April 12, 2005
Why Can’t Men have Babies? Or Reality
I’m quite serious – I think it’s absolute discrimination against men that we cannot bear children. And I believe that we as men cannot stand for this any longer . . . are you with me?
Probably not, primarily because of reality: men will never be able to have children because God created them differently for a reason. Insanity is the difference between understanding “reality” and not understanding reality – men insisting that they should be able to bear children is the perfect example of this, it is impossible no matter how much you don’t like it.
What this really gets to is that God designed men and women differently, each have different strengths and weaknesses. This is reality. Some points of reality are being debated forcefully in the media today, such as the potential for women priests. Just as the argument above, women were not designed by God to be priests. This is a reality which the Church understands and which cannot change – not even the Pope can change this basic doctrine of Christianity. The Catechism puts it this way:
VI. WHO CAN RECEIVE THIS SACRAMENT?1577 "Only a baptized man (vir) validly receives sacred ordination."66 The Lord Jesus chose men (viri) to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their ministry.67 The college of bishops, with whom the priests are united in the priesthood, makes the college of the twelve an ever-present and ever-active reality until Christ's return. The Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible.68
1578 No one has a right to receive the sacrament of Holy Orders. Indeed no one claims this office for himself; he is called to it by God.69 Anyone who thinks he recognizes the signs of God's call to the ordained ministry must humbly submit his desire to the authority of the Church, who has the responsibility and right to call someone to receive orders. Like every grace this sacrament can be received only as an unmerited gift.
1579 All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church, with the exception of permanent deacons, are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate "for the sake of the kingdom of heaven."70 Called to consecrate themselves with undivided heart to the Lord and to "the affairs of the Lord,"71 they give themselves entirely to God and to men. Celibacy is a sign of this new life to the service of which the Church's minister is consecrated; accepted with a joyous heart celibacy radiantly proclaims the Reign of God.72
1580 In the Eastern Churches a different discipline has been in force for many centuries: while bishops are chosen solely from among celibates, married men can be ordained as deacons and priests. This practice has long been considered legitimate; these priests exercise a fruitful ministry within their communities.73 Moreover, priestly celibacy is held in great honor in the Eastern Churches and many priests have freely chosen it for the sake of the Kingdom of God. In the East as in the West a man who has already received the sacrament of Holy Orders can no longer marry.
(I also included the continuation that touches on priestly celibacy). The priest acts as a representative of Christ in administering the Sacraments. We say he acts in persona Christi as the person of Christ. The first twelve priests God choose in the Bible were all men, because this most closely reflects the reality that Christ appeared as a man. The symbolism of the Sacrament requires that the priest be a man, essentially sitting in for Christ. This is a reality - just as men can’t have children, women can’t be priests. I’m sorry if this offends you, but it is still reality and you cannot change it any more than you can change the reality of gravity or child birth.
Perhaps you can’t understand why this is a reality. Does this matter? If someone who didn’t understand gravity jumped off a building, would they still fall just as fast to the ground? Of course they would. Lack of understanding is not an excuse to change reality. Even if it were, the Catholic Church is bound by reality – Christ Himself promised that she would not fail – so God would not allow this change to take place. In other words, no matter the nature of reality, we must abide by it.
God bless,
Jay
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Jay,
You do realize that there were women preachers in the Bible?
God Bless
Posted by: SandT@cctv.org at April 12, 2005 11:10 PMSandT;
Catholic women are allowed, and are very much encouraged to be preachers in the Church and to teach the Catholic faith to others. Think of such wonderful women as Dr. Janet Smith, Amy Welborn, and the late Mother Teresa.
There is a vast difference, however, between being a 'preacher' and teaching the Gospel of Christ, and being an ordained Catholic priest (although part of what a Catholic priest does is preach and teach the Gospel of Christ, there is much more to it). I can understand why Protestants would have difficulty with this distinction. However, Jesus did only ordain men to be priests in His Church. As Jay said, there is nothing we can do to change this fact.
I will leave it to another to expand on the distinctions between a preacher and an ordained Catholic priest.
God bless,
Nickie.
Nickie,
We are all called to be priests. At least that is according to the Bible.
God Bless
Posted by: Marc at April 14, 2005 6:25 PMA "shepherd" (priest/bishop) has AUTHORITY over God's children in the Church, arguably by definition; and parishioners are called to submit to Church leaders. (Heb 13:17) (1 Peter 5)
Again: a priest must have, and use, authority.
Yet a woman cannot have authority over a man, if for no other scripture than 1 Tim 2:12-15 (Paul: "I do not allow a woman to teach or exercise authority over a man....")
But thank God for the Catechism, which serves to further back up this plain Bible scripture and millenia of tradition.
Posted by: Tracey at April 14, 2005 11:32 PMTracey,
There are nonetheless women in the Bible who have preached...which means they spoke out loud in church services. This would seem to go against Paul saying that women are to be silent in church.
Just food for thought.
God Bless
Posted by: Marc at April 15, 2005 10:05 AMMarc,
The Catholic Church allows women to preach - some of the most well-known Catholic Saints were women who did just that. However, this is not the primary function of a Catholic priest - I understand the confusion, this is often the main thing a protestant pastor does.
A Catholic priest first and foremost is sacramental. He celebrates the Mass (the Eucharist), offers confessions, etc. In other words, he stands in persona Christi (in the place of Christ) to offer the Sacraments. Christ established the Sacraments and confered the power to do this on men, even though several women were very important within His apostolate. He did this because the priest is a representative of Christ in a real sense while offering confession, celebrating Mass, etc.
So, women can preach - and they often offer excellent insights. But they can't become priests just as you and I can't have babies.
God bless,
Jay
Jay,
Of course the confusion lies in our differences. To us, a priest is a priest and ALL are called to be priests.
God Bless
Posted by: Marc at April 16, 2005 8:47 PMWe are all called to be priests, yes, but we are also called to submit to leaders of the Church, and in the Bible those were men.
Posted by: Tracey at April 18, 2005 7:43 AMTracey,
I agree that a woman should be well learned by listening to a man. I do not see a problem with a woman preaching and acting as a priest in a church as long as her mentor is a man who schooled that woman well.
God Bless
Posted by: Marc at April 19, 2005 9:42 PMthere well be a day that men can and will have babys and i will be 1 of thows men there are some things that ned to be up toda8t
there was a time that woman were not alowed to do a lot of things just a man cud and how look at were we are
i fill that if a woman wonts to become a priest than shw shud beabel to
Posted by: shawn at September 29, 2005 8:50 PMWell I'm doing a O.O for speech and debate class and I was wanting to know if it was scientificlly possible for a man to have a baby the normal way?
Posted by: Juicy J at March 6, 2007 9:11 AMWow shut up dumb f@*%! You should actually be glad men aren't the ones that have to bear babies. So what the f@&%** hell is 'unfair' about this to men. If you look at it another way, its mostly unfair on women because they have to bear a child for nine months which oviously isn't the nices thing in the world. So shut the f&%@ up!
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