January 29, 2020 | The Clarion
Opinion
Page 9
Thoughts on tobacco 21 law
By Eli Goodhew
staff Writer
As we all know, the vaping epidemic we have
been facing throughout 2019 unfortunately
is following us this year. Sadly, a young life
was taken at the age of 15 reported by Dallas
County Health and Human Services.
On December 3, a study was done, and the
record number of hospitalized cases of lung-
related conditions linked to vaping was at 2561
and 55 deaths. This number is only going to
get higher, especially now that the laws have
changed.
The age to buy nicotine and tobacco products
has been raised to 21. This caused an uproar
with a lot of young teens who rely on nicotine
as a destresser or even has just become a habit.
Some only began when they reached the age
of 18. Now they are hooked and being denied.
In a way, it is a good thing considering how
many minors who were and still are getting
ahold of such products and the obvious fact
that yes, it does indeed destroy our bodies in
ways we can not even imagine.
BC student Liv Greene states, “If I should be
able to get married and vote I should be able to
buy nicotine at my own leisure as at 18 we are
expected to become adults and make our own
decisions. Why don’t they let us?”
The Negatives and positives are quite
extensive, and many people’s opinions vary.
Nicotine addiction at a young age can damage
the brain and so many ways considering it is
not fully developed at the time when we make
decisions or unconsciously become addicted.
I have spoken to any students on campus who
feel as if the new law has made them crave it
even more.
Catholic Church controversy
By Mickayla Smith
staff Writer
According to NPR, retired Pope Benedict XVI
and Pope Francis are at a standstill concerning
the necessity of remaining celibate in the
priesthood. Pope Francis is debating between
relaxing this strict celibacy requirement for
ordination in some South American countries
because of the decreasing number of priests.
Pope Benedict XVI and his co-author
Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah wrote a book
that translates to “From the Depths of Our
Hearts”, to defend the importance of remaining
celibate when serving as a priest.
“The priesthood of Jesus Christ causes us to
enter into a life that consists of becoming one
with him and renouncing all that belongs only
Meeting between Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVi on the occasion of the inauguration of the statue of
St. Michaei the Archangei in the Vatican Gardens
to us,” former Pope Benedict XVI writes. “For
priests, this is the foundation of the necessity of
celibacy but also of liturgical prayer, meditation
on the Word of God and the renunciation of
material goods.”
According to Pope Benedict, serving the Lord
requires a certain degree of devotion and that
means that a person cannot simultaneously be
devoted to his family and the Lord at the same
time. This is why retired Pope Benedict XVI
writes, “it does not seem possible to carry on
the two vocations simultaneously, which is
why celibacy became a criterion for priestly
ministry.” In keeping with priestly celibacy,
Benedict claims that it protects the church’s
mystery.
I think Pope Francis has made a revolutionary
statement by deliberating the idea of letting go
of the old fashioned and strict celibacy rule. If
a person so happens to have a family and is
wholeheartedly devoted to God, why would we
deny someone to spread the word of Christ? Not
being celibate isn’t going to defile the church,
I think it will make the church more relatable
and in return, more people will find meaning
within the Roman Catholic Church.
Pope Francis believes that celibacy should
be a choice and not a restriction. However, this
idea is still in the works and there has to be a lot
of discussion regarding this issue before there
is a final decision. Priests have been celibate
for thousands of years, and changing this will
be scary for a lot of people. However, change
is good and should be embraced. A change like
this can open doors to new ways to live life and
a new relationship with God.