RE: Ask a Catholic
June 21, 2015 at 5:40 am
(This post was last modified: June 21, 2015 at 5:42 am by Longhorn.)
(June 20, 2015 at 6:19 pm)Randy Carson Wrote: Does a physician need to have experienced a heart attack himself in order to give advice about diet and exercise as it relates to lowering your cholesterol? Does a counselor need to have been a heroin addict herself in order to advise a junkie about the dangers of unclean hypodermic needles?
I'm not trying to make light of this objection...I have heard it before from Protestants who also object to the celibacy of Catholic priests...I'm simply saying that the clinical psychiatrist with a PhD in family counseling might never have experienced ALL of the problems that his patients may discuss in his office, but that doesn't mean he's not able to effectively provide solutions to those who are hurting...even if he IS wearing a collar.
Of course not. But they have received appropriate training, whereas priests have not. Their knowledge about marriage and family is restricted to the bible, which as I mentioned, doesn't address everything and contains outdated views that don't apply to today's families.
Next, I see a slight contradiction here
Quote:Well, these things might be true, I suppose, under normal circumstances. But we're talking about men whom, it may be presumed, are responding to a call from GOD. And if God calls, He also grants the grace.
And
Quote:You will get no argument from me here. I was a candidate at a Trappist monastery for five years, and I did meet with the vocation director of the Archdiocese of Atlanta when I was a student there. So, I had a little insight into what was required for entrance into the religious life or priesthood. Let me just say that psychological profiling is an important component of candidate evaluation and - in light of all that has gone on with regard to the pedophile priest scandal - an even more significant factor today than in the past.
I can assure you that seminaries and monasteries do NOT want men who are anything less than 100% healthy, happy and well-adjusted because religious life is no escape. If anything, it is a pressure cooker that turns UP the heat...not down.
That does not compute. If god calls, why does priesthood attract inappropriate people? Why is psychological profiling needed?
Are you saying that the negative biological and psychological effects of celibacy are not present because god ensures they do not occur? IOW, is god making sure that priests are fit for priesthood? Why the profiling then, and whence cometh the pedophile priests?
It appears contradictory that god allegedly gets rid of the side effects of celibacy, yet calls the wrong people all the time.
Also, I found this interesting, coming from a former priest:
I'm relieved to find out about the requirements, though. That is a good practice.