- 58 - 8. 13 Repentance exercises - Celibacy In the Catholic religion the so-called outward ‘penitential exercises’ play a major role. It prescribes abstinence from certain foods on certain days, ordains days of fasting, considers physical castigation to be a higher degree of excellence, recommends pilgrimages, and demands celibacy of its priests and those in religious orders as a step closer to perfection. All these things have nothing to do with the true idea of repentance and inner perfection. • Christ never fasted voluntarily and never mortified the flesh. When he fasted in the desert it was because he was forced to. He could not avoid it, since the desert offered nothing edible. Consequently, you will not find a single word in the teachings of Christ or in the epistles of the disciples enjoining people to abstain from certain foods, or to castigate their bodies. On the contrary, such things are described as being of no value. Thus, Paul writes to the Corinthians: I Corinthians 8: 8: ‘The food that we eat or do not eat in no way affects our standing in the eyes of God.’ To the Colossians he writes: Colossians 2: 20-23: ‘If, then, being with Christ, you have freed yourselves wholly from the spirit powers that rule the world, why do you still submit to ordinances like: Do not touch this, do not eat that, do not handle this – as though you were still subjects of the world? All such things exist in order to be used and consumed. Such ordinances are human laws and human doctrines and, although reputed as wise as a result of self-imposed piety, outward humility and mortification of the body, they have no real value, and only serve to completely gratify the flesh.’ All of the ordinances imposed upon mankind by the various Christian religions originated not with Christ, but, as Paul writes to Timothy: I Timothy 4: 1-5: ‘With those who have fallen away from the true faith and turned to spirits of deceit and to doctrines inspired by demons. They have been seduced by the deceitful behaviour of lying preachers, who carry a brand of guilt on their own consciences. These men forbid marriage and demand abstinence from certain foods, although these were created to be enjoyed with a prayer of thanks by those who believe and by all who have come to a full knowledge of the truth. For all things created by God are good and nothing is forbidden, if you partake of it with a prayer of thanks; it is sanctified by God’s word and by prayer.’ The Catholic Church is one of those that highly values abstinence from food on specified days, for which its rules of fasting prescribe a single meal. It forbids its clergy and those in religious orders to marry and regards the monastic state as the most perfect state. Also, this church has turned to doctrines inspired by demons, for these are all purely human ordinances that, according to the words of the Apostle, are reputed as wise as a result of self-imposed piety, outward humility and mortification of the body, but have no real value.
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