general case, it is not permitted.
Because if they were honest and said they wanted to join an EC church because they felt called to the vocation of marriage and the priesthood, they would be rejected for membership. That’s not a valid reason to change rites.
Unless they are bishops. Then, no way.
The current situation is more practical but your reasons aren’t very good. Most military men remain in untl their late 60’s and they are subject to the very thing that you talk about—being constantly under orders.
Nah. Not an expert, but 20 years is a long military career. My baby brother got out in the last year or two after about 14 years (I believe he’s still in the reserves, though). He was in his early 30s by the time he got out of active duty.
I have family in the military. Lack of being active duty and sent away to foreign lands doesn’t mean the military doesn’t still own you. My uncle did get a choice of post, but he’s still in the military 100%. You can retire as early as 37, after 20 years, but many choose to remain in–especally those who joined in their mid-20’s as an officer post-college.Xanthippe_Voorhees:
Nah. Not an expert, but 20 years is a long military career. My baby brother got out in the last year or two after about 14 years (I believe he’s still in the reserves, though). He was in his early 30s by the time he got out of active duty.
While they can bail my point is that there are other jobs where one’s adult life is not one’s own, which makes it a poor argument against the married priesthood. Not that there aren’t any valid arguments…there are many. These just aren’t that.