Other Religions
- Judaism has no history of celibacy for its leaders, rabbis or kohens. Before the destruction of the Jerusalem temple, priests, kohens, and Levites were required to practice continence (abstain from sexual intercourse with their wife) before and during their time of service at the temple. They were permitted to resume marital relations after completing their service. Some community functions are, as a rule, filled only by married men. Marriage is encouraged for everyone.
- In Islam, lifelong celibacy or monasticism is forbidden. Marriage is encouraged for everyone.
- In Hinduism, priests can marry. At the same time, Hindu monks (sanyaasis), who are usually expected to withdraw from samsaara ('the world'), usually practice celibacy. Given no central organizational structure for Hinduism itself as a religion, various deviations from these norms do exist.
- The traditions of monasticism within Buddhism require celibacy. Several cultures, however, have revised this and now have forms of married lay teachers, who are distinct from the celibate clergy. Many Japanese monks and priests were celibate up to the time of the Meiji Restoration.
Read more about this topic: Clerical Celibacy
Famous quotes containing the word religions:
“It is a quite remarkable fact that the great religions of the most civilized peoples are more deeply fraught with sadness than the simpler beliefs of earlier societies. This certainly does not mean that the current of pessimism is eventually to submerge the other, but it proves that it does not lose ground and that it does not seem destined to disappear.”
—Emile Durkheim (1858–1917)
“All religions have based morality on obedience, that is to say, on voluntary slavery. That is why they have always been more pernicious than any political organisation. For the latter makes use of violence, the former—of the corruption of the will.”
—Alexander Herzen (1812–1870)