I pray that I not lose viewers because of this article, but I feel I must comment on the dilemma among priests, who are not allowed to marry, some of whom look to other means of fulfillment. and
find themselves in predicaments with persons of the same sex, both young and old.
My thinking
is the the problem arises because in their church, they are not being allowed to marry. I don't find this requirement
in the Bible. I offer these passages from the Bible:
In the Old Testament, in Exodus 2:16 and
3:1, we see that Moses married Zipporah, one of seven daughters of Jethro, who was a priest. And Ezekiel 44:22 says, "Neither
shall they (priests) take for their wives a widow, nor her that is put away; but they shall take maidens of the seed of the
house of Israel, or a widow that had a priest before..."
Psalms 78:64 says, "Their priests
fell by the sword; and their widows made no lamentation..."
In the New Testament, Luke 1:5
notes that, concerning the birth of John the Baptist, "There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judaea, a certain
priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia; and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth..."
Paul, in a letter to Timothy (4:3), notes that some will forbid to marry, but this seems to be
speaking of all, not of leaders alone. Speaking of bishops (Elders, in the Living Bible), he notes those leaders should be
"the husband of one wife..." Mark 10:6-7 says God made male and femaile, and a man shall leave his father and mother
and cleave to his wife..."
These can be considered reasons that most denominations allow
their ministers to marry. The Apostle Paul didn't marry (I Corinthians 7:7), but as he says in another place, "it
is better to marry than to burn (lust 7:9). Some of us believe that this could also be applied to priests and other leaders.
It certainly isn't wrong to stay single. As for the situation that faces our spiritual leaders,
I can only say "pray ernestly about it and ask God for His guidance, concerning such words as abomination,
against nature, defile with mankind, and sodom."
Yes...God loves everyone, from the best
to the worst...nothing will prevent that (Romans 8:35 and 39). However, they must give up the things He detests, to make Heaven.
I say these words with love. Amen
