The Pros and Cons of Celibacy

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Originally Posted by Scheherazade

Is it safe to assume that this is the advice you give to your own children?

:p

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My greatest fear is that she will figure it out for herself! I keep showing her brochures for nunneries but her heart seems set on university ...sigh! ;)

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Originally Posted by Michael T

My greatest fear is that she will figure it out for herself! I keep showing her brochures for nunneries but her heart seems set on university ...sigh! ;)

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;) Well, all the better then; nothing worse than a nun who has discovered the joys of an active sex life:eek:...except, maybe a priest who has discovered an active sex life; people follow them to Italy for a shot on the beach:nod:

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Originally Posted by soundofmusic

;) Well, all the better then; nothing worse than a nun who has discovered the joys of an active sex life:eek:...except, maybe a priest who has discovered an active sex life; people follow them to Italy for a shot on the beach:nod:

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What you said is tru

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Originally Posted by blazeofglory

What you said is tru

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Yes, it is interesting, isn't it Blaze. People hover in corners to talk about sexually active nuns and shout priests indescretions from the rooftops.

I'm never sure why people are so surprised when they see high-profile religious people being indiscriminate. It's difficult to keep a spiritual focus when your path is constantly littered with praise, women, and gold coins.

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Originally Posted by soundofmusic

It's difficult to keep a spiritual focus when your path is constantly littered with praise, women, and gold coins.

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Oh, I dunno. You get used to it.

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Originally Posted by MarkBastable

Oh, I dunno. You get used to it.

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:cool: Tell us more, Mark. Are you one of the modest few who manage to feed the frenzied flocks, stave off the worshiping women and return the gold to the poor?

'a shot on the beach'!:lol: Love it! Smoke of the holy love gun Batman!

Celibacy is possible only when you restrain your mind and you do it with a rope the way a rider reins in on its transport. In the Upanishads, there is a beautiful comparison. The mind is like a pair of horses dragging a chariot and the driver is the conscience and the soul is the charioteer. And if the bridle is strong you can control your horses, that is, your desires and you cannot control them always. The horses of your desires are bound to look else where and you cannot control them however much you whip them

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Originally Posted by blazeofglory

Celibacy is possible only when you restrain your mind and you do it with a rope the way a rider reins in on its transport. In the Upanishads, there is a beautiful comparison. The mind is like a pair of horses dragging a chariot and the driver is the conscience and the soul is the charioteer. And if the bridle is strong you can control your horses, that is, your desires and you cannot control them always. The horses of your desires are bound to look else where and you cannot control them however much you whip them

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Lovely analogy, Blaze:nod:

My question would be why would anyone choose celibacy? I can see it being forced upon someone, as in the illness or death of a partner, but I just can't see waking up one morning and deciding that "I'm not going to have sex for next day/week/month/year." Why would someone make that decision?

It's quite comon in some cultures to make such a decision but in ours (Nuns and RC priests excepted) it is more likely to be forced on us by widowhood.

When most people are talking about sex; are they talking about having a relationship? Would you find sex necessary without a relationship? While I am an older widow, the possiblility of "sex" knocks on every door. There are sex toys, computer dating sites, young people and divorced parents who consider me desirable because I am "settled"; I simply don't find any of these a decent subsitute for "chemistry with someone".
What are your thoughts?

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Originally Posted by soundofmusic

When most people are talking about sex; are they talking about having a relationship?

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In the perfect world, sex has no strings attached and relationships are optional.

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Would you find sex necessary without a relationship?

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Now, in the not so perfect world, sex is a neccessity, much like the TV remote.

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Originally Posted by Haunted

In the perfect world, sex has no strings attached and relationships are optional.

Don't you think that people always gravitate towards a relationship; if only to control when the other leaves?

Now, in the not so perfect world, sex is a neccessity, much like the TV remote.

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Love the analogy; what I like abouth the TV remotes is that they are universal, so they work on all tvs and get every channel.:D

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Originally Posted by Haunted

In the perfect world, sex has no strings attached and relationships are optional.
Now, in the not so perfect world, sex is a neccessity, much like the TV remote.

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Don't you think that people gravitate toward relationships, if only to control when the other leaves?

I like the remote analogy; I like remotes, they are universal, so you can use them on any tv and control all the channels at the same time:D

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Originally Posted by soundofmusic

Don't you think that people gravitate toward relationships, if only to control when the other leaves?

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Nay. Relationship means commitment, and commitment is a very scary word.

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I like the remote analogy; I like remotes, they are universal, so you can use them on any tv and control all the channels at the same time:D

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I don't have a universal remote — never attracted to the idea of having just one device, and so I shall remain a multiple-remote person. I guess that'd make you a remote control freak, and me, a polygamist of remotes ;)