[jt8d]

"Nobody, at age 18, is "mature enough" to embrace celibacy."

Nonsense. That is a matter that varies between individuals. I have known 18-year-old men who were, in fact of behavior and temperment, more mature than many twice their age.

"If a man remains in that protective seminary environment for eight years, with no direction in dealing with sexuality, he will be just as socially immature as he was at 18."

Yes, especially in our time where evey nuance of life requires psycho analysis and touchy-feely self-esteem. This does not even begin to adress the fact that the seminaries are overrun with homosexual preditors... that these once-holy institutions have been purposefully targeted for infiltration by the homosexual cadre. However, that is a point I shall return to in a later installment of my dissertation.

[sinkspur]

Nonsense. That is a matter that varies between individuals. I have known 18-year-old men who were, in fact of behavior and temperment, more mature than many twice their age.

If they've gone through the military regimen or some other life-changing experience, sure. But the presumption is that 18 year olds are kids because most of them are.

If it were my decision, I wouldn't take a man in a seminary who wasn't at least 22 years old and out of college, preferably with some work and social experience.

But, I also wouldn't witness a marriage between two people who were under 22 either. A couple younger is simply not capable of making that kind of commitment.