"Chastity is integrity, a wise attitude to life, purity of soul and body, integrity of mind, not polluted by passions."
Nun Nina (Krygina), "The Chastity of the Royal Family"
"Chastity is the overarching name for all virtues."
John Climacus.
Chastity is a virtue that demonstrates spiritual and physical purity, integrity.
This is the inner purity of the soul, the integrity of thoughts and actions, which is not conditioned by external factors.
Chastity and nobility- two moral values, which are more related to the concept of "Honor".
"Chastity" in the dictionary of Russian synonyms:
impeccability, impeccability;
sanity, chastity, sinlessness, girlhood, girlish color, integrity, purity, purity, morality, innocence, virginity, honor, honesty, sinlessness, modesty.
Dictionary definitions
In Ushakov's Dictionary (Ushakov's Explanatory Dictionary of the Russian Language)
Chastity, chastity, pl. no, cf. (· Book.). Virtue, moral rigor.
In the Ozhegov dictionary (Ozhegov Explanatory Dictionary)
Chastity:
1. The same as virginity;
2.transferred. Strict morality, purity.
Dahl's dictionary defines chastity most closely to the modern interpretation:
"Chaste - keeping himself in a virgin (pure youth before marriage) and in marital purity, immaculate, leading a life in marriage pure, immaculate."
"Chastity" in the modern explanatory dictionary ed. "Great Soviet Encyclopedia" The term "chastity" was not found in the dictionary.
"Chastity" in Christian Religious Tradition
The word "chastity" is a religious word, it is a spiritual word. And therefore, in order to become chaste, one has to become a little religious. The priests know this. The word, the concept of "chastity" appeared long before the birth of Russia. Here are two very small examples.
Here is the epistle of the apostle Paul to the Romans. 3rd these from the 12th chapter:
1) in Church Slavonic:
"I say that grace is given to me, everyone who exists in you should not be more philosophizing, he should be more philosophizing: but philosophizing in chastity, for which God has divided is a measure of faith."
2) in Russian:
“According to the grace given to me, I say to each of you: do not think more about yourself than you should think; but think chastely, modestly, according to the measure of faith that God has given to each "
Here is the prayer of Ephraim the Syrian, who lived in the 4th century
“Lord and Master of my life, do not give me the spirit of idleness, despondency, love of command and idle talk. But the spirit of chastity, humility, patience and love, grant me to Thy servant.
To her, Lord King, grant me to see my sins, and not to condemn my brother, for you are blessed forever and ever, amen. "
From this it is clear that chastity is a spirit, it is a gift that must be asked for and received, very carefully preserved.
Chastity is a religious concept. Chastity is not good or bad, it is either there or not. Virginity, marital fidelity, modesty, etc. it's all about chastity, but not chastity. Chastity begins with obedience: to parents, teachers, husband, wife ... But how to stay in obedience if a person is not religious, if his assessments of everything are at the level of “good - bad”. Moreover, and that "good - bad", as he imagines them.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov explains the concept of chastity as follows: 
“Chastity is avoiding all kinds of prodigal deeds. Avoidance of voluptuous conversations and reading, from the pronunciation of voluptuous, nasty and ambiguous words. Storage of the senses, especially sight and hearing, and even more touch. Modesty. Refusal from the thoughts and dreams of the prodigal.
Silence. Silence. Serving the sick and the crippled. Memories of death and hell. The beginning of chastity is a mind that does not hesitate from prodigal thoughts and dreams;
perfection of chastity - purity that sees God».
Saint Ambrose of Mediolan speaks of three forms of chastity:
“There are three forms of the virtue of chastity: the chastity of spouses, the chastity of widowhood, and the chastity of virginity. We do not praise some of them, excluding others. This is the wealth of church discipline. "
Definitions from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
Chastity is a positive moral characteristic of a person, which is revealed in the observance of a conscious self-prohibition on knowing, experiencing and doing everything that can weaken or destroy the ability to resist and resist evil.
In everyday consciousness, the concept of chastity is associated with abstinence from sexual experiences. In this interpretation, chastity is understood as:
a). refusal of a person from sexual relations in general,
b). abstinence from sexual relations before and outside marriage.
In moral philosophy, in addition to this content, some special meaning was introduced into the concept of chastity: first, it, as a rule, was used as a characteristic of an unformed person; secondly, it expressed an appropriate attitude (namely, abstinence) not only to sexual, but also to bodily pleasures in general, as well as to strong passions, impulses, unbridled impulses, etc. - to everything that can destroy the integrity of a person. Chastity was understood as refusal young man from trials with which he is not yet able to cope.
Some cultures have focused on chastity as a universal ideal. In Christianity, this was partly manifested in the vow of celibacy of the entire Catholic clergy (celibacy) and Orthodox monasticism, as well as in the fact that for the laity only marital sexual relations were recognized as permissible, the only justification for having children.
The concept of chastity is close in meaning to the concept of innocence. Like the state of innocence, the chaste state is distinguished by integrity, harmony, and purity. The essential feature of a chaste person is that he is not innocent in relation to good and evil, he knows their absolute distinction, his thoughts, feelings and actions are in a field of tension formed by the main moral dichotomy, therefore they are subject to moral assessment. Innocence is non-moral. In addition, the inner life of a chaste person is complex, differentiated, and comprehensible. Due to these features, the preservation of inner harmony and harmony with the world, purity, peace in goodness requires a chaste person, in contrast to an innocent person, for whom such a state is natural and unconscious, to make certain efforts. The moral effort of the chaste person is directed primarily towards the observance of prohibitions. The bliss maintained as a result of such a moral effort was defined by PA Florensky as "a rest from the tirelessly greedy and never satisfied desire, as self-imprisonment and self-collectedness of the soul ...".
Another closely related concept of chastity is the concept of moderation. If chastity is characteristic of the stage of a person's spiritual formation, then moderation is a virtue of a mature person, it manifests itself in stable self-control, in the ability to be the master of one's feelings, desires and passions. If a chaste person protects himself from unbearable trials, refusing everything that can plunge him into the power of temptations, then there are no temptations for the moderate. According to the description of Aristotle, the moderate has no evil instincts and does not experience the pleasures opposite to correct judgment. Moderation is a characteristic of an aspirant to a morally justified or permissible, from the point of view of morality, goals, be it the highest good, selfless service to God, happiness, fulfillment of duty to oneself. Chastity, on the other hand, characterizes the spiritual maturation of a person, its main purpose is to protect a fragile soul and allow it to form.
In modern liberal ethical-philosophical thought, the concept of chastity has been moved to the sphere of sexuality. So, R. Scruton analyzes chastity in the context of sexual desire. Chastity here presupposes restraint and the fulfillment of only such a sexual desire, which is aimed at uniting with another (s) who appears (to her) within the framework of this relationship in the entirety of his personality. Chastity is aimed at maintaining the integrity of a person, first of all, the unity of the sexual and personal in him. It manifests itself in a predisposition to avoid the fulfillment of sexual desire, when only the body of another is desired. Otherwise, both the subject and the object of desire are devoid of integrity: the corporeality and personality of both are separated from each other, and their relationship is impersonal.
Chastity, strict morality, purity of the relationship between a girl and a boy. In such a relationship, the virginity of the girl, the purity of the young man, is preserved. The basis of high moral purity is shyness - a quality acquired by a person with age. Shyness in relation to the opposite sex is especially pronounced with the appearance of secondary sexual characteristics. During this period, young people begin to seriously make friends, fall in love. Friendship, and then love between a boy and a girl is a serious test of their morality. At first, happiness seems to be the opportunity to touch the hand of a loved one, then - to snuggle up to him, to kiss. But a person quickly gets used to what is permitted, and now a new "forbidden fruit" beckons, kindles passions. Having found themselves in a flood of unexplored sensations, young people cannot always sort out their feelings, correctly assess the prospects of relations with each other. Therefore, girls should weigh the pros and cons of premarital sex well, and not be guided by a momentary impulse. At all times, chastity was prescribed to young people before marriage, although public opinion more easily forgave the young man and more strictly asked the girl.
The point here is not only the influence of church morality, but also that biological responsibility for intimate relationship carried exclusively by a woman. She will give birth, she will raise a child if the father abandons him. Nature itself has imposed a great responsibility on the girl, denoting virginity, even anatomically. Moreover, in many cases, it is the girl who sets the boundary of the admissible relationship for the boy. She sets the tone for love relationships, makes them vulgar or highly spiritual, truly beautiful.
The position of the young man is no less important in interpersonal relations. No wonder the measure of manhood has always been considered his attitude to a woman. A real man is distinguished by restraint and correctness in relation to his beloved woman. Today, the moral requirements for men and women have become less stringent. However, even today, without love, respect, affection, a sense of duty, intimacy is reduced only to an ordinary physiological act. That is why youthful restraint, girlish purity, pride, chastity are not outdated concepts. These are questions not only of morality, but also of future health and happiness.
"Chastity is not so much a physiological and not only a moral category, it is a worldview category that reflects an integral picture of being, an integral and wise image of the world."
Vera Abramenkova "Education of chastity"
"Chastity is the sovereignty of both the individual and society in relation to evil."
Artemy Ermakov "State and Chastity"
Quotes from great and famous people about Chastity.
Albert Camus (1913-1960, French writer and philosopher): “Unbridled sensuality leads to the belief that the world is meaningless. Chastity, on the other hand, returns meaning to the world. "
John Krestyankin (1910-2006, clergyman of the Russian Orthodox Church, archimandrite): "The beauty of the soul is in chastity and truth, the health of the soul is in courage and prudence."
Pierre Augustin Caron de Beaumarchais (1732-1799, French playwright and publicist): "The sky always protects innocence!"
Pavel Gumerov (born 1974, Russian priest, writer): "It is necessary to keep clean not only the sight, but also the mind. Unclean, prodigal thoughts, like dirt, stain and defile the soul and heart."
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Modern society treats innocence and morality as relics of the past. Only Christianity gives a correct assessment. Chastity - What Does It Mean? Spiritual and physical purity, integrity, thoughts and deeds associated with the word honor - this is the true meaning of chastity.
This concept includes moral purity. Girls with early years want to grow up, and for this does not disdain by any means. They rarely think about the consequences of their behavior. Meeting men, drinking alcohol, cigarettes, possession of modern gadgets - this does not apply to chastity.
Characteristics of chastity:
- meekness and modesty, which does not allow you to praise yourself in front of teachers, and the best proof is the study of the subject and the ability to correctly understand the material;
- taking words and promises seriously;
- lack of harmful passions.
A moral woman realizes that a cigarette in her mouth and a glass of alcohol look cheap. This behavior provokes contempt and will interest a man for one-time sex.
Chastity is spiritual purity. Such girls do not pursue fame and material wealth. They live in the interests of the family. They are characterized by good deeds, helping animals, the sick and children.
From the point of view of the Orthodox faith, the meaning of the word chastity in the church is that a girl shows severity towards strangers, does not break her fast, takes communion and confesses. In addition, the family should instill in the girl a sense of personal dignity, respect for elders and an understanding of morality.
Holy fathers on chastity
Nun Nina defined morality as a wise attitude towards life.
According to John Climacus, this is the unification of all positive merits.
Saint Ignatius Brianchaninov said that high morality is deliverance from all sinful thoughts and bad words.
As a result, this is what chastity is:
- learn to be silent and devote thoughts to thoughts about heaven and hell;
- give up prodigal thoughts;
- help the sick and orphans.
Saint Ambrose of Mediolansky cites three types of morality: widow, spouse, virginity. He says that this is the rule of Christian discipline.
Archimandrite John Krestyankin called chastity the beauty of the soul, filled with spiritual strength, common sense and courage to resist evil.
In addition to the holy fathers, famous writers spoke about morality. The philosopher Albert Camus argued that the meaning of being is lost in licentiousness, only morality returns it.
Pierre Auguste Caron de Beaumarchais said perfectly well that people of pure souls are under the auspices of the Holy Heavens.
Male chastity
The power of chastity for men helps not to be trapped that can destroy him. A person who adorns himself with virtue provides protection that will help withstand any temptation.
Those who easily immerse themselves in the abundance of sexual passions quickly lose their male activity. This leads to alcoholism and other serious physical disabilities. A man has the gift of fertilization, and the desecration of this source in the Orthodox faith is considered a sin.
Relationship of future spouses
And this is what Orthodoxy says about chastity before marriage: firstly, moral people will not be affected by the negative consequences of early sexual intercourse, and secondly, chastity before marriage has a lot of advantages. There will be a lot of time for your own spiritual development.
Youth is a time of strong emotional stress that must be experienced. When a person learns to cope with himself and control his feelings before marriage, you can talk about trust and not breaking fidelity to each other.
May the Lord protect you!
Cleansing the soul and body for a Christian is the path to salvation. Spiritual and physical disabilities are a consequence of the fact that a person has completely submitted to his animal nature, and destructive passions have taken precedence over his mind. The thirst for new sensations, supported by the opening possibilities of the era of supernova technologies, is pushing humanity more and more into the abyss of lack of spirituality and immorality.
Chastity at all times was the bastion that held back the decline of the culture of peoples and nations, helping to survive under the pressure of periodically rolling waves of permissiveness, nihilism and militant atheism.
What is chastity
One German doctor during the Second World War, examining unmarried Soviet girls brought to Germany, found that 97% of them turned out to be virgins. The puzzled doctor wrote a letter to Hitler, in which he called for an immediate end to the message. fighting against the Soviet Union. He based his conclusions on the fact that to fight with a people who have such the highest morality is like suicide. He was a very clever German, and if he had been heard, perhaps the outcome of the war would not have had such dire consequences.
Origin of the word
If we consider the etymology of the word "chastity", then it means "innocence." Apparently, this form was formed in the Old Slavonic language as a tracing paper from Greek sōphrosynē - "prudence". V Church and Old Church Slavonic is written as: tsѣlomѫdrie σωφροσύνη, tlomѫdrn σώφρων.
In a narrow sense, the word "chastity" means the ability to control your sexual desires and associated unseemly actions. In a broader sense, it is moral rigor and purity, moral virtue, which manifests itself not only in relation to the opposite sex, but also in the manner of communication, views, clothing. This is a kind of opposite of idleness, where irrepressible riotousness leads to unbridled sexual intemperance and depravity.
This concept defines the integrity of the person, striving for unity with God and observing the internal law called conscience and placed in the heart of every person. The one who listens to conscience gradually begins to hear the voice of its wisdom.
The meaning of the concept
The meaning of the word chastity in the concept of the majority is reduced to the volitional curb of low passions and longed-for desires in the name of spiritual purity and loyalty to a partner, a system of spiritual beliefs. In fact, the meaning of this concept is much broader. This is not even a pattern of virtuous, zealous religious behavior, or the manner in which one appears in society.
This concept leaves an imprint on all spheres of being of someone who wants to follow a similar lifestyle. Every breath of a person is saturated with it. Each of his thoughts is filled with freshness and the scent of purity, emanating from the depths of the soul, which begins to realize its integrity. When this “wisdom” permeates the mind so much that it becomes enlightened, gains clarity and sees the only correct path of creation through the accumulation of virtuous power, this concept becomes a natural, integral part of human life.
Chastity and virginity
Very often these two concepts are identified, which is wrong. The difference is that virginity refers to a physical concept associated with the preservation of the integrity of the hymen (the hymen is a fold of the mucous membrane that protects the entrance to the vagina) and with sexual abstinence of a young man before entering into a marital relationship.
Chastity is a concept of the spiritual plan, which is based on purity of thoughts, from where the correctness of actions and harmony of relations, both interpersonal and social, come from. She, unlike virginity, can have several forms of manifestation.
Chastity forms
Another misconception is that this phenomenon only applies to premarital relationships, when in fact it exists in marriage, widowhood and virginity.
Spouses
It is understood as fidelity between spouses, in which there is no recourse to unnatural sexual practices. In this case, the wisdom of the woman is complemented by the clarified mind of the man.
This form of conjugal virtue implies mutual purity not only in actions, but also in thoughts, and this applies not only to the sexual sphere. Mutual marital fidelity and respect for your other half is the guarantee of virtuous offspring that will absorb the love and purity of their parents.
Widowhood
This form presupposes keeping faithfulness to the deceased spouse, preserving in the soul the image of the departed, or filling one's heart with love for God.
There are many examples when people who have lost a loved one realized the temporality of earthly separation before the coming eternal union in heaven. Thus, they greatly increased their feelings of love and devotion, in comparison with those that they experienced before, during the life of this person.
Virginity
It is the preservation of one's innocence and integrity before entering into a marital relationship, both on the part of the girl and on the part of the young man. Integrity is meant here in the same way as maintaining the maturity period, cultivating spiritual inner strength, which in its pure form can be passed on to your children.
It is important not to spill your spiritual strength, not to lose the ability to love with all your heart, to preserve the refinement of feelings, to bring this full cup to the one to whom it is intended. There are many examples when people at first adhered to an open relationship without obligations and any tender feelings, and later they wanted to love their only one, whom they finally met, but could not, since they had long spent all the strength of the soul.
Who is a chaste girl
A chaste girl is a girl who has taken over the baton of spiritual and physical purity from her parents and is going to pass it on to her children in the future. She is waiting for her chosen one, and if she already has one, she shows him the need for reasonable abstinence, which will certainly have a positive impact on their future offspring.
Appearance
Chastity is manifested in the fact that the girl does not try to be catchy and noticeable, does not always strive to look spectacular, does not require others to recognize at least something of her importance. She always knows when to stop and understands that in this world she has true value, but she never flaunts her knowledge.
A girl does not have to be shy and closed, on the contrary, she is interested in live communication, and not idle chatter. Her main wealth is always inside, and she is not going to give it away to the unworthy and to just anyone.
Walking easily through life, she is always on the alert so as not to overlook her one and only, for whom she is going to open all her spiritual values, the emeralds of a gentle, quivering heart.
Qualities and character traits
Among the main qualities she has the following: mental and physical purity, modesty, pride, a sense of duty, moderate modesty.
The girl has the following character traits:
- seriousness and responsibility;
- meekness;
- humility;
- a penchant for charity;
- lack of vicious attachments and bad habits.
Principles and Postulates of Husband Service
A woman's true nature is revealed in selfless devotion to her husband. Only if she observes the basic principles of service and adheres to certain postulates, she can become truly happy and protected from any hardships of life, surrounded by the attention and favor of her husband.
Chaste woman should follow these principles:
Service postulates are the rules that trigger creative processes in the family. In fact, these are five pillars, each of which is fundamental, that is, relying on any of them, a woman will receive benevolence and respect from a man.
The main rules for behaving chastely:
- Intimate service to the husband, to deeply understand him as a person.
- Benevolence, respect for your man, the desire to smooth out conflicts.
- Maintaining good relationships with friends and relatives of the husband.
- Separation with the spouse of the vows he has taken upon himself.
- Loyalty.
This video will help you learn more about the principles of serving your husband.
What is celibacy
In most religious denominations and in some spiritual movements, there is a vow of celibacy, which is given by those who decide to devote their lives to serving God or their favorite work. This means that a person makes a conscious step towards pacifying his flesh, which is dictated either by spiritual aspirations or by external conditions.
Origin of the word
This term comes from the Latin caelibatus, which translates as "unmarried". The practice of abstinence is rooted in the depths of millennia and has been spread throughout the world. There are known examples from the ancient Hindu epic, when not only Brahmans, but also legendary heroes made a promise to God that they would refuse family life in the name of achieving the inner strength of piety.
It is also known that the ancient Roman vestals - the priestesses of Vesta, who was the goddess of love, also took a similar vow. His violators were buried alive in the ground.
The meaning of the concept
Anyone who takes this path pursues certain goals. Some see this as a necessary condition for the acquisition of spiritual strength, its preservation in the name of perfection. This is what Buddhist monks do.
For others, this is a kind of work necessity. For example, in the tradition of the Western Church celibacy is called compulsory celibacy among the Catholic clergy (with the exception of deacons). A similar phenomenon exists in Orthodoxy, where only monastics and those priests who do not have families can become bishops.
The meaning of this concept for each practitioner is different, depending on what he carries in his heart, fulfilling this vow.
Celibacy for women and men
For both men and women, this method removes the obstacle in the form of a family on the path to God or other goal, which shifts the main attention of a person and takes up a significant part of his time and energy. People who see the meaning of their lives in serving God or their favorite work can turn to this practice in order to remove from their path everything that hinders the movement to the highest truth in their understanding.
There are many men and women who do not bind themselves with religious vows of celibacy, but in fact lead a lifestyle that partially or completely corresponds to such a vow. For some, this is due to social activities, others - with peculiarities of character and temperament. Some, through the pacification of the flesh, open up new spiritual horizons in themselves, finding their purpose in serving people.
But there are still differences in the practice of this method by men and women. This is due primarily to the arrangement of their inner natures.
For men:
- energy moves upward, trying to embrace the unknown;
- the tendency to comprehend life using logic, including in this process all your mental potential (to live according to your mind);
- the main activity is manifested outside the framework of the personal system, a man needs a society for self-expression;
- the scale of action.
In a woman, energy moves closer to the earth. Her consciousness tries to grasp with attention the little to which she is able to give love and support. She learns the world with feelings and heart, does not try to save the whole world, but is able to warm those who are really dear to her.
Celibacy in modern life
Every year hundreds of people, being in different parts of the world, with different spiritual views, traditions and worldview positions, accept voluntary renunciation of bodily pleasures and marriage bonds. Each of them has their own arguments in favor of such a choice, but for sure almost everyone wants to make at least their world a little brighter and cleaner.
For what and who needs it
This question naturally arises for those who want to understand the main purposes of such a vow. Aspirations may differ not only due to following a specific teaching, but in each specific case: what type of abstinence the novice chooses (moral or physical), for what period (months, years, whole life).
Let's take a closer look:
- a Christian makes a vow to become like the life of the Savior, to bring his earthly life closer to the Lord and his Heavenly Kingdom;
- the Buddhist practices refusal for the sake of self-knowledge and spiritual growth;
- a Hindu uses a vow to achieve spiritual perfection, self-realization, gaining transcendental knowledge and enlightenment;
- people engaged in spiritual practices accumulate strength due to this;
- some resort to abstinence to promote health;
- there are also those who came to this world without the need for physical intimacy with a special kind of spiritual programs.
Benefit and harm
The attitude towards obligatory celibacy is ambiguous, especially among the parishioners of the Catholic Church, since their clergy are obliged to strictly observe their vows. But as experience shows, compulsory abstinence negatively affects the activities of priests.
It should also be said that without this phenomenon, the church itself will lose the role of a chaste bride, following her bridegroom Christ, who gave the commandment of integrity with his whole life. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the positive side of abstinence.
Consider the useful points of abstinence:
- preservation of internal energy and integrity of the body;
- accumulation of spiritual strength, improvement of health;
- freeing up time for prayers and thoughts of high things;
- the ability to achieve significant results, both in spiritual and worldly affairs.
Those who do not accept this limitation argue their opinion by the fact that this vow is contrary to the natural needs and functions of man.
Cons of celibacy:
- The lack of an intimate life with her great inner desire can lead to serious violations physical health.
- Abstinence can be fraught with the emergence of various complexes and hidden desires, which can spill out in the most unpredictable forms.
- This practice requires readiness, ripe for many psychoemotional and physical levels, and besides this, humility and strong personal volitional aspiration. Otherwise, disappointment will be the minimum evil towards the practitioner.
- Not pacified desire can push priests to unnatural satisfaction of their sexual needs: homosexuality, pedophilia, masturbation.
How to take
If a person is going to take such a serious step in his life, he needs to think it over well, taking into account all his strengths and weak sides... If this is not related to the professional activities of a Catholic priest, the adept should be prudent about how serious his decision is.
Perhaps it is worth taking upon oneself initially a vow that is not as strict as sometimes the young man is prompted by his maximalism and ego, which always tries to exaggerate the feeling of self-worth. Several months or years of abstinence can show a person how good or unbearable this burden is for him.
Vices among Catholic priests indicate that the church has long become an institution created by human hands, and therefore, all its imperfections are inherent in it. Perhaps, the time is not far off when this obligatory clause concerning celibacy in Catholicism will be revised, which will exclude such spiritless manifestations in the church environment.
But is it right to promise God to choose the path of rejection of temptations? Probably, life itself should lead a person to this decision. To make a promise to God in giving up bodily pleasures, you must sincerely, from the bottom of your heart, turn to him for blessing and support. It doesn't have to be a temple or a monastery. The main thing is that the intention is pure and humble.
Religious attitudes towards chastity and celibacy
In world religions and other faiths, there are concepts such as chastity and vows of bodily limitations, which are necessary to maintain purity and integrity. However, they are treated differently.
In Orthodoxy
Marriage is permissible if it is preceded by ordination as deacon and priest. This provision was enshrined in the rules of the sixth Ecumenical Council. But to rise to the rank of bishop in Orthodoxy can only be selected from among the celibate (black) clergy - the monks of the minor schema. As in Russian Orthodox Church and in other local churches, the bishop is chosen only from among the monks.
In Orthodoxy, marriages are encouraged when abstinence is impossible, and the refusal of family relations, and the vow of celibacy can be taken both for a certain period and for the whole life.
In Catholicism
Among the Catholics, this vow was finally established in the ninth century. It contains a precept that priests must observe chastity. If someone violates this condition, they are considered to be committing sacrilege.
Pastors are prohibited not only from getting married, but also from being in a previously concluded union. After ordination to the priestly dignity, all attempts to combine marriage with a woman are considered invalid.
As an exception, in the Catholic Church, family men who converted to Catholicism from Anglicanism or Protestantism, where they were clergy, can be ordained as priests. Compulsory observance of this rule also does not apply to Greek Catholics and representatives of the clergy of the Eastern Catholic Churches, under the jurisdiction of the Pope .
In Protestantism
In Protestantism and Anglicanism, married clergy are preferred. The right of the clergy to marry is based on the natural conditions of human nature.
By the way, it is the Protestant countries that are ahead of the Catholic ones in all development ratings, and even more so the Orthodox ones, where there is an orientation towards rejecting the institution of the family, which is a natural formation.
In other faiths
In Judaism, the attitude towards celibacy is purely negative, since it contradicts the direct biblical prescriptions: to be fruitful and multiply. A man without a family is considered a half man here.
Judaism does not accept abstinence as a means of cultivation and attaining holiness, but considers celibacy as a hindrance to personal spiritual growth.
It is appropriate here to quote the laureate's statement Nobel Prize in chemistry, Michael Levitt, who, when asked why so many Jews receive this award, answered with humor that in a Christian family an intelligent boy is given to a monk, and in a Jewish family such a child is given advice to find the most beautiful woman and marry her.
In Islam, marriage and family are the foundation. Neglect concept family ties in the name of self-development, including the use of abstinence from interacting with the opposite sex, they contradict the laws of Sharia and are absolutely alien to the culture of Muslims in any of its manifestations.
Despite the conflicting views of representatives of different faiths, the truth about celibacy is usually somewhere in between. Undoubtedly, rational roots exist in any of the considered opinions, and everyone is free to choose what is closer to his soul.
Video
From this video you can find out how important sexual abstinence is for a man.
What is chastity? What significance does it have in both the secular and the ecclesiastical interpretation? You will learn about this from the article by Alexander Ilyashenko.
Chastity
Undoubtedly, chastity is associated with faith and faithfulness, integrity, wisdom, love and courage. The Apostle Paul says: “There is no longer Jew nor Gentile; there is no slave, no free; there is no male or female ”(Galatians 3.28). For the Lord, all are one: neither social, nor intellectual, nor national characteristic, nor gender, nor age are important ... Each person is a precious person in the eyes of God, each has his own place.
A man's place is to be a leader. This does not mean that he is the best, it only means that in the external life of the family, in state activities, a man should occupy his inherent leading position.
The upbringing of a man begins, oddly enough, with the upbringing of a girl. The amazingly beautiful virtue of chastity is embedded in feminine nature. About the inner feminine beauty, her spiritual nature, Nekrasov said: “There are women in Russian villages (...) It will pass, as if it will illuminate it with the sun, It will look - it will give it with a ruble”. The Apostle Peter, who was a simple, illiterate fisherman, was able to find amazing and highly poetic words about this: “Let it be not your external braiding of hair, not golden hairstyles or fancy dress, but a hidden man in the imperishable beauty of a meek and silent spirit,” what is precious before God "(1 Pet. 3; 3,4). Here is an amazingly deep definition of beauty that is worthy of a girl, a woman, a wife, and a mother. This imperishable beauty is precious not only before people, but even before the Lord God Himself!
The Soviet poet Konstantin Simonov wrote about the spiritual power of this beauty in his poem "Wait for me and I will return." Here is his final stanza:
Do not understand those who did not wait for them,
As among the fire
By their expectation
You saved me.
It is impossible to rationally explain how, being an unbelieving person, K. Simonov could admit that waiting can be saved? It would seem that this is impossible for a communist brought up on dialectical materialism. Despite this, Simonov, thanks to his undoubted poetic talent - the gift of God, managed to penetrate into the fact of spiritual life. Chastity, like every virtue, has creative power.
Indeed, prayer, purity, perseverance, courage can save not only your betrothed, but also Russia. Praise to the one who understands this and keeps chastity, as a shrine entrusted to her by God. Grief and misfortune for the one for whom an unclean life becomes the norm. Such, if it passes, will not illuminate with the sun and will not give a ruble ... Perhaps with a dollar of dull green color.
Do you know the impression that a dewy meadow makes on an early summer morning? The blessed gentle sun is rising. On each blade of grass there is a drop of the purest water, and in each drop a ray of sunlight sparkles and shimmers. Unusual beauty! Such is the intimate beauty of a pure feminine soul, which uplifts and ennobles those who come into contact with it.
To continue our comparison, imagine that a truck drove by and sprayed muddy water from a puddle. The same meadow, the same grass, but not those droplets, they no longer reflect anything. Nowadays, so few young people remain clean before marriage, which is why so many marriages fall apart. Modern man chasing pleasure, not thinking that marriage is work, it is responsibility, it is raising children, it is the need to provide for the family.
Now our upbringing is predominantly female, so people who are truly courageous are rarely met now. There are few full-fledged families, but many have broken up, a third of the children are born out of wedlock. Children are raised by single mothers who cannot properly raise a full-fledged man, but it is more difficult to raise a morally healthy young man than a girl. And it so happened that men moved further from their vocation than women.
Male nature is more susceptible to corrupting influence than female nature. Crime, alcoholism, drug addiction, foul language - all this is inherent in masculine nature to a greater extent than feminine. It is more difficult to deduce the feminine nature from the norm, but it is more difficult to regain the lost balance. When the desire for comfort and pleasure becomes the ideal, and morality is measured by money, then it turns out that everything is for show and everything is for sale. Chastity becomes not only a rare quality, but even ridiculed. This is one of the most terrible phenomena of our life. It is tragic if a girl, who by her nature should be the keeper of chastity, loses the idea that she should cherish this amazingly beautiful quality like the apple of her eye, and succumbs to a cheap deception.
One girl said that her boyfriend's mother died, he was left alone and for three years he had no one. "Imagine, for three whole years no one felt sorry for him!" So she took pity on him, not thinking that she was not the first one he took for pity, and not the last. Feminine nature is disposed towards compassion and pity. Thank God! Of course, the desire to realize oneself by creating a family, becoming a wife and a mother is strongly inherent in the female soul, but you cannot run after your nature. Therefore, those who like to eat "strawberries" have the opportunity to get what they want without any effort: without getting married, without taking on any obligations, without bearing any responsibility. Establish a close relationship with a young woman for a while, and then leave her, let her raise her child alone! Nevertheless, many girls hope that "he will see how beautiful, caring, loving I am, and will marry me." But if such a desired delicacy becomes available, then only either a fool or a noble person can refuse it. But there are no fools, and there are few noble people.
The loss of Christian ideals of purity, chastity, and fidelity began a long time ago, several centuries ago. W. Shakespeare wrote:
"And virtue in this fat age
I must ask forgiveness from vice ".
(Hamlet).
And in our time, young people do not see chastity either in adults or in their environment and culture. ... The director of one school in a small working-class settlement noticed that one senior pupil was “bored”, walking as if she had been dipped into the water. The director invited her to her office, talked and it turned out that what happens is what usually happens. A young man began to take care of the girl, with whom, by the way, she was far from the first. When he achieved what he wanted, he exclaimed: “Eh! And you are the same! You are all like that! ”
Why did she suffer so much? It would seem that, according to modern beliefs, there is nothing special here: “everyone lives this way, everyone does this”. However, this is just self-deception, not everyone lives and acts this way.
Our great compatriot, AV Suvorov, who can rightfully be called a knight without fear and reproach, said: “The honor of my daughter is dearer to me than life and my own honor”. Now the opposite views prevail. Not only from our spoken language, but also from the system of values, notions such as “honor”, and even more so “female honor”, have long disappeared. The poor girl was so worried that she did not save her honor.
Thinking that I met loving person, she was deceived, and voluntarily gave herself up for desecration: there was no love that he supposedly felt, about which he spoke to her so eloquently. He just used it to satisfy his lust and his male pride. The most terrible thing for her was that in his words the bitter truth sounded, because she herself - a unique person, a one-of-a-kind person, humiliated herself, allowing someone to use her as an object of pleasure or self-affirmation.
The word “user” has become firmly established in the modern colloquial language. Talk about what this person- a user, for example, of a computer, means talking about his professional affiliation, and if he is a user of feminine beauty and inexperience, then - about immorality, moreover, - about meanness.
But the exclamation of this young man is evidence of his personal tragedy, because there was no one on his way who could not be seduced to sin by any temptations, who would adamantly protect her honor, and would entrust her purity, chastity and love intact and unspent to her husband. ... You can trust such a girl, you can love such a girl, you can tie your destiny to such a girl forever.
One should not think that one can sin with impunity. Moral laws are as real and as objective as the laws of the material world. They exist and operate regardless of whether we recognize their action and existence or not. The evil done inevitably turns against the one who created it. This is evidenced by the life experience of many, many famous and little-known people.
Sometimes we have to face situations that seem completely hopeless. The most come to church different people and often quite by accident. The girl asked for a lift and, having learned that the driver was going to the temple, went with him. Waiting for the priest to be free, she burst into tears, and then fell fast asleep. It turns out that she lost her job, and with it her home, since there is no money to pay for it, and has not lived anywhere for a week now, sleeping wherever she has to. "Where did you work?" Mother died, she does not remember her father ... She was left completely alone in the whole wide world, there is no education, she is not able to do anything except her shameful craft. For others, at twenty, life is just beginning, but for her everything is already behind ...
Apparently, this is a fairly typical picture: a teenager leaves home, school and starts looking for unrealizable happiness, but after a few years, having lost everything, and shame, and honor, and human dignity, and at the same time the beauty and freshness of youth, remains in hopeless loneliness. How terrible that this unique time, which is naturally characterized by purity of heart, optimistic naivety, joy, search for good in the world, becomes, contrary to nature, a time of darkness, vices and death.
Yesenin's sorrowful exclamation is widely known: "O my lost freshness, a riot of eyes and a flood of feelings!" Everything is wasted and lost forever. Why? “Lust, having conceived, gives birth to sin; but the sin done gives birth ”(James 1.15). Here we are talking about moral death, which can occur before physical death. Debauchery kills the ability to love and is always associated with cynicism, which does not spare even the closest people. “She doesn't have not only the villa she lied about, but even a small villa. Some legs, and even those old ones, ”- so Yesenin was not ashamed to write to his friend about Isadora Duncan, whom he seemed to love. “Whoever commits adultery with a woman has no mind; he destroys his soul who does this; he will find beatings and shame, and his dishonor will not be blotted out, ”said the wise Solomon (Proverbs 6.32, 33).
Popular culture implants as an ideal what King Solomon condemned three thousand years ago. As a result, both the moral level of culture and the moral level of society itself are declining. This can be confirmed by the words of pop songs. One was popular in the 70s, the other was written recently. "I will save my love, Throw bridges across the rivers, If only I can believe that you are going to meet you." The lyrical hero promises to preserve his love if the “lady of his heart” meets halfway, and if not, then, obviously, he will not take care of love or throw bridges.
The modern song is even more eloquent. In a mixture of French and Nizhny Novgorod, the singer, in a whiny voice of a capricious child, addresses the road: “Sherri, how bitter it is to sit at a closed door. But I sit, but I knock, but I knock, but I will get through… ”. I will achieve my goal, but not by intellect, nor courage, nor determination, nor diligence, but by knocking. Not a man, not a knight, but a snitch! What have we degenerated into if such works are perceived as having the right to life and are met with applause, and not with rotten eggs?
Moral degradation has reached such a level that those who like to lavish caresses along with N. Gumilyov's poetic character can say in their own defense:
“I have not met a lady anywhere,
The one whose eyes are unyielding ".
But the fact of the matter is that if a girl adamantly maintains her purity, then she is decisively different from those around her. It is not at all external attractiveness and beauty that are precious in a girl, but her chastity. A girl must be unapproachable. Then his best moral qualities will manifest in a man: courage, firmness, perseverance, kindness and tenderness ... He will become a valiant knight, a defender of female purity and chastity. And he must win trust and love, showing the qualities not of a voluptuous, but of a real man.
A person's dignity, regardless of gender, age, career, marital status, etc., is determined by the purity of his soul and the righteousness of life. It is impossible to manipulate such people, to impose what is contrary to the voice of their conscience. Such people will not allow themselves to be humiliated, on the contrary, they are able to teach a moral lesson to anyone, regardless of his ranks and titles.
A grateful memory of such seemingly insignificant episodes was preserved and passed on to us by the wonderful writer B. Shergin.
“... The Tsar's official drives past the Lodem peasants sitting on logs.
- Hey, beard!
“All with beards,” the peasants grinned.
- Who is your master here? - the official is angry.
- All the masters, who have what, - the peasants answer.
- I wish to buy the local toy - a boat!
“You can't buy anything for a bad notion of courtesy,” you hear a calm answer.
The Orthodox peasants did not trample each other in the competition for the sales market, but kept their dignity, without losing the human dignity of an impolite official. A connoisseur of the low sides of human nature, fascist ideologist Dr. J. Goebbels formulated a principle that reads as follows: "a person is cheaper to buy than to scare." Fortunately, this cynical principle cannot be considered universal, because a moral person can neither be bought nor intimidated.
1 B. Shergin. The concept of courtesy. The ocean-sea is Russian. Moscow. Young guard. with. 207.
The first thing that comes to mind when you hear the word chastity is thoughts of girlish integrity. But it's not that simple. This concept is very multifaceted. Of course, it is associated with sexuality, but not just women. And not only with her. Chastity has to do with everyday moral standards and religious values.
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The meaning of the word "chastity"
In dictionaries
What does this word mean? In the dictionary of synonyms, chastity corresponds, for example,
- impeccability;
- sinlessness;
- innocence;
- purity;
- modesty;
- virginity.
It is also characterized as adherence to strict moral rules.
On Wikipedia
Chastity has two sides... In wikipedia, this word means:
- one of the virtues in Christianity.
- a person's trait related to moral qualities.
In Christianity the word chastity denotes the purity of a person, which is inherent in both his physical (bodily) nature and his spiritual, mental qualities. It leads to the absence of vicious tendencies. A chaste person is characterized by purity of thoughts. and deeds that are dictated by him inner peace, regardless of external negative influences. One of the sides of chastity is abstinence from intimate relationships outside of marriage, but it cannot be reduced only to such a narrow understanding. The concept of chastity is very close to nobility. Together they can be seen as a category of honor.
As a concept of moral consciousness chastity presupposes the presence of a certain strength within a person, which helps him to resist the knowledge and sensation of the sides of life that can harm his personality.
Such aspects of life in everyday life most often include sexual abstinence:
- complete;
- chastity before marriage;
- during marriage, but outside of it.
But not only the close relationship between by the sexes in marriage and outside of marriage, this concept applies. He is also associated with a person's religiosity, his loyalty to ideals, family values, love for loved ones, the Fatherland, with wisdom.
Thus, chastity can be interpreted as a whole set of qualities united by wisdom and integrity, inner beauty. For a man and a woman, these are somewhat different sides of human nature.
So, a male representative should be primarily responsible for the life of the family, the state, and be a leader. The woman must keep the hearth, "Gather" household members around him, embrace them with warmth and love. While outer beauty is attractive, inner beauty is more important.
What the Church Fathers said
The church fathers paid much attention to chastity as a virtue that unites Christian values.
Apostle Peter
He is credited with wonderful words about how then a woman's adornment is not beautifully braided hair, a gilded dress and a luxurious outfit, but the treasures of her heart and the meekness of a silent spirit. This makes her precious in the sight of God. That is, a woman and a girl are beautiful when they have a big kind heart, they are soft, docile and tolerant.
Ephraim the Syrian (theologian IV century)
In his prayer, he called on the Lord to take away idleness, idle talk, and love of carnal pleasures from him. And, on the contrary, he asked God: familiarizing with humility of spirit, patience and chastity; the ability to see your own sins.
Saint Ambrose of Mediolan (church teacher IV century)
He distinguishes three types of chastity: conjugal, widowhood and virginity. He values all three equally highly. He attributes modesty to the signs of chastity as its constant companion, which, uniting with purity, protects morality, especially in youth. He considers shame to be a good teacher in maintaining bodily purity.
Saint Ambrose emphasizes that a chaste person can be determined not only by actions, but also by external signs: gait, body movements, ability to behave. "Impudent" gait, "antics", indecent postures speak of frivolity and lack of modesty.
Ignatiy Bryanchaninov (preacher of the 19th century)
In his opinion, chastity means avoiding "prodigal deeds", foul language, voluptuousness and ambiguity in conversations, reading and dreams. And also he classifies chastity: silence, helping the sick and crippled. He calls to remember death and hellish torments and also to cultivate chastity as purity that allows one to see with the mind's eye of the Lord.
As you can see from the above statements, chastity is an integral part of religiosity. One of its characteristic features is obedience - to God, the law, parents, husband. And she is also characterized by modesty and non-possession, that is, the absence of an unbridled desire for material values, empty pastime, bodily pleasures.
The virtue of chastity and the Vedic teachings are not overlooked.
Indian sages identify 8 qualities that characterize a chaste woman:
As can be seen from the considered reasoning of the ancient philosophers, they are quite relevant for our time. If modern woman possesses the indicated qualities, it can quite be called chaste.
About times, about morals
Unfortunately, in modern times it is not always possible to observe the desire for such a feminine ideal. Not all girls and young people think about creating a strong family for many years, about mutual love and great respect for each other. They are not always ready take responsibility for providing for the family, raising children.
There is often a desire to "live for oneself", to get as much pleasure as possible and to surround oneself with excesses, striving for a far-fetched prestige. As a result, there are conflicts in the family, couples break up, children are raised by single mothers or the state. Fathers shy away from helping their children, hiding from alimony.
It is clear that the child grown up in such an environment, moral ideals are blurred or completely absent. They are "brought up" by the street and social networks... Thus, the concept of chastity recedes into the last plane, or even becomes the subject of ridicule, is viewed as a relic.
Unfortunately, many young men and women today regard a girl's chastity as a quality that does not deserve much respect. Intimate relationship before marriage for them- a common phenomenon, like the birth of children before marriage. It is not uncommon for girls to become mothers before they finish school.
The reason for this behavior is, among other things, insufficient parental attention and care. The great commander Alexander Suvorov is also known for the fact that he treated his daughter with great love and valued her honor more than his own life and honor. Today's parents, no doubt, need to take an example from him.
The bar must not be lowered
Lowering the bar of moral ideals has a detrimental effect on the life around us. People have to to pay for immoral acts with health and well-being of their own and those of those close to them. On the contrary, the girl who is chaste, although not enjoying fleeting success with guys, "wins". She cares not about a transient external effect, but about moral improvement, about fostering kindness, respect for elders, honesty and decency. As a result, she will be interesting to others much more than an empty coquette.
A chaste person should have great inner strength and endurance. These qualities are necessary to resist negative influences. Such a person does not compromise with a conscience, does not give in to fleeting hobbies, he cannot be forced to commit bad deeds, go to betrayal, lie, cause suffering to others.
Chastity allows a person to:
- do not commit acts without considering their consequences;
- manage desires;
- avoid sinful thoughts;
- choose the right paths and set worthy goals;
- respect yourself and others;
- don't fall into.
A chaste woman loves and values her husband.
- keeps him faithful;
- inspires good deeds;
- is a good helper in his endeavors;
- respects his family.
Chastity education is divided into three components.
Thus, chastity is a very broad concept.... It applies to both religious and secular moral standards. Chastity is very important, both for young men and women who are just entering life, and for mature people. It calls not only to give up bodily excesses - sexual, food, but also not to commit evil deeds, to strive for self-improvement, moral purity.