Marriage and celibacy are instruments of the state

By Atwine Bahiigi

I have been trying to analyse the trend of debates on going; The Marriage and Divorce Bill and the celibacy by the catholic priests and it has been amazing!

The critical examination of the rationality that guides the reasoning behind the two is the liberal theories that human beings are free and, therefore, should be allowed to exercise their freedom. Thus, the human rights approach that anything contrary to freedom amounts to the violation of human rights.

It has been argued that cohabitation is a reality just as the issue of Catholic priests having children and engaging in sexual intercourse contrary to the vow of celibacy. Since so is, the laws should be made in such a way to allow these ‘realities’ to flourish. 

Others argue that the laws against these ‘realities’ are out-dated and thus laws should be revised to meet with the current trends of life that promote and protect human rights. It sounds beautiful and wonderful and someone out, if there were the president, are willing to ascent and pass the law against this background.

The unanswered questions to this reasoning; adultery is a reality, should we put in place laws that allow it to flourish? If catholic priests go against their vow and it raises dust all over, why is not the same with married couples who go against their vow and commit adultery?

Is the church only for priests or for other people as well? Why then do priests get a bigger condemnation and other people don’t get the same yet they are all members of the church? In my attempt to answer these questions, I have opted to appreciate why laws are in place.

It is true that man is born free but everywhere in chains as Jean Jacques Rousseau puts it in his Social Contract. This indicates the inherency of human freedom but also the foundation of the state! The state has different institutions that serve to produce good citizens and among others; the family and the church.

The state establishes the standard code of conduct; the constitution that is supreme and a reflection of the aspirations and interests of the powers that be.

Because human interests are varied and different, the pursuance of these interests, if left freely, would lead to a conflict but the code of conduct will define who is wrong or right. Therefore, we give up our unlimited freedoms when we submit to the state. That is why we cannot sanction laws that allow all our interests to flourish.

The Catholic Church has seven sacraments and of these is matrimony and celibacy. The former allows a person to marry and serve God while the latter gives a person an opportunity to serve God without getting married. In both circumstances, one is made to understand the undertaking before he/she consents.

The failure to live up to the standard is a weakness and spiritually. I would say it is the devil that would be fighting its way to win our lives.

Therefore, when we give up to that it means yielding up to the devil. We need to fight the devil and ask for the divine intervention to guide our lives and pray that the Holy Spirit dwells in our lives to yield the gifts of discernment, love and others as set out in Gal 5:22.

Let’s uphold the values of marriage and celibacy in organising our society lest we sanction our challenges; adultery, theft, rape, prostitution, robbery, corruption, child abuse because they are realities and people are allowed to exercise their freedom and liberty.

The writer is socio-political analyst
bahiigi@gmail.com