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julia
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Posted -
2004/6/29 上午 01:37:34
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身邊不乏拒絕生育的朋友。但作為一位基督徒, 而且結婚時在天主、神父及各兄弟姊妹面前承諾生兒育女。但婚後郤表示一早己決定不生育, 大家如何去看呢？
而當事人沒有經濟問題, 沒有健康問題；還透露只是不想承擔教育小孩的責任﹐沒有小孩的生活是如何快樂, 無拘無束...等等。 大部份這種朋友, 都是學識豐富, 工作順利的一群。 反而那些,做一份小小文職工作月薪不過萬的, 還願意承擔教養下一代的重任。 這是否一種自私沒有「愛」的表現？
此外, 亦有人道說社會風氣差,政治不穩,對於未來完全沒有信心, 因此不想小孩出生來受苦。 這是否過份憂慮,對上主沒有信心？ 基督徒如此消極是否不妥呢？
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Cecil
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Posted -
2004/6/29 下午 05:05:40
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天主教教理好像不主張這樣子的公教婚姻,除非因病則另計.
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julia
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Posted -
2004/6/30 上午 09:23:16
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是的。但我見到身邊的朋友, 便有兩個公教家庭是如此。另有一位朋友因丈夫不是教友, 我無話可說。
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靚仔
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Posted -
2004/6/30 上午 10:46:57
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只就julia的描述而言,這對夫婦的婚姻可能無效(按教會法,而不是民法).當然婚姻在法律前有優先,即未肯定其為無效前,應視為有效.
為何無效?因為可能他們對婚姻的本質有錯誤理解.
但話說回來,可能有些不育的夫婦為免尷尬,會以不同的借口來掩飾.
但無論如何,此做法會讓人誤解教會對婚姻召叫的看法.
julia的例子可見到,那對富裕的夫婦未有見到婚姻聖召的深層意義,而只看見兩人自身的狀況.
我認為聖召可以說是放下自己,去跟隨基督,背起十字架.
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Cecil
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Posted -
2004/6/30 上午 11:26:52
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靚哥所言甚是.之所以我而家也是單獨'一支楞'.
教宗上週也發文談婚姻的召叫,卻不知哪些堂區會treat this seriously.
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Augustine
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Posted -
2004/6/30 下午 04:48:02
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I am rather wondering about the single state of Christian singles since the adult single life is getting more and more common in society.
Is there any obligation for mature Christian adults to get married and propagate the human race as well as strengthen Church population, unless these adults are called to the consecrated or priestly life?
Is this form of unconsecrated single-hood of catholics(which is common in society) recommendable at all?
What is the Church's teaching regarding this?
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julia
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Posted -
2004/7/2 上午 12:27:46
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Augustine,
首先, 因英文程度的關係, 你所謂的priestly 是否指向修道生活；男的做神父, 女的做修女？
教會的看法我不知道。 我就覺得不喜歡過婚姻生活的人, 並不一定要過修道生活。 因為不結婚的原因很多。 有些人是在適婚年齡沒有遇上合意的對象, 此所謂合意, 有的人的擇偶條件中還要是信主的人(我所知的, 但或許較少吧)。 還有, 做神父可不易, 似乎在學術程度上要求都不低 - - - 我是指讀神學, 未必想過獨身生活的人一定有能力讀完這個神學課的。
我認識的姊妹中, 有不結婚又不過修道生活的, 但在工餘時間全力投入教會工作。 進修及培育自己後, 在教會負責慕道班的教授工作。 這個做法, 他們自給自足, 亦為教會事奉, 不是都可取嗎？
你所講的“the adult single life is getting more and more common”, 雖然不結婚者在增長中, 但相信在比例上, 比起選擇結婚的, 還是佔少數。
延續教會的新一代,“strengthen Church population”, 應交給那些選擇婚姻生活的弟兄姊妹吧！ 既然選擇「二人成為一體」的, 就應「生育繁衍」。 而且, 「的確子女全是上主的賜予，胎兒也全是他的報酬。」 (詠127:3) 。 已婚者全然的拒絕生育子女, 若不是因健康理由而堅決要過無子女的生活, 便是拒絕上主的賞賜吧！ 這亦是否與基督徒的價值觀相違背呢？
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Augustine
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Posted -
2004/7/2 上午 10:54:23
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Actually I mean all religious or priestly vocations. The word "consecrated life" actually includes both but to avoid possible confusion that this word only includes religious I added the "priestly vocation" of men.
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Augustine
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Posted -
2004/7/2 上午 11:08:56
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When one is feeling uncertain about the future or having low job security, could one be entitled to choose this unconsecrated singlehood? Of course he has some liberty to do so, but is that really the wish of God or the Church?
Do they have as much grace as the priests/religious have to keep away from sin, I am refering to Cor. 7 when St. Paul recommends marriage to those who can't keep themselves (without the special grace of consecrated persons). We have every reason to think that keeping oneself from sin is much more difficult nowadays than in the times of St.Paul, so the grace they need is even greater.
St. Paul also mentions the inconvenience of married men had they are to preach, they just can't divide their heart. Now, for the working singles, yes they are self-sufficient, but they use most of their time working (and it's going to get more and more: we all have this experience). Their contribution is not to be compared to those totally consecrated to the welfare of souls, like priests and religious.
If serving the Church outside the religious state is so readily done, what is the role of the religious (monks, nuns, sisters) themselves, aren't they after all also serving the Church but with vows?
For the male singles, if remaining single is an option to live freely and is also possible to contribute to the salvation of souls, while at the same time avoiding all sacrifices/inconvenience in the priesthood, what is the point of others becoming priests after all?
The Cure de Ars (St. Jean-Marie Vienney), who did so bad at the seminary that the professors once told him to consider quitting, he eventually got ordained and became one of the greatest ever of all fishers of souls, patron of parish priests. Even you are not smart, given the God's grace you could do everything.
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Cecil
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Posted -
2004/7/2 下午 03:02:21
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It seems that the Orthodox Church does NOT recommend single laity (please see a previous posting on this related topic by Bro, Mitrophanes - I forgot which thread it was in).
Recently the Pope mentioned that fear of marriage is associated with reluctance to 'commitment' - an essential ingredient for ALL vocations.
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