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Economic considerations to keep the early church going were claimed as an excuse to start the practice of celebacy, together with misinterpretations and/or misunderstandings of the fact that St. Paul seemingly had a miserable marriage and thus advocated celebacy as his reaction to his own miserable marriage.
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Celibacy in the priesthood is generally understood by the historians that I hang around with as a way to keep church lands and titles monolithic and to prevent issues (pardon the pun) of inheritance of lands and churchly titles.
Paul himself did not advocate celibacy, despite his own celibate nature. In fact, he warned against it, unless the individual involved just didn't have sexual hunger.
The Bible is pretty clear on what it takes to be a church leader. Married to one wife, with children, and a demonstrated easy temperment and knowledge of the law.
And, Christ did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. All the commandments (but not the dogma or ceremonial law) are still in full effect. But being that even the truest believer sins by their nature, you really can't judge another. Having said that, you also aren't called to be blind to right or wrong.
03-22-2009
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