Chastity: the meaning of the word
Chastity is a fairly broad concept. In Ozhegov’s dictionary, “chastity” is interpreted as virginity, as well as strict morality and purity.
In the “Encyclopedic Dictionary” of the teacher “Fundamentals of Spiritual Culture” Bezrukova V.S. the following explanation of chastity is given: “A positive spiritual and moral quality of a person, expressed in innocence, holistic wisdom, purity of thoughts and preservation of a girl’s virginity before marriage. This is one of the highest human qualities, valued in Russian Orthodox culture as virtue, as spirituality, as holiness of behavior. A girl's chastity is preserving her natural integrity, avoiding fornication and impurity in sexual relations. Orthodoxy warns that unchastity, that is, early and promiscuous sexual intercourse, leads to illness, bitterness, devastation of the soul, and the collapse of the strength of family life. Chaste people distinguish between true and false love, spiritual and physical; they know what “loyalty” and “sacrifice” are.
Babenko’s “Large Explanatory Dictionary of Russian Nouns” gives the following interpretation of chastity: “The property of a person who has high moral qualities, moral impeccability (honesty, truthfulness, selflessness, purity).”
The Milanese bishop Ambrose of Milan in the 4th century identified three forms of chastity: chastity of virginity, chastity of spouses and chastity of widowhood. According to him, each of these forms is important and none of them is more virtuous than the other. In Rus', the word “honor” was used more often. We all know the proverb “Take care of your dress again, but take care of your honor from a young age.” Words such as “virginity, honor, morality, innocence, purity, purity” are often used as synonyms for the word “chastity.”
Any religion calls for chastity; it is believed that the vow of chastity is necessary for the spiritual growth of a person and is an integral part of morality. The word “chastity” contains two words - “whole” and “wisdom”, which is often interpreted as the unification of spirit and body into one whole, that is, a person ceases to be guided only by instincts and looks at life wider and deeper, which is what wisdom. Chastity, like any vow, must be observed on three levels: body, speech and mind. Chastity at the bodily level is mainly modest dress and behavior; at the level of speech - this is the absence of bad words, ambiguous phrases, sexual overtones, moral speech filled with meaning; at the level of the mind - monitoring and stopping the occurrence of lustful thoughts.
You need to understand that no one is talking about the absence of sexual relations at all, we are talking about the purity of the relationship between a man and a woman, that we should not make intercourse the basis of the relationship or reduce it to a base disrespectful attitude towards each other. On the contrary, this act must be filled with the highest meaning of creation.
Origin of the word
If we consider the etymology of the word “chastity,” it means “innocence.” Apparently this form was formed in the Old Church Slavonic language as a tracing paper from the Greek sōphrosynē - “prudence”. In Church Slavonic and Old Church Slavonic it is written as: tselomidrie σωφροσύνη, tselomidrn σώφρων.
In a narrow sense, the word “chastity” means the ability to control one’s sexual desires and the unseemly actions associated with them. In a broader sense, it is moral rigor and purity, moral virtue, which is manifested not only in relation to the opposite sex, but also in the manner of communication, views, and clothing. This is a kind of opposite of idleness, where irrepressible debauchery leads to unbridled sexual intemperance and depravity.
This concept defines the integrity of the individual, striving for unity with God and observing the internal law called conscience and placed in the heart of every person. Anyone who listens to conscience gradually begins to hear the voice of its wisdom.
Meaning of the concept
The meaning of the word chastity in the concept of the majority comes down to the volitional curbing of low passions and desires in the name of spiritual purity and fidelity to a partner, a system of spiritual beliefs. In fact, the meaning of this concept is much broader. This is not even a pattern of virtuous, zealous religious behavior or a manner of appearing in society.
This concept leaves an imprint on all spheres of life of someone who wants to follow a similar lifestyle. Every human breath is saturated with it. His every thought is filled with freshness and the aroma of purity, emanating from the depths of the soul, beginning to realize its integrity. When this “wisdom” permeates the mind so much that it becomes enlightened, gains clarity and sees the only correct path of creation through the accumulation of virtuous power, this concept becomes a natural, integral part of a person’s life.
Chastity and virginity
Very often these two concepts are identified, which is incorrect. The difference is that virginity refers to a physical concept associated with maintaining the integrity of the hymen (hymen - folds of the mucous membrane that protects the entrance to the vagina) and with sexual abstinence of a young man before entering into marital relations.
Chastity is a spiritual concept that is based on purity of thoughts, from which comes the correctness of actions and the harmony of relationships, both interpersonal and social. It, unlike virginity, can have several forms of manifestation.
Virginity and chastity: the difference
"Virginity" is a physical concept. And “chastity” is spiritual. This is the main difference.
The spiritual world of every person can be beautiful, or it can be ugly. Greed, envy, acquisitiveness, betrayal - these qualities create a personal hell in the soul of every person during his lifetime. Without conducting a conversation in a religious direction, even from the point of view of philistine kitchen psychology, each of us admits that these qualities are destructive.
What does a “chaste girl” mean from the point of view of secular society? Honest, kind, without evil thoughts, always ready to lend a helping hand to her neighbor. Only a narrow-minded person, hearing this word, begins to giggle and imagine indecent scenes from all famous films. A good education, a decent family and social circle, and quality cinema have a beneficial effect on the upbringing of girls and help them grow into chaste and integral individuals.
Vow of chastity
The vow of chastity is made directly to God and is considered irrevocable. Anyone who has made such a vow no longer has the right to marry and have children, as well as to have sex forever. Both men and women can take the vow of chastity, both in monasticism and in the world. Monasticism, as well as monasticism, is translated as “solitary, solitary living.”
There are also similar concepts: asceticism (from the Greek “exercise”), as a type of spiritual practice, the purpose of which is to achieve a certain spiritual state or acquire supernatural abilities, is recognized in all religions and cultures; celibacy (literally “celibacy”), brahmacharya – sexual abstinence; self-control over desires, the desire for purity of thoughts, words and deeds always and under all circumstances.
The vow of chastity is perhaps one of the most difficult vows, since it goes against the very nature of man. Those who choose this path will face many temptations and difficulties in curbing their natural desires.
Chastity belt
A chastity belt, chastity belt or “Venetian lattice” is a leather or metal device that mechanically makes sexual intercourse impossible.
The concept of a “chastity belt” was first mentioned in ancient Greek texts. Allegedly, it was created in order to protect slaves from unwanted pregnancy, which would interfere with the use of their labor.
Historically, most references to the chastity belt occur in the Middle Ages. When the husband was away from home, so that his wife would not be tempted to cheat, a leather or metal belt was put on her hips, a strip of metal or leather was fastened in front, passed through the crotch and secured at the back. The key to the belt was given to the husband. Today it is believed that a chastity belt is a fiction, if you rely on logic and ideas about how long you can walk in a leather or metal “thong” without damaging the skin, not to mention the impossibility of maintaining at least partial hygiene. But history knows a lot of examples of people being tortured, especially in the name of preserving a woman’s chastity. But over time, such belts began to be created not only to preserve female fidelity. Various models of belts for boys that prevent masturbation are still kept in some European museums.
Qualities of a chaste woman
Chastity is a very important quality. Chastity is the true beauty of a woman. the essence of a woman's true beauty. “ Nari-rupam ” means “beauty of a woman,” “ pati-vratam ” means “to be faithful, devoted,” or, as Srila Prabhupada says, to be a slave to one’s husband.
First quality - A chaste woman should not be greedy
Greed is the desire to have for yourself. According to the Vedas, feelings become attached to some objects. Since feelings have a subtle material nature, they actually permeate the object to which they become attached. They are like tentacles, and the mind, being influenced by them, begins to become restless and gradually the desire to possess this object arises in it. A woman should be satisfied under any circumstances. We know that women often, without realizing it, demand more from their husbands than they are able to give.
Second quality - A chaste woman skillfully manages her household affairs
It is very important to understand that when a woman is clean, she naturally develops a taste for managing household affairs. When she is unclean, that is, not chaste, walking around somewhere, then household chores do not interest her, and she does not conduct them very skillfully. Because a woman’s skill depends purely on the desire to do something pleasant for her husband, to seem like a good person to him. She does everything in order to satisfy her loved one - such is the nature of a woman. If she has no one to satisfy in this house, then everything falls out of her hands, and as a result, household chores do not go so well.
Third quality - A chaste woman must be familiar with the laws of life
These laws are called religious rules. Every faith, every teaching has religious rules of life, and a woman must be familiar with them in order to know whether what a man demands of her is in accordance with the law.
Fourth quality - A chaste woman should be able to speak pleasantly
When she speaks pleasantly, even if she feels insulted and irritated, speaking pleasantly conveys the impression of respect. Pleasant speech means that a person speaks respectfully. Respectful speech mitigates conflict. It allows people to find a common opinion, because respectful speech naturally puts everyone in a state of peace.
Fifth quality - A chaste woman must be able to speak truthfully
When a husband notices that his wife is even the slightest bit disingenuous with him, he is completely disappointed in her. It is very important for a man that a woman be open and honest with him. This is a natural quality of a woman - to be simple and honest and to reveal to her husband all the deep moments of her character, her psyche.
Sixth quality - A chaste woman should always be attentive
It often happens that due to inattention people quarrel and lose each other. Mindfulness means guessing a bad moment in your husband's life, guessing a bad moment in your children's lives. Every person has a bad period in life. Close people should be careful and guess this bad period.
Seventh quality - A chaste woman must be pure
1. “Clean hands.” This means not taking too much. This also means a fortieth, tenth, or other part of the income, which should be given to those who need it.
2. “Clean ears.” This means not listening to people who are scared, angry, fussy, etc., and also protect your hearing from foul language, gossip and empty talk.
3. “Clean eyes.” This means protecting your eyes from hatred, from anger, from envy and lust.
4. “Clean mouth.” This means protecting your mouth from excessive verbosity and profanity. "Silence is gold".
5. “Cleanliness of body and clothing.” This means keeping your body and clothes clean.
6. “Purity of thoughts.” This means removing negative thoughts and evil thoughts from your mind. It also means not showing self-pity. Why feel sorry for yourself? Isn't it better to encourage yourself for bright beginnings?
Thus, having all these qualities, a woman becomes chaste, that is, she does not have the slightest desire to go somewhere and do illicit things with some other person. The above listed qualities can be called in one word - female virtue - “doing good.”
There is an amazing verse in the Vedas that says that there are five chaste women. Every morning, Indian women repeat their names, urging them to never forget their perfection and the spiritual power given to them.
ahalyadraupadikunti taramandodarithatha panchakanyasmarenityam maha - pataka - nashanam
Panchakanya (five virgins) guarantees the salvation of the soul and deliverance from any evil. And when a person remembers their names, all sins leave his heart.
C sacred scriptures about chaste women:
Srimad-Bhagavagam, canto 7, chapter 11, verse 25 :
“Serve your husband, always be kind to him, treat your husband’s relatives and friends equally well, follow the same vows as your husband - these are the four principles a chaste woman should follow.”
“Srimad-Bhagavatam”, canto 7, chapter 11, verses 26 – 27 :
“A chaste woman should dress up beautifully and wear gold jewelry for the pleasure of her husband. She should always dress in clean and attractive clothes. She must sweep and clean the house with water and other liquids so that everything there is clean and tidy. She must collect all the necessary household supplies and make sure that the house always smells of incense and flowers, and she must always be ready to fulfill all the wishes of her husband. A chaste woman should be modest and truthful, control her feelings, her speech should always be pleasant; so she should serve her husband according to the time and circumstances.”
Srimad-Bhagavatam, canto 7, chapter 11, verse 28 :
“A chaste woman should not be greedy, but should be satisfied under any circumstances. She should be skilled in household chores and well versed in religious principles. Her speech should be pleasant to the ear, she should not tell lies, she should be very attentive and always be clean and tidy. Thus, a chaste woman should lovingly serve her husband, who is not fallen.”
Srila Prabhupada:
“The very constitution of a man imposes on him the desire to dominate a woman, and a woman, by her constitution, is inclined to submit to her husband. Obeying his innate instinct, the husband seeks to establish his dominant position in the family, and this order should be strictly observed.”
This is the most important concept that all women must understand correctly. This is the key to understanding why a woman should occupy a subordinate position in relation to a man. This is a man’s natural inclination, his natural instinct. This is connected with the material body of a man. He seeks to assert his dominant position relative to his wife.
(Private conversation, Detroit, June 14, 1976.)
Virginity in culture
In many cultures, maintaining virginity (that is, the integrity of the hymen) before marriage was considered a necessary condition. This, however, did not exclude the possibility of other forms of sexual contact.
Female virginity in some cultures is closely intertwined with personal or even family honor. Previously, in some cultures (especially Christianity, Islam, Judaism, as well as Hinduism and other Indian religions) there was a deep belief that losing virginity before marriage was shameful.
In some cultures (such as the Bantu in South Africa), virginity testing is a custom. This usually means a virginity test performed by an older woman. A similar check carried out by a nun on the main character is one of the key scenes in Luc Besson's feature film about Joan of Arc.
Traditionally, in Western wedding ceremonies, a veil is worn as a symbol of the bride's virginity. There is a common misconception that a white dress symbolizes virginity, however, some women choose a white robe despite not being virgins, including those who remarry.
Some elements of modern (especially Western) culture no longer view premarital virginity as a virtue, and may allude to it in disparaging ways. The increasingly common view among young people that virginity is not a virtue has given rise to numerous debates, especially regarding the sexuality of young people. Virginity after a certain age is even seen by some as a negative thing, suggesting that a person is unattractive and sexually immature.
Philosopher Bertrand Russell, in his book Why I Am Not a Christian, argued that avoiding sexual relations is naive and foolish, and that in the long run it leads to much greater unhappiness than if sexual activity is present. This is based on the idea that someone who is deaf to sexual desire and satisfaction will not be able to distinguish intense passion from what is called intimacy, and therefore may make poor partner choices based on a fallacy - a mistake that someone who knows this difference would not make. .
In ancient Greek mythology and a number of religions, virginity is considered a sign of special spiritual purity and chastity. Virgin
(Greek parthenos) - one of the epithets of the goddess Athena, hence the name of the temple in her honor - Parthenon.
Loss of virginity
Losing virginity, as the first sexual experience, is usually considered an important life event. It is covered in many youth films. Losing one's virginity can be seen as a milestone to be proud of, or as a mistake to be ashamed of (especially if it occurs through a loss of self-control), depending on cultural perception. Historically, these perceptions have been heavily influenced by gender roles. For example, for a man, the loss of virginity was more often associated with pride, and for a woman, it was more often associated with shame. (See double standards.) However, in recent years the influence of gender roles has weakened, and it is now much more common for a woman to associate losing her virginity with pride.
The partner in the loss of virginity is sometimes colloquially referred to as “taking” the virginity of the virgin partner. In some places this phrase is used only if the partner is not a virgin, but in others the partner's virginity is completely irrelevant.
The medical term "defloration" refers to the event of loss of virginity.
In modern Western culture, virginity is perceived quite negatively, as an argument in favor of a person’s worthlessness. Therefore, many teenagers strive to “lose their virginity” as quickly as possible. A person who retains his virginity into adulthood can become an object of ridicule. This applies to a greater extent to men.
Artificial restoration of virginity
Modern plastic surgery offers ways to restore the hymen (hymenoplasty).
Chastity in Rus'
Things were different for our ancestors. From time immemorial, the main quality of a girl and woman in Rus' was her chastity. Our ancestors attached great importance not so much to the external beauty of a girl, but to her modesty, inner purity, purity, hard work - it was these qualities that painted the future wife. When choosing a girl as a wife, first of all they chose the mother of their children, the one who would keep the hearth and organize the space, both material and spiritual. The Mother of God, that is, the one who gave birth to God, was revered more than others. And in every woman they saw her image. Chastity was expressed not only in the presence of virginity before marriage and fidelity to her husband after, but also in behavior in general. That is, behavior should not cause bad thoughts in others, especially lustful ones. For example, they took a woman’s appearance quite seriously. The robe had to be closed, the hair under the headdress. God forbid a woman or girl appear in public with her hair down. This was unacceptable. This is where the expression “goof off” comes from. Zharnikova S. in her book “The Golden Thread” mentioned that it used to be believed that a woman, appearing in public with her hair down, would bring damage to her family. Apparently, this is due to the fact that she can cause envy in other women with her beauty and bad thoughts, and deprive men of peace. In other words, an immodest girl or woman increases negative concentration not only on herself, but also on her family.
From folklore and the works of classics, we know that the “spoiled” girl could not get married and often committed suicide, preferring the life of a mermaid to earthly life in shame and pangs of conscience. According to legend, mermaids, of which there are many, do not represent the deceased souls of girls who committed suicide, but the main reason for such a death was the lost honor in unrequited love. Often these were girls who, in a fit of passion, gave themselves before marriage to a groom who did not fulfill his promise to marry.
I would like to emphasize that before, the life of a girl and the life of a woman was very different: she changed her place of residence, she had new obligations, she could no longer go to parties and celebrations. But the attire of both was always closed, moreover, multi-layered. For example, it was often impossible to even understand whether a woman was pregnant or not, the clothes hid her body so much.
Time passed, and the tradition gradually disappeared. There was a growing difference in the approach to this issue in the city and the countryside. City people began to allow themselves more frank behavior. Which left its mark on the institution of family relations. We all know the story of the death of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin. His wife allowed him to think that she was having an affair with someone else, and, defending his honor, Pushkin shot himself; We all know the sad outcome. This is how not just a person died, but also a great Russian poet. In Pushkin’s surviving letters to Goncharova, he more than once asked her to behave as a wife should, and not to continue the frivolous life of an unmarried girl.
And yet, even until recently, chastity remained a characteristic feature of Russian women. In the 1975 Soviet film “They Fought for the Motherland,” which shows us the years of the Great Patriotic War, there is an episode where a woman in the village rebuffs one of the soldiers, explaining: “In your opinion, it turns out that if the husband is in the army, then , the wife is a bastard, right? So we had to prove with our fists what we are.” The heroine of Nonna Mordyukova here personifies all Russian women of that time. In addition, many people know the fact that, after examining Russian girls under the age of 21, a German doctor reported to Hitler that almost all of them were virgins, of course, this incredibly surprised them. But this was not so long ago, not even a century has passed...
By the way, in the Russian language there is still no decent word for a girl who has been deflowered and who has not become a wife. Words such as "girl", "girl" and even "virgin" speak of virginity; “woman” means “wife”; but those who are neither a virgin nor a wife were always called obscene words in Rus', which are still curses in our country.
What types of men divide women into?
Suddenly I came across a study in which girls and men took part. They were asked to choose women to marry based on their outer clothing. One option, where women were dressed in short skirts, with bright makeup, very sexy. The second option, where the women were in long skirts, with calm makeup, and a modest appearance.
Men almost all chose the second option to live in a family. And their girls with the first type of clothing were surprised that they themselves were going to marry these guys, but they did not choose them. It turns out that the men simply did not plan to connect their fate with them.
Why choose chaste and modest people?
It is believed that chastity is the preservation of purity and virginity. But in fact it is a broader concept. A woman’s chastity means purity of thoughts, self-control, especially sexually, modesty, loyalty to herself and her man, and high morality.
And the word “chastity” itself consists of two words - “whole” and “wisdom”, such a core as body and spirit, fused together.
Watching sexual literature and videos often leads girls astray, even if they have not had close relationships with men. Thoughts always influence behavior.
The Milanese Bishop Ambrose of Milan in the 4th century shared the chastity of wives, nuns, girls and widows, they differ from each other by different vows and rules.
Women always, and especially chaste women, strive to harmonize space. She emanates such strength and energy that men involuntarily pay attention to it.
Remember men's companies. And if there are women there, then the men behave accordingly: either use profanity, or, conversely, behave with dignity and respect. And it all depends on what kind of woman is in the company. With a chaste woman, it is unlikely that even any man will “swear” or behave in any indecent way.
Knowledge of the laws of life.
These laws are called religious rules. Every faith, every teaching has religious rules of life, and a woman must be familiar with them in order to know whether what a man demands of her is in accordance with the law. If this is not in accordance with the law, then she should gently, in a humble manner, object to him, and there will be nothing wrong with that. But if she is not familiar with the laws of life, does not know how to organize everything correctly, then when her husband makes a remark to her or simply suggests that she do something in some way, she may not agree and a conflict arises.
What qualities are characteristic of a chaste girl?
Nowadays, many people will not like this characteristic. But people who are thinking about their future will appreciate a chaste girl.
Her portrait is characterized by the following features:
- Meekness. She will not praise herself in front of teachers or friends. It is better to prove your knowledge of the subject and learning abilities directly in practice.
- Seriousness towards your own promises and words. She doesn’t throw phrases into the wind - she understands that “a word is not a sparrow, if it flies out, you won’t catch it.”
- No bad habits. A chaste woman understands that a cigarette in her mouth and a glass of even the most expensive cocktail in a woman’s hand looks caricatured and vulgar. Such a lady evokes contempt and can interest a man in her person only for a short-term relationship.
- Chastity is moral purity. Such people do not need to chase money and recognition. They live not by illusory short-term goals, but by fundamental ones - family, clan interests, science, altruism.
- A chaste girl is characterized by charitable deeds. She helps animals, the elderly and children not for the sake of a nice gesture or a word “thank you”. She does this at the behest of her soul.
The meaning of chastity in modern life2
A chaste lifestyle was more suitable for medieval times, during the period of the popular Institutes of Noble Maidens, when girls from childhood were raised to be modest, neat, well-read, etc. Today, in order to maintain all the qualities of chastity, it is necessary to block many modern needs. Therefore, before trying on the mask of a chaste girl, it is worth considering whether it is worth it to stop enjoying life as it is. No religion, regulations, prohibitions will make a person happy if for this he needs to be not what he wants to be.
Forms of chastity
Another misconception is that this phenomenon only applies to premarital relationships, when in fact it exists in marriage, widowhood and virginity.
Spouses
It is understood as fidelity between spouses, in which there is no resort to unnatural sexual practices. In this case, the woman’s wisdom is complemented by the man’s cleared mind.
This form of marital virtue implies mutual purity not only in actions, but also in thoughts, and this applies not only to the sexual sphere. Mutual marital fidelity and respect for one's other half is the key to virtuous offspring, who will absorb the love and purity of their parents.
Widowhood
This form involves maintaining fidelity to the deceased spouse, preserving the image of the deceased in the soul or filling one’s heart with love for God.
There are many examples when people who have lost a loved one realized the temporary nature of earthly separation before the coming eternal union in heaven. Thus, they strengthened their feelings of love and devotion many times over, compared to those they had experienced before, during this person’s life.
Virginity
This is the preservation of one’s innocence and integrity before entering into a marital relationship, both on the part of the girl and on the part of the boy. Integrity here is meant in the same way as maintaining the period of maturation, cultivating spiritual inner strength, which in its pure form can be passed on to one’s children.
It is important not to spill your spiritual strength, not to lose the ability to love with all your heart, to maintain the refinement of feelings, and to convey this full cup to the one for whom it is intended. There are many examples when people at first adhered to open relationships without obligations and any tender feelings, and later wanted to love their one and only, whom they finally met, but could not, since they had long ago spent all the strength of their soul.
Be clean.
A woman should take care of her physical and mental purity and maintain it from childhood. Do not allow any things to disturb the mind, watch what it puts inside itself, be it food or impressions, emotions, information
Having all these seven qualities, a woman becomes chaste - she does not have the slightest desire to go somewhere and do illicit things with some other person. The above listed qualities can be called in one word - feminine virtue. Virtue means “to do good.” A man does good in this world in his own way, a woman in her own way.
Based on materials from the website www.torsunov.ru
Religion's attitude to chastity and celibacy
In world religions and other faiths there are such concepts as chastity and vows of bodily restrictions necessary to maintain purity and purity. However, they are treated differently.
In Orthodoxy
Marriage is permitted if it precedes the ordination of deacon and priest. This provision was enshrined in the rules of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. But only those chosen from among the celibate (black) clergy - monks of the minor schema - can rise to the rank of bishop in Orthodoxy. Both in the Russian Orthodox Church and in other local churches, the bishop is chosen only from among the monks.
In Orthodoxy, marriage is encouraged when abstinence is impossible, and renunciation of family relationships, and the vow of celibacy can be taken both for a certain period and for life.
In Catholicism
Among Catholics, this vow was finally established in the ninth century. It contains an injunction that priests must maintain chastity. If someone violates this condition, he is considered to be committing sacrilege.
Pastors are prohibited not only from getting married, but also from being in a previously concluded union. After ordination to the priesthood, all attempts to marry a woman are considered invalid.
As an exception, in the Catholic Church, family men who converted to Catholicism from Anglicanism or Protestantism, where they were clergy, can be ordained priests. Mandatory observance of this rule also does not apply to Greek Catholics and members of the clergy of the Eastern Catholic Churches under the jurisdiction of the Pope.
In Protestantism
In Protestantism and Anglicanism, preference is given to married clergy. The right of the clergy to marry is based on the natural conditions of human nature.
By the way, it is Protestant countries that are ahead of Catholic countries in all development ratings, and even more so Orthodox countries, where there are plans to abandon the institution of the family, which is a natural formation.
In other religions
In Judaism, the attitude towards celibacy is purely negative, since it contradicts the direct biblical instructions: to be fruitful and multiply. A man without a family is considered half a man here.
Judaism does not accept abstinence as a means to perfection and attainment of holiness, but views celibacy as an obstacle to personal spiritual growth.
Here it is appropriate to quote the statement of the Nobel Prize winner in chemistry Michael Levitt, who, when asked why so many Jews receive this award, answered with humor that in a Christian family a smart boy is sent to become a monk, and in a Jewish family such a child is given advice so that he finds the best a beautiful woman and married her.
In Islam, marriage and family are the foundation. The concept of neglecting family ties in the name of self-development, including the use of abstinence from interaction with the opposite sex, contradicts Sharia law and is absolutely alien to the culture of Muslims in any of its manifestations.
Despite the conflicting views of representatives of different faiths, the truth on the issue of celibacy is usually somewhere in the middle. Undoubtedly, there are rational roots in any of the considered opinions, and everyone is free to choose what is closest to his soul.
