For many of us, a vow of celibacy — a promise not to enter into marriage or engage in sexual intercourse — is unfathomable.
During the Protestant Reformation led by Martin Luther in 1517, reformers argued that requiring a vow of celibacy from a priest was contrary to biblical teaching, a degradation of marriage and a reason for the widespread sexual misconduct within the clergy at the time.
Yet some would stand back today and suggest that all single people vow chastity! Granted, that goes down easier — provided you’re able to maintain hopes of getting married (despite the odds for your gender and age). But how realistic is it?
A public health report issued in 2007 concluded (after a long list of statistics), “Almost all Americans have sex before marrying.” And lest you be intimidated by those with a holier than thou attitude, they were included in the study.
I am married now, but it would be dishonest and unkind to dismiss from my mind what it was like to be single. A whopping 40 percent of our adult population is single. On average, we now spend half of our adult lives outside of marriage. And some of us die single.… More