Hello, What would a religious nun with a perpetual vow do to obtain dispensations from vows? ~ Josephine A.
Religious vows have been a part of each religious dispensation of time (e.g., Patriarchy, Judaism and Christianity). Jacob, who lived under Patriarchy, made a vow (Genesis 28:20; see also Job 22:27 for a reference to vows under Patriarchy.). Deuteronomy 23:21-23 below demonstrates that vows were a part of Judaism. Acts 18:18 records a vow of the apostle Paul in the Christian era, though he may have initiated that vow while Judaism was still in force.
The following instruction to the Jewish people illustrates that religious vows were voluntary in nature, but obligatory once made.
“When thou shalt vow a vow unto the LORD thy God, thou shalt not slack to pay it: for the LORD thy God will surely require it of thee; and it would be sin in thee. But if thou shalt forbear to vow, it shall be no sin in thee. That which is gone out of thy lips thou shalt keep and perform; even a freewill offering, according as thou hast vowed unto the LORD thy God, which thou hast promised with thy mouth” (Deuteronomy 23:21-23; see also Ecclesiastes 5:5; Psalm 50:14; Proverbs 20:25.).
However, the type of vow to which you refer is contrary to God’s will and he expressed that in the New Testament. There are a number of biblical reasons why no one is obligated to keep the type of vow required of nuns.
First, instead of being the ‘holy apostolic church,’ the church that requires vows of its nuns is actually the ‘wholly apostate church,’ and the mother of religious deviation from simple, New Testament Christianity about which anyone can read in the Bible. The type of vows that nuns are required to take did not develop within the Catholic Church until centuries after the beginning of the Lord’s church and were not considered obligatory for over a 1,000 years after the Lord’s church began.
There is some difference of opinion respecting the origin and extent of monastic vows. Some authors affirm that they were made legally binding and indissoluble as early as the Council of Chalcedon; but the more general opinion is that, though considered obligatory in foroa conscientice, according to their nature, no civil disability or irreversible obligation was incurred by them till the time of Boniface VIII, late in the 13 th century. The three solemn vows, as they are termed, of the monastic orders are poverty, chastity, and obedience, to which others are occasionally annexed by certain religious orders. [McClintock and Strong Encyclopedia, Electronic Database, (Seattle, WA: Biblesoft) 2000.]
Further, the apostle Paul, by divine inspiration, anticipated apostasy from primitive Christianity and gave some of the descriptions of the apostate church. The prominent departures in the passage below are universally identified with the Catholic Church, namely: “forbidding to marry” and “commanding to abstain from meats.”
“Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; Speaking lies in hypocrisy; having their conscience seared with a hot iron; Forbidding to marry, and commanding to abstain from meats, which God hath created to be received with thanksgiving of them which believe and know the truth” (1 Timothy 4:1-3, emphasis mine, ler).
The propagators of these departures from pure Christianity are said by this Scripture to have departed from the faith, hearkening to seducing spirits and doctrines of devils, lying, practicing hypocrisy and their consciences are immune to the Word of God.
Second, women (and men) are advised by Scripture to marry for a number of reasons. Especially applicable to women, notice the following verse. “I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully” (1 Timothy 5:14). God designed the role of women to include rearing a family (1 Timothy 2:15). Another reason for women, as well as men, to wed is to satisfy their natural, God-given sexual drive.
“Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence: and likewise also the wife unto the husband. The wife hath not power of her own body, but the husband: and likewise also the husband hath not power of his own body, but the wife. Defraud ye not one the other, except it be with consent for a time, that ye may give yourselves to fasting and prayer; and come together again, that Satan tempt you not for your incontinency” (1 Corinthians 7:2-5).
Undeniably, the rampant problem in the Catholic Church regarding sexual abuse (which is not a new development, but centuries old) is directly traceable to the adoption of the sinful doctrine of ‘chastity’ or ‘celibacy’ for its religious servants (i.e., priests, nuns). “Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but and adulterers God will judge” (Hebrews 13:4).
Summarizing, (1) The Catholic Church has no biblical right to exist; it does not appear in the New Testament and it is not the church for which Jesus Christ died to establish. (2) The Catholic Church has no divine permission to make doctrine, for all doctrine was provided in the first century (Galatians 1:6-9; Jude 3) and there is a great and eternally severe penalty to anyone who adds to or takes from the Word of God (Revelation 22:18-19). (3) Monastic vows are not valid New Testament doctrine and are expressly condemned in Scripture and associated with apostasy rather than holiness. (4) God advises women to marry and rear families under normal circumstances, though they may voluntarily refrain from marrying or wed later in life, as they choose.
Therefore, since the type of vows addressed above are biblically invalid, one, such as a nun or a priest, can merely disavow that behavior without risking God’s disfavor. Better yet, make renouncing monastic vows a part of one’s repentance in becoming a Christian only and a member of the only church for which Jesus died.
Remember, the apostle Paul predicted through the insight of divine inspiration that apostasy would affect the first century church (1 Timothy 4:1-3).
“Now we beseech you, brethren, by the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, and by our gathering together unto him, That ye be not soon shaken in mind, or be troubled, neither by spirit, nor by word, nor by letter as from us, as that the day of Christ is at hand. Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition; Who opposeth and exalteth himself above all that is called God, or that is worshipped; so that he as God sitteth in the temple of God, shewing himself that he is God. Remember ye not, that, when I was yet with you, I told you these things?” (2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, emphasis mine, ler).
Eventually, the apostate church developed into the Catholic Church. Years later, during the Reformation Movement, dissenters to Catholicism (Protest-ants) established variations of the Catholic Church or in some cases over time radical departures from Catholicism, but nevertheless still manmade churches. Mankind has not ceased yet to establish churches according to his own wishes. However, anyone whose heart is honest can return to New Testament Christianity by practicing what the first century Christians practiced to become Christians and be the church of the Lord, about which we can read in the New Testament portion of the Bible. Following are some of the admonitions inspired persons in the first century, whose words are forever recorded in the Bible, gave relative to becoming a child of God, a Christian and a member of the church over which Jesus alone is head.
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be” (Mark 16:16). “…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…” (Acts 2:38). “And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord” (Acts 22:16). “The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21).
As a personal note, I was reared as a Roman Catholic. Finally, I proposed to search for the one, true church of the Bible, though I was not sure how I would recognize it were I to stumble over it. I was fortunate (providentially, I believe) to discover that it yet exists on the earth and can be confirmed confidently and objectively by appealing to the Scriptures. I am a member of the only church for which Jesus died and about which anyone can read on the pages of the New Testament. If I can be of any assistance in helping you or others make that journey, please let me know; I would be delighted to lend whatever assistance I can. The pomp and ornate furnishings of Catholicism still have an appeal to me, but the draw of heaven through the church of Christ’s choice has greater appeal and a sure promise of a favorable eternity.
