Name:   architect - Subject:   What about Priestly celibacy Date:   6/26/2015 2:47:17 PM

It was not until the 2d Lateran Council in 1139 that the "rule" against priests marrying was adopted.  It was reconfirmed by the Council of Trent about 400 years later.  For more than half its history the church permitted priest to marry...it still permits it in the Eastern Rite communions.  Priestly celibacy is considered a ''regulation'' rather than ''dogma'' and could be ended tonight by a stroke of the papal pen.  Now if he did change the rule and since it would not change the male only requirement, it is interesting to contemplate how today's decision by the supremes would effect the US church.

Considering the decision of today I am very interested in how off the wall crazy the Southern Baptist reaction will be.  They seem to be more than happy to pour gasoline on the flames whenever possible.  The SBC needs to take a deep breathe and realize what happened today. The court decreed that 2 same sex partners can be legally married...it did not say a Southern Baptist preacher had to perform the ceremony nor did it require a single Southern Baptist parishner to send the couple a gift ;-)

Some people are moaning that if a Southern Baptist preacher refuses to perform a gay wedding he will be subject to a civil rights lawsuit.  If that is so, how do they explain the lack of a single lawsuit over the fairly recent Baptist requirement that the preacher in question has to be a "HE". Same applies to the Catholic, Orthodox and numerous other groups.