For many, a vow of celibacy—a promise not to enter into marriage or engage in sexual intercourse—is unfathomable.
During the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther in 1517, reformers argued that requiring a vow of celibacy from a priest was contrary to biblical teaching, a degradation of marriage and a reason for the widespread sexual misconduct within the clergy at the time.
Yet some would stand back today and suggest that all single people should vow chastity! Granted, that goes down easier if you hope to get married (despite the odds). But how realistic is it?
A public health report concludes (after a long list of statistics), “Almost all Americans have sex before marrying.” And lest you be intimidated by those with a holier than thou attitude, they were included in the study.
I am married now, but it would be dishonest and unkind to dismiss from my mind what it was like to be single. A whopping 40 percent of our adult population is single. On average, we now spend half of our adult lives outside of marriage. And some of us die single.
I am not suggesting that we promote casual sex or “friends with benefits.” Let’s not draw a line between single and married people, though.… More