Catholic Clergy Under Vows of Chastity Should Be Required By the Church to Become Eunuchs

It would happen after ordination, that would give the person plenty of time to think about it.Castrated Males Can Still Have FamiliesCon says "A priest could not leave the priesthood and have sons and daughters of his own." if this policy was passed. This is simply not the case. The priest could still adopt children, or the priest could even freeze sperm before being castrated.Right to Autonomy Not ViolatedCon says "[People] have the right to do whatever they wish with [their bodies]". As far as the government not having a right to restrict this this is true. However, a person can consent to a private party to limit this. Priests already do that when they agree to be "chaste". Employees do this when they agree to take drug tests. Prostitutes in jurisdictions where it is legal and porn stars contract in ways that limit this "right of autonomy" in exchange for money.More Committed Priests Will Enter the SeminaryKnowing they will have to lose their genitals it will take most men a greater deal of committment to do this. You will still get men entering the seminary. In fact, there are even men who voluntarily remove all their genitals. They're called "nullos".http://news.bmezine.com...It is difficult to get a doctor to perform this, so making it a requirement to become a priest would likely lead to many of the men with these feelings converting if they are not already Catholic and persuing the priesthood.How Do We Know Christ Wasn't A Eunuch?As the New Testament is full of positive references to eunuchs how do we know Christ himself wasn't one?Matthew 18:8-9If your hand or your foot causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life maimed or crippled than to have two hands or two feet and be thrown into eternal fire.And if your eye causes you to stumble, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to enter life with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into the fire of hell.Clearly from this verse Jesus was OK with people removing body parts if necessary in order to remain free from sin.Matthew 5:28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.This means that the Priests just by looking a woman and lusting over her are sinning. Priests are supposed to be interceding between their flock and God. To do this effectively they must avoid sin. If they have hormones and urges then they are looking at women (or men) with lust in their hearts and that is a sin.Preventing Child MolestationEven if it is just a small amount of child molestation that would be prevented and even if rate of offense is lower then the general population it is worthwhile. Furthermore, it is more about image. The scandals lead parents with children to turn away from Catholicism, or keep the Church at arms length (such as not allowing their boys to become altar boys for fear of molestation). Castrating our priests will take away those fears. More people will become Catholics, and become more involved in the Church. This also means a wider pool of people growing up who might choose to become priests. Growing up they will talk to the priests and in puberty the questions will definitely come up about the castration, giving the priest a chance to communicate how it was worth it and how it enhanced their spiritual connection to God, alleviating fears and leading to a much smaller number than Con thinks of people who would refuse to enter the priesthood because of castration.Symbolic Meaning, Connection & IdentityHaving to undergo the same ritual, a physical ritual on one's body will give those entering the priesthood a shared experience, and help them to connect and form a positive unified identity as Catholic Clergy, strengthening bonds in the Church and bringing the Church as a whole closer to God.The Evidence of Health Benefits Is GreatWhile getting as specific proof as other claims may be difficult the article clearly points out that intact men living in the palaces lived shorter lives in spite of eunuchs only being at the palace when on-duty. Even when socioeconomic conditions are controlled for the benefit is still seen. And the increase wasn't modest. It was 14.4 to 19.1 years!Reply to "Eunuch for God""If an eunuch truly does not want to be an eunuch for god, then it does not really matter whether they are or not, they are rejecting the praises given in those verses."If castration is required to join the priesthood then wanting to become a "priest" necessarily entails wanting to become a "eunuch for God" and so accepting the praises given in those verses.