What is the point of monks and nuns?

[Exarch]

did not YHWH say to adam and eve 'go forth and multiply'?
in that case, arent celibates flagrantly violating a command of the lord their god?

and in the case of women being nuns and 'brides of christ', heck, why would JC, a god and immortal being (who is somehow his own father YHWH) want to marry anyone, or have any desire for celibate nuns?
Removed.

[Dr. Croccer]

It's all thanks to the Catholic church and monasticism.

[ThiudareiksGunthigg]

It's all thanks to the Catholic church and monasticism.

Monasticism pre-dates the Catholic Church by some centuries. That's why you have monks etc in the Orthodox traditions, the Armenian tradition and the Coptic tradition as well. Monasticism is almost as old as Christianity itself.

And the ideal of celibacy within most forms of monasticism is based on this injunction by Jesus:

"(S)ome men are celibate from birth, while some are celibate because they have been made that way by others. Still others are celibate because they have made themselves that way for the sake of the kingdom of heaven. Let anyone accept this who can."
(Matt 19:12)

So no, they are not disobeying their God - they are obeying Jesus Christ. It helps to actually know the Bible if you want to comment on it.

[MaximiIian]

Monasticism pre-dates the Catholic Church by some centuries. That's why you have monks etc in the Orthodox traditions, the Armenian tradition and the Coptic tradition as well. Monasticism is almost as old as Christianity itself.

Older, even. One might say that the Vestal Virgins are following a form of monasticism; same with priests and priestesses in some Hellenic cults, because some of them did have celibate priesthood. Though most didn't and the general city temple staff didn't have to be celibate, necessarily.

Anyway- on topic: the concept derives from long-used ideas of isolating oneself from the material world and being alone (IIRC, the root word for monk comes from monakhos, the Greek term for "alone"), in order to achieve a serene state of mind and connection with the divine.
Monasticism, as I said, isn't limited to Christianity, it has been done before it in Greece and Rome, as well as in the East, with Buddhist monks.

[Rich86]

Monks are around to star in various low budget karate films as well as games of AD&D.

[Serious Spamurai]

It's a continuation of previous traditions of Celibate priesthoods, they're in most cultures.

[Exarch]

It's a continuation of previous traditions of Celibate priesthoods, they're in most cultures.

ah the ever continuous misconception that virginity is 'pure' and 'sacred'

but why would an immortal being have any wish to 'deflower' a virgin, male or otherwise?

[Manco]

Coz he likes to get it on?

I know I would...

[Dr. Croccer]

Because people that lived thousands of years ago might have had different views concerning perfection?

[Banned]

Sometime ago I read somewhere that celibacy actually doesn't mean not practicing sex in a monk's terms, in actual it's just a religious vow that requires all the monks to consider it a wrong act for holy people. In fact, monks enjoy sex, so much that some of them are even pros in the field of prostitution. Perhaps it's an exaggeration but still enough to make it clear that monks are not like the image that they demonstrate for the sake of their profession. Moreover, according to one of the monks that promote the concept of 'sex is nothing wrong' (yeah, there are in fact some who actively do that), sex is a sort of meditation that relieves your mind and lets you experience the real utopia that every person's life on earth has the tendency to undergo. So, the point is that having monks and nuns is nonsensical, but this is the way it has always been and we cannot change things so easily, i.e., their existence is something we cannot avoid due to traditional constraints and contemporary challenges that the world is always ready to present before us on a platter. Let's go home and enjoy a christian movie rather.

[removeduser_426582376423734]

God also said thou shalt not worship craven images and yet icons are central to Orthodoxy. Christians like to take everything God says with a pinch of salt. Can you blame them?

[Father Jack]

God also said thou shalt not worship craven images and yet icons are central to Orthodoxy. Christians like to take everything God says with a pinch of salt. Can you blame them?

haha no i dont blame them. The use of icons and christmas, easter, halloween etc. are all pagan festivals/ideas that Christians have conveniantly used to replace paganism. Christmas for example is the Roman festival of Sol Invictus and Easter is a Celtic festival to the goddess of fertility Easta, hence the easter egg usage.

[Vladimir Lenin]

did not YHWH say to adam and eve 'go forth and multiply'?
in that case, arent celibates flagrantly violating a command of the lord their god?

and in the case of women being nuns and 'brides of christ', heck, why would JC, a god and immortal being (who is somehow his own father YHWH) want to marry anyone, or have any desire for celibate nuns?

Indeed, the Lord said that.

in that case, arent celibates flagrantly violating a command of the lord their god?

I think it's that Monks and Nuns just want to show adoration to God, the vows of chastity are believed to help retain and keep Purity.

and in the case of women being nuns and 'brides of christ', heck, why would JC, a god and immortal being (who is somehow his own father YHWH) want to marry anyone, or have any desire for celibate nuns?

It's symbolism, for they are as devoted to God as they are a Wife to a Husband.

Also Monasticism is on the rise:

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/id...xpected_monks/

[Anarius]

They're pretty useless now, though.
In the middle ages, they recorded events and brought useful plants and technology to Europe, among other things, but now we commoners do that ourselves.

[MaximiIian]

and in the case of women being nuns and 'brides of christ', heck, why would JC, a god and immortal being want to marry anyone, or have any desire for celibate nuns?

Increases the sexual tension, makes 'em want it more. Like if you go a month without eating chocolate, it'll be that much better when you finally cave and go all ravenous and crazy on some.

Also this probably has something to with it:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

[Exarch]

Increases the sexual tension, makes 'em want it more. Like if you go a month without eating chocolate, it'll be that much better when you finally cave and go all ravenous and crazy on some.

Also this probably has something to with it:

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

going into the spank bank

[Broken Pope]

The most cogent explanation I've heard is that by keeping Monks and Nuns celibate the Bishops and Cardinals were able to keep the Church's running-costs down. (No wives or children to feed and clothe).

As a purely personal aside, I see Darwinism in action. ("Hey - do you want to marry an invisible being and live in poverty all your life while generating funds for my wonderfully rich religion?" - "Of course!" - "Alright then. But its probably best your genes die with you. OK?" - "Sure thing! I'll lay off the shagging.")

[ket222]

I say this in all seriousness after being on this forum for the past year. It is both sad and incredible to me how unaware so many here are of spirituality. Does it occur to anyone that a life led in prayer and contemplation (and in many cases helping the poor) is a positive affirmation of the spiritual side of man? Typical responses here only point to PRACTICAL aspects of monks such as 'celibacy was made so church property won't go to a priest's children' or 'the monks were good for keeping learning and writing going in the middle ages, but no one needs that now.' all this points to an absolute IGNORANCE of all the great mystical Christian texts such as Eckhardt and St Theresa of Avila.

I believe spirituality is innate to man, an instinct if you will just as strong if not stronger than sexuality (esp as one inevitably grows older).

For me it is the shame of the modern western world to overthrow parts of Christian dogma/the church power structure, and IN SO DOING eradicate everything spiritual in man, replacing it with crappy pop culture, silly new age stuff, etc. People here always harp on how enlightening science is, but I feel it does very little for what 'lies within' us. That is what monks of all faiths sought to find...

Instead of responding sarcastically or not at all, is it just possible that SOMEONE here on the 'atheist' side could JUST MAYBE read one of these spiritual texts mentioned above before they denigrate the very idea of a monastic life???

[Broken Pope]

I say this in all seriousness after being on this forum for the past year. It is both sad and incredible to me how unaware so many here are of spirituality. Does it occur to anyone that a life led in prayer and contemplation (and in many cases helping the poor) is a positive affirmation of the spiritual side of man?

Alms distribution aside, a life spent endlessly navel-gazing is not in itself A Good Thing.

You could spend a lifetime in quiet contemplation scrupulously memorizing every hair follicle on a pornstar's pubis. Sadly, your efforts would yield greater profits for the sum of human knowledge than would those of every medieval theologian who ever lived. (The pornstar would at least have existed!)

[Exarch]

so celibacy was some weird way for some old church officials to prevent younger men and women from wild abandoned copulating (since they themselves couldnt convince nice nubile young women to come to bed with them?)
wow, what a cockblock of an institution