Re: Curious

1

What would count as evidence, and how would it be taken?


Posted by: OneFatEnglishman | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 7:41 AM
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2

Ogged!


Posted by: Penny | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 7:42 AM
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3

Awgged!


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 7:42 AM
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4

How'd they find out so fast?


Posted by: Beefo Meaty | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 7:43 AM
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5

God don't want don't want don't want no itty-bitty teeny-weeny shrivelled little short dick man.


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 7:47 AM
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6

Thy rod and Thy staff, they comfort me.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 7:56 AM
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7

Priests beat to the rhythm of God's drum.


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 7:58 AM
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8

What would count as evidence, and how would it be taken?

This is the natural question, but I was only told that "they have their ways." I would have thought that I was being played, but the person who told me isn't a joker.


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 7:58 AM
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9

A priest is spiritually married to the church (as a stand-in for Jesus), and stands in the "male" role in that relationship. Just as an impotent male cannot marry a woman (in the Roman Catholic Church), an impotent male cannot marry the church. It would interfere with his spiritual leadership, somehow. How exactly isn't competely clear, but it's strongly related to the same reason homosexuals can't become priests.

To 1, I believe it's on the honor system.


Posted by: Brock Landers | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:01 AM
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10

Isn't this getting into some rather personal matters about Kotsko?


Posted by: Bave Dee | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:02 AM
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11

In 9, same.


Posted by: Brock Landers | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:03 AM
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12

7: I beat to the rhythm of Kevin Drum.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:03 AM
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13

That's basically what I was told: the priest is pledging his potency to God, and no potency, nothing to pledge. So this is for real?


Posted by: ogged | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:03 AM
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14

Yes, it seems rather identifying to know that he's Father Kotsko.


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:03 AM
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15

This causes me to wonder where, exactly, did ogged go?


Posted by: politicalfootball | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:05 AM
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16

Father Kotsko
Shopped at Costco
How do your groceries grow?
With silver balls and cockle shells
and little boys all in a row.


Posted by: heebie-geebie | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:06 AM
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17

13: Am I the only one here who suspects that ogged was flirting with a priest?


Posted by: politicalfootball | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:07 AM
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18

where, exactly, did ogged go?

Confession. He's absolved now, though, let me tell you.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:07 AM
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is this why i've been getting spammed with ads for religious vocation?

US $ 69.95 100mg x 10 pills buy now for spiritual grace and ordination.


Posted by: kid bitzer | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:08 AM
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20

From the Service of Ordination:

Then shall the Bishop say unto the congregation -

Do any of you here present know whether this man can get it up?

And one from the congregation shall say -
Nay, verily, for we went out Saturday to celebrate his Ordination, and I tried for nearly an hour and got nowhere.

Then shall the Bishop say unto the congregation -
And how much beer did he drink before this?

And one from the congregation shall say -
None, indeed. For he was on vodka slammers all night.

And the Bishop shall reply -
Well, I think we can give him a pass on that, then.
And turning to the Candidate he shall say -
Art thou ready to take thy vows of chastity?

And the Candidate shall reply -
Can't be soon enough for me.


Posted by: OneFatEnglishman | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:10 AM
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So the upshot is that you spent the weekend finding out that you can't be a priest. You should check out the post on alternative hierarchies, ogged: maybe there's something for you there.


Posted by: SomeCallMeTim | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:13 AM
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22

Am I the only one here who suspects that ogged was flirting with a priest?

No, he was just wondering what the Priest looked like with his collar on.


Posted by: Gonerill | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:14 AM
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i'm widely admired in my alternative status community for how little i can get it up.
competitive impotence--it's going to be the next, um, not-so-big thing.


Posted by: kid bitzer | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:15 AM
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24

Did you know you can't be a sumo wrestler if you're bald? It's true!


Posted by: Becks | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:22 AM
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25

24: It's not true for Robot Sumo.


Posted by: apostropher | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:28 AM
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26

Brock's got it. No potency, nothing to pledge. Archaic, but it wouldn't surprise me because it sounds like one of those bits from Leviticus that picked up some philosophy along the way.


Posted by: Cala | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:36 AM
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27

Okay, here are the requirements for becoming a priest. It doesn't look like "adequate erectile function" is anywhere in there, but there is a lot of language that bumps up against the idea, and that reads as if it could, when flushed out, be used to reject impotent applicants.

On the other hand, the idea was mentioned on this (rather sad) discussion forum, and someone who appears to be a Deacon shot it down. So I'm not really sure--it might just be a widespread myth. But I'd still place my money on "true".


Posted by: Brock Landers | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:39 AM
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28

No potency, nothing to pledge.

Can you take your vows if you undertake to eat 100mg of Cialis a day?


Posted by: OneFatEnglishman | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:39 AM
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29

27: I'd probably put money on 'true, but mostly ignored.'


Posted by: Cala | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 8:46 AM
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30

I believe that the Episcopalian Church now accepts members of the impotent community (and frigid women) into the priesthood. Impotence/frigidity activists regard this as an important first step on their way to full equality. Next time there's a pride march I'll inform you guys.


Posted by: John Emerson | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 9:15 AM
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31

What would count as evidence, and how would it be taken?

The sedia stercoraria, perhaps?


Posted by: Knecht Ruprecht | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 9:21 AM
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32

Well that's a parade not to be missed! Mopey men try to hide their lights under baskets and dour women with arms folded over their chests. Break me off some of that, in accordance, etc.


Posted by: TJ | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 9:26 AM
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33

It doesn't look like "adequate erectile function" is anywhere in there, but there is a lot of language that bumps up against the idea...

You mean like this?

"Candidates for admission should have attained, at least in some measure, growth..." (Section 37 of the Preface)

Posted by: Knecht Ruprecht | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 9:31 AM
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34

If you are impotent you have no reason to be a Catholic priest.


Posted by: joe dokes | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 9:38 AM
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35

for those of us in NYC who don't know what Vietnamese subs are

I can't believe no one's picked this fruit already.


Posted by: bitchphd | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 10:15 AM
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36

Oops, wrong thread. This is the thread in which I meant to say that impotent priests aren't sacrificing anything by vowing chastity, so what would be the point?


Posted by: bitchphd | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 10:16 AM
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37

35, 36: It seems like there must be a way to tie these two thoughts together.


Posted by: Di Kotimy | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 11:48 AM
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38

35: I don't get it.


Posted by: Cryptic Ned | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 11:50 AM
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39

27: A little aversion to using the word "flesh," Brock?


Posted by: Minivet | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 12:15 PM
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40

Not quite on point, but supposedly there's a special chair in the Vatican with a hole in the seat on which prospective popes used to have to sit while someone reached up to check that they hadn't been castrated.

I prefer to think that the practice hasn't been discontinued but that they choose to keep quiet about it.


Posted by: Basil Valentine | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 4:25 PM
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41

I was just reading some medieval texts recently that said that deformed or crippled men couldn't become priests, nor could eunuchs. I'm sure Brock's understanding is in line with what people would tell you now about the reasoning, but Cala is most likely right about the origin -- some mixture of Leviticus and philosophy. And I'd add, probably a more general idea of what's important for a "priest" in any religion -- if you're going to be mediating between God and humanity, you should at least be structurally sound. (This is probably an area where the argument that homosexuals are "born like that" backfires -- because then the Vatican can interpret it as a congenital defect.)


Posted by: Adam Kotsko | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 7:15 PM
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42

Deformed men can't become Buddhist monks, either. Not sure about impotent ones.


Posted by: Beefo Meaty | Link to this comment | 08-28-07 7:18 PM
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43

If a priest uses Viagra to pass the erection test, are the sacraments he performs valid?


Posted by: John Emerson | Link to this comment | 08-29-07 7:10 AM
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44

Or maybe for priests impotence is a goal, and the naturally impotent are regarded as cheaters.


Posted by: John Emerson | Link to this comment | 08-29-07 7:11 AM
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