Chastity

As a virtue:

Chastity is the virtue which excludes or moderates the indulgence of the sexual appetite. It is a kind of force, restraint, who controls according to right reason desire and need for the things that gives the greatest sensual pleasures. The sources of these delectation is food and drink, through the lives of individuals are preserved, and the unification of the two sexes, by means of which the permanence of the species is assured. Chastity, therefore, is allied to abstinence and sobriety, where the latter pleasures of the nutritive functions are properly regulated, so the chastity procreative appetite is properly limited. Understood as to cut off all carnal pleasures, chastity is generally to be the same as continency, but between these two, Aristotle, as mentioned in the article on CONTINENCY, made a big difference. With chastity is often confounded modesty, although the latter is the case, but a special circumstance of chastity or rather, can we say its complement. For modesty is the quality of fine reserve and coercive with respect to all acts that give rise to shame, and therefore outpost and safeguard of chastity. It is hardly necessary to note that the force under discussion could be a purely physical one. As such, his motive would be the natural decency seen in the control of the sexual appetite, according to the norm of reason. Such a motif derived from the dignity of human nature, which, without rational sways, is demoted to the brutish level. But it is more specifically as a supernatural force that we would consider chastity. Thus showed his motives are discovered in the light of faith. These are mainly words and example of Jesus Christ and the reverence due to the human body as a temple of the Holy Spirit, which is incorporated into this mystical body of which Christ is the head receiving the Holy Eucharist, and finally which is intended to following parts of the soul a life of eternal glory. According chastity would exclude all voluntary Carnal pleasures, or allow this gratification only within prescribed limits, it is known as absolute or relative. The former is the requirement for unmarried, the latter is incumbent upon them in the marriage state. The indulgence of the sexual appetite is prohibited for all non-legal marriage, intentional boost to the unmarried, is prohibited, evil impulse to something illegal, is. Moreover, such is the intensity of the sexual passion that this impulse is threatening fit to wear away before it will. Therefore, when committed intentionally, it is a gross violation of its kind. It also noted that this impulse is not created only through an effective desire, but by every volunteer impure thought. In addition to the classification already given, there is a second, after which chastity is characterized by perfect or imperfect. The former is the effect of them, to devote himself more completely to God and their spiritual interests, a willingness to renounce perpetually from even the lawful pleasures of marital status. Once that decision is made by one who has never known satisfaction allowed in marriage, chastity is perfect virginity. Because of these two elements - the high purpose and the absolute lack of experience - just mentioned, the virginal chastity nature of a specific reason different from that which connotes only abstinence from illicit carnal pleasure. It is not necessary that the decision lies in virginity be enriched with a promise, but as usually practiced, and in the most perfect manner, virginal chastity, as St. Thomas following St. Augustine, it will mean implies a promise. (Summa theologiae II-II.152.3 ad 4) The specific reason we are here considering involves a physical integrity. But while the Church requires that the integrity of those who would wear the veil of consecrated virgins, it is but an accident, quality, and may be lost without harm to higher spiritual integrity, which is formally in force of virginity resides . The latter integrity is required, and alone is enough to win the aura are said to await the virgins as a special heavenly reward (St. Thomas, Suppl., Q. xcvi, a. 5). Imperfect chastity is that there are suitable for the condition of those who are not yet married, without having given up its intention to do this for them too, united by the bonds of legitimate marriage, and finally those who have outlived their marital partners. But in the event of the latter decision be taken which would obviously make chastity practiced what we have defined as the perfect form.

The practice of chastity:

Identification untenableness of the arguments, McLennan, Lubbock, Morgan, Spencer and others, an original state of sexual promiscuity among humans, belong more directly to the natural history of marriage. Westermarck, has in his "History of Human Marriage" (London, 1891), clearly showed that many of the representations of people living promiscuously are false and that this low condition can not be seen as characteristic of savages, much less be taken as expressing an original promiscuity (History of Human Marriage, 61 sqq.). According to this writer that "The number of uncivilized peoples among them chastity, at least for women, held in honor, and as an adult usually is very" (op. cit., 66). A fact which can not be overlooked by travelers give unwavering testimony, the adverse effects, usually when the savages into contact with those who come to them from a higher civilization. According to Dr. Nansen, "the Eskimo women in the larger colonies are freer in their ways than the small villages where there are Europeans" (Nansen, The First Crossing of Greenland, II, 329). Of strains in the Adelaide Plains South Australia, says Mr. Edward Stephens: "Those who speak of the natives as a naturally degraded race, either do not speak from experience, or they think they know what they were when the abuse of drugs and contact with the most vicious of the white race have begun their deadly work. I saw the natives and was much with them, before the dreadful immoralities were known, and I say it boldly, almost all the evils they owed to the white man and immorality white man's drink "(Stephens, aborigines in Australia, in Jour. Roy. Soc. NS Wales, XXIII, 480). Of the primitive Turko-Tatars, Professor Vambrey notes: "The difference in the immorality that exists between the Turks hit by an alien civilization and family come live steppes becomes very clear to anyone who lives with the Turkmen and Kara Kalpaks, because, whether in Africa or Asia certain vices are introduced only by the so-called bearers of culture "(Vambrey, Die primitive culture des Turks tartarischen Volker, 72). Testimony to the same effect can be multiplied indefinitely.

The practice chastity among Jews:

Several of the Mosaic ordinances must have operated strongly among the old Jews, to avoid sins against chastity. The law in Deuteronomy 22:20-21, where after a break that had deceived her husband into thinking her a virgin was stoned to death at her father's death, in the case, has strongly discouraged young women from all unclean methods. The effect also of the law, Deuteronomy 22:28-29, which must have been healthy. Under this adoption, if a man sinned with a virgin "he must give the father of the girl fifty pages of silver and must have her to wife because he has humiliated her. He can not put her away all day in his life. " The Mosaic law against prostitution of Jewish women was difficult, nevertheless, foreign women through this evil became widespread in Israel. It should be noted that the Hebrews were still prone to fall into sexual sin in their pagan neighbors, and the inevitable result of polygamy was seen in the absence of a recognized requirement of abstinence in male parallel to that imposed on the wife.

The fornication of the post-Homeric Greeks were notorious. With this people marriage was but an institution to provide the state with a strong and robust soldiers. The consequence of this for women who were most baneful. We are told by Polybios that sometimes four Spartans had a wife in common. (Fragm. in SCR. Vet. November Coll., Red. Mai, II, 384) the Athenians were not as degraded, but here the wife was ostracized by society, as her husband, who sought pleasure in the company of hetairai and concubines. The hetairai were not social pariahs among the Athenians. Many of them come to the influence of queens. Even Roman style debauchery "Græcizing", they still sounded depths filthy lust days of the early republic than ever did their eastern neighbors. The Greeks threw a glamor of romance and feelings about their sexual sins.But with the Romans, immorality, although abnormal overt type strutted around his repulsiveness. We pick it clear from the pages of Juvenal, Martial, and Suetonius. Cicero makes the public statement that sexual intercourse with prostitutes had never been one thing condemned in Rome (Pro Caelio, xv), and we know that as a rule the marriage was seen as a purely temporary factors to be excreted directly, it was annoying for a celebration. Never has a woman sink to such degradation, as in Rome. In Greece enforced seclusion from the wife acted as a moral protection. The Roman matron was not limited, and many of them with the highest social rank did not hesitate at the time of Tiberius to have their names inscribed on ædiles' list as ordinary prostitutes to avoid the penalties which Julian Law is attached to adultery .

Christianity and the practice of chastity:

During the Christian chastity is practiced in a manner unknown under any other influence.Christian morality gives the right order of relationships. Therefore, direct and control the way in relationship to each other by a little body and soul. Between these two there is an ineradicable opposition, the flesh with its concupiscences fight tirelessly against the spirit, dazzling latter and weaning away from pursuit of his true life. Harmony and due order between these two must prevail. But it does mean the prominent role, and mastery of the spirit, which in turn can only mean punishment of the body. The real as well as the etymological connection between chastity and chastisement, as is obvious. Necessarily, therefore, chastity is a thing of strict and harsh. The effect of the example and words of Our Savior (Matthew 19:11-12) is seen in the lives of many celibates and virgins who have graced the history of the Christian church, while the idea of marriage as a sign and symbol of the ineffable union of Christ with His spotless spouse of the Church - a union where loyalty is not less than the love is mutual - has borne its fruit in beautifying the world with patterns of conjugal chastity.