I watched a program of Oprah where 8 new nuns became the Bride of Christ. Does that not make them a polygamous bunch of sister wives? Did anyone else catch that? Librarian
Of course they won't see it that way because it's symbolic. Yet the concept of it doesn't seem that different from what the Mormons came up with. A bunch of women are dedicated to a male god enough that they will use the symbolism of the word bride. Why not use apostle or servant? At least the Mormon version has the women thinking they will be Goddesses some day.
I personally think this is the verbiage they use to compensate for the fact that they don't marry. "I may have ended up a celibate nun but darn it, I'm a Bride of Christ."
Some of the Catholic rituals make the Mormon ones look like tree house child play.
The book Galileo's Daughter gave a lot of insight into what being a nun was really like back then. It will make you want to vomit. Women didn't have a lot of options. That religion has truly kept women in their place for two thousand years.
No suggestion of any kind of sexual relationship with Christ.
The idea comes from a couple of different Bible sources, both intended to COMPARE the intimacy of the relationship between God and people to the marriage relationship. It is never even hinted at that this should be taken literally. In the Old Testament, Israel is described as a bride; even today the Jewish Sabbath is poetically called a bride. In the New Testament, the relationship between Christ and the church is compared to the relationship between husband and wife. Christ is repeatedly referred to as the Bridegroom.
laluna Wrote: ------------------------------------------------------- > Observer, I thought this was a really thoughtful > post, as well as informative.thanks I also agree with Observer. It is symbolic -just as Christ is the bridegroom and the church is the bride. There is no actual sex or marriage involved and no polygamy.
"In the New Testament, the relationship between Christ and the church is compared to the relationship between husband and wife. Christ is repeatedly referred to as the Bridegroom."
Still, it's sexist. Only nuns are referred to in that light. And recall how "in those days/during their time" women were chattel along with their bovine counterparts and dry good. Not an appealing thought.
Males who enter the priesthood have no such suggestive symbolisms attached to their religious commitment. Perhaps some of them refer to themselves as "slaves", but that's gender neutral. In the end, it all boils down to silliness. All of them are either 'brides' or 'slaves'. You'd think a supreme being could come up with a better language for the relationship. (hey, don't look at me, I never claimed a was a god...only a god "in embryo" LOL)