I do not understand the priesthood.

How. Just. How? I don't get it. How can anyone become a priest? I seriously. Seriously. Don't get it. Someone asked me about my uncle the priest and if it must have been a pressure cooker of an environment to grow up in or around his home (I wasn't sure how to answer it - and honestly I blew the question). The only thing that fell out of that question was the self realization: I have no clue whatsoever, of what it means to be a priest.

Mostly what I am having trouble with right now is this whole vow of celibacy thing. Lets be clear: I could settle for being a cult leader, or some kind of author of a religious movement. Biblical scholar? Ok. I can even handle being a religious person - believing in God, being a Christian. All of that.

But the very concept of celibacy makes me spin out on a mountain curve. I see it as tantamount to murder. After all since when should we constrain God to be something that is constrained to create life and soul out of biological materials? If God wanted us all to start life as a skateboard trick we'd all begin life as a non-weak ollie shove it 360 mctwist. And the way Saun White pulls it off - you sometimes wonder if this is actually the case.

Can someone please help me understand - what is it about the Catholic church as an organization in the 21st century - that makes them want to eliminate their practicing officers from the gene pool. Priesthood in the Boston diocese notwithstanding, or as Michael Jackson once said "hitting the high notes" - setting both of these exceptions aside - is it so distracting to have children? Are they getting more work out of these guys? I don't think so. I can be fairly productive as a worker and still take care of two little kritters.

This is not about some abstract concept of desire - we are living beings and the relationships we forge can last throughout all eternity - the fact that males happen to be attracted to females seems to be in perfect symmetry with everything in God's universe. What catholic ideal could possibly be achieved by celibacy?

I would ask my hyper-orthodox catholic goes-to-mass at six-am best friend about this, but he's carefully explained to me earlier this year he will be spending the rest of his life with a hot looking eastern european chick he met last year. Oh yeah. And they lived together in europe for three months. And now they're getting married. But they're not having sex. Did I mention they're getting married?

I know there's probably not alot of colorless readers that can help me out here, but if anyone can find a way to tell me why the completely wonderful female form in some way needs to be hidden - or our natural desire to appreciate said form - somehow suppressed - please let me know. Else, I suggest we request the Vatican overturn this ruling. I bet there are alot of hot looking nuns out there if you just let them ditch the habit.

This is the day. And the day is divinity. Choose the sign of the day. A vast radiant beach and a cool jeweled moon.