[Jackie07]

Bill, allow me to interrupt. You seem to have totally forgotten about the movement that started 500 years ago by Martin Luther. At the time, he had to 'protest' the common practice that had been forced upon the priests in the 11th century. (I was surprised by my reading the entry in the encyclopedia - I always thought that celebacy started with the twelve Disciples.)

Japan has always been a unique country and a mixed culture being right in the middle of the cultural war between the East and the West. More than 2500 years ago, Japan had its first 'cultural reformation' and adoped everything from China - the Japanese custume and all it's 'tradition' as we know today is exact the same thing practised in China during the T'ang Dynasty.

When the West knocked on the door of Japan (as well as China and other Asian countries) with cannons and gun powders, the 'practical' Japanese adopted part of the western cultural and quite successfully mixed it with their own during the Meiji period - including 'imperialism' that encouraged them to attempt to occupy the whole 'East Asia' during World War II. The excuse they used (for their East Asian neighbors that were occupied by force) was that the whole East Asia region needed to bind together so it would be 'prosperous' enough to withstand the invasion of the colonists from the West.

We are seeing the 'war' in the Middle East quite similar to the 'wars' in Asia during the 18th, 19th Century. (At least from the prospectives of some of the occupied [or 'liberated' - depends on who you talk to] regions.)

Uh oh, is politics a forbidden topic here? We are just chit chatting about 'world history'. My point is: Japan is a very unique country with a unique culture which adopts, modifies different cultures and practices to suit her own purpose. And the 'married priests' are just some reflections of this tradition.

Back to Elaine.