What Term Describes a Celibate Priest's Lifestyle?

[Saint]

There is a english word to describe the state of a priest who abstain from SEX, being austere.

What is it ?[?]

 

[Rook]

Celibate

 

[FZ+]

Chastity.

 

[BoulderHead]

Originally posted by Saint
There is a english word to describe the state of a priest who abstain from SEX, being austere.

What is it ?[?]

Pent-up

 

[Lonewolf]

Lying

 

[NateTG]

Technically, celibate can also mean unmarried. (From the 'it's not premarital if you never get married crowd' :)

Chaste refers more to purity -- a CoE priest could be married with children and still be chaste.

Chaste or chastity would be the correct word, in the sense that priests take vows of chastity when ordained, while celibate is more directly associated with sexual abstinance.

 

[Rook]

Lets break down the definitions (according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary):

chaste
adj. chast·er, chast·est
Morally pure in thought or conduct; decent and modest.

1. Not having experienced sexual intercourse; virginal.
2. Abstaining from unlawful sexual intercourse.
3. Abstaining from all sexual intercourse; celibate. Pure or simple in design or style; austere
4. Unmarried. [Obs.] --Chaucer.

cel·i·bate
n.
One who abstains from sexual intercourse, especially by reason of religious vows.
One who is unmarried.

adj.
Abstaining from sexual intercourse, especially by reason of religious vows.
Unmarried; unwed.

Technically, celibate can also mean unmarried. (From the 'it's not premarital if you never get married crowd'

Very true, but to an 'older crowd', chaste could mean unmarried too. ;)

in the sense that priests take vows of chastity when ordained

Priests can also take vows of celibacy when ordained, it depends on the religion and faith (Buddhist, Catholic, etc.).

To a degree they both could work. It's an interesting topic for discussion though.

 

[one_raven]

Originally posted by Rook
Very true, but to an 'older crowd', chaste could mean unmarried too. ;)

Well... not really.
"Celibate" originally meant simply and only "unmarried" (from the latin word "caelibtus" meaning literally "unmarried").
Using it to refer to sexual abstinence did not come about until the 20th century influenced by the propagation of puritanical views into the common social consciousness in that anyone who is unmarried should be abstaining from sex.

Chastity is the noun of the adjective "Chaste" which is derrived from the from the latin "castus" which is literally translated to "cut from or free from faults" or pure.

I don't think there is a single word that truly and only refers to sexual abstinence.
Virginity is close, but you can abstain from sex even if you have not in the past.

I think the only purely gramatically correct way to refer to it is "sexual abstinence" or "absention from sexual intercourse" or some other way more specifically qualified ("abstinence" comes from the Latin "abstinentia" which means "to hold back", though historically it was principally used to refer to willfully holding one's self back from indulgence thought to be bad or harmful, especially referring to food or drink).

Although...
Strictly speaking you should use "continence" (which specifically refers to "partial or complete absention from sexual pleasure"), but would probably be misunderstood since the popular usage for the term is "voluntary control over urinary and fecal discharge" (I'm not sure, but REALLY curious, how those two definitions are related !).

 

[Artman]

Did you hear about the priest that died and went to heaven and God met him and said that he was such a good man that he could ask God one favor.

The priest said, "I would like to be able to read the original Bible and understand its meaning exactly."

God said, "It will be done for you as you ask. You may see the Bible in the next room."

The priest goes into the next rooom and he is in there for a few minutes and then God hears him start crying. God goes into the room and asks what is the matter.

The priest says, "They left out the 'r' in 'Celebrate'!"

 

[Saint]

What are the specific english words for
1) Being very concerned about cleanliness
2) The fear of being confined in cave
3) Fear of height


thanks.

 

[FZ+]

1. Hyperchondria?

2. Claustrophobia.

3. Vertigo.

 

[LURCH]

Actually, 3. should be "acrophobia" (said the acrophobic), vertigo is dissorientation or dissiness, which usually accompanies acrophobia.

And 1. migth be Obsessive Compulsive Dissorder, that's the condition most usually associated with compulsive neatness.

 

[iansmith]

Originally posted by FZ+
1. Hyperchondria

It is hypochondria and people suffering from this disease are over concern about their health and they think they are sick when they are not.

Lurch is rigth about 1.