The History of Chastity in Christianity
The notion that religious figures should practice celibacy began in ancient times and long before the birth of Christianity. Ancient Celtic Druid priests are known to have been chaste and Aztec temple priests as well were expected to be sexually abstinent. Many other pre-Christian sects required that the people chosen for the sacrificial offerings have to be pure, which means that they had never engaged in sex. But let’s focus on chastity in Christianity.
Origins of chastity in Christianity
Jesus has lived a life of chastity and never married and even at one point in the Bible is described as a eunuch by Matthew, though this reference was intended metaphorically. The implication of that phrase was that Jesus lived a celibate life and was chaste. Many of his disciples also practiced abstinence and were chaste and celibate. Christian tradition also recommended celibacy for women from its earliest times. Paul, for example, in his first letter to the Corinthians wrote that it is well for all the unmarried and the widows, to remain single as he did, but if they could not exercise self-control, they should have married, as it was better to marry than to be ablaze with passion. But the early Christian church, in fact, had no hard and clear rule against marrying and having children for clergy, and Peter, whom the Catholic Church deems the first Pope, was actually married. Some Popes in the early times of Christianity were the sons of Popes.
The chastity becomes mandated
The first time a written mandate obliged priests to be chaste came only in AD 304. It was called a Canon 33 issued by the Council of Elvira and stated that all bishops, priests, deacons, and all other clerics were from now on to abstain completely from their wives and could not have children. And a short time later, in 325, the Council of Nicea, which was gathered by emperor Constantine, rejected a prohibition on priest’s marriages requested by Spanish clerics.
The tradition of priestly celibacy began its expanse in the Western Church closer to the early Middle Ages. At the beginning of the 11th century, Pope Benedict VIII declared a rule forbidding the children of priests from inheriting their property as a response to the decline in priestly morality, and several decades later Pope Gregory VII released his decree against clerical marriages.
The final consolidation in favor of chastity
The Church had definitively taken a stand in favor of abstinence when it was over a thousand years old. It was in the 12th century at the Second Lateran Council, which was held in 1139, and a rule prohibiting priests to marry was approved. Four centuries later, in 1563, the Council of Trent finally reaffirmed the tradition of celibacy, and chastity became an essential part of Christianity.
The modern Roman Catholic Church’s position is still derived from that Council of Trent. Celibacy keeps being considered an important part of the clergy, and a sign of a priest’s commitment to God and to their service. Although, there are some exceptions to the rule of chaste clergy nowadays. For example, Anglican ministers who were married by the time they joined the Catholic Church are permitted to keep being married even after they join the priesthood.
What does the Bible say about chastity?
The Bible offers a lot of wisdom about chastity, both sexual and otherwise, that might be a bit different from its modern definition. The biblical teaching on chastity is pretty clear. Any kind of sexual activity outside a one-man-one-woman marriage is considered to be a sin. But chastity is not merely an abstention from sex, and in the Christian tradition, it begins in the heart. All evil comes from the heart, according to Matthew, while Jesus taught that any sexual lust, even when it’s private, is unchaste and sinful. Watching porn, wearing immodest clothing, and making out between dating couples are all in violation of the Bible’s principle of chastity. Chaste people are required to set personal boundaries to prevent their hearts from being led into temptation.
Living a life of chastity in modern times can be difficult for everyone, but it’s single men and women who struggle with it the most. According to contemporary Christian teachings, they may find abstinence easier if they limit the exposure to sexually explicit images and situations. Married people are supposed to practice chastity by remaining loyal to their spouses and honoring God with both their bodies and minds. If it is still too hard to keep your abstinence, you might consider trying out some extra means to remain chaste.
How a chastity cage can help with abstinence in a modern-day society
Some people are capable of keeping abstinence on their own without any additional help, but that is not always the case. A chastity cage can assist you greatly since by wearing it, all the temptation will be removed, and it will be much easier to stick to your pledge of abstinence. These devices are not only useful to the physical side of things, but they will also serve as a constant reminder of your duty to God, which can be reassuring if you begin to slip.
The benefits of a chastity cage
The obvious benefit of a chastity cage is its physical prevention of masturbation and ability to have sex. However conscious you might be about your duty to God, the sudden desire might be too powerful not to succumb without any external help, and a strong chastity cage can help you to keep abstinence. By relinquishing control over your urges, your inner disruption will cease, and the chastity cage will help you defy the temptation to masturbate in case the willpower alone is not enough. A chastity cage will allow you to relax knowing that you can not do anything about your desire besides leaving it alone until it goes away. This device will strengthen the willpower that most people lack, and will also serve as subtle but constant encouragement to keep doing the right thing.
