Is it easier to live virtuously as married or celibate?

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Tinkinen

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I wonder if it is actually easier to live a virtuous life as a married person than as a celibate. St. Paul seems to promote marriage as the default option for those who are not able to live chastely in celibacy, but I don’t think the issue is that simple. Marriage has mostly the same problems of chastity as celibate life, and loads of other occasions of sin on top of that. Actually, St. Augustine thought that it is easier to abstain entirely than to strive to any kind of moderation. So, what do you think should marriage be recommended for someone who wishes to avoid sin?
When I ask this, I don’t imply that I am currently satisfactorily capable of either.
 
Tinkinen said:
I wonder if it is actually easier to live a virtuous life as a married person than as a celibate. St. Paul seems to promote marriage as the default option for those who are not able to live chastely in celibacy, but I don’t think the issue is that simple. Marriage has mostly the same problems of chastity as celibate life, and loads of other occasions of sin on top of that. Actually, St. Augustine thought that it is easier to abstain entirely than to strive to any kind of moderation. So, what do you think should marriage be recommended for someone who wishes to avoid sin?
When I ask this, I don’t imply that I am currently satisfactorily capable of either.
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Honestly it depends on the person
 
I liked the way one priest acquaintance of mine put it:

“I,” he said, “forsake sexual relations with all women.
You forsake sexual relations with all women, except for one.”

🙂
tee
 
tee_eff_em said:
I liked the way one priest acquaintance of mine put it:

“I,” he said, “forsake sexual relations with all women.
You forsake sexual relations with all women, except for one.”

🙂
tee
Click to expand...
You also forsake sexual relations with all men right? (These days you need to clarify.)
 
With matrimony, grace is received… With the priesthood, grace is received, because I believe both are Sacramental.

To remain single offers no Sacramental help… However there is still Actual grace, so that helps.
 
There is a saying regarding computer programs, that if you fix one bug, you get two new ones. That’s how it works when someone carelessly changes computer code. I think recommending marriage to someone who has a problem with chastity is similar: fix one sin, get two new ones (and maybe you also get to keep the old one). Deciding to marry is also irreversible, so you don’t get to say, “it was not my cup of tea”, and revert to the former condition. Actually that happens, but it is sin and injustice.
 
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