PLEASE READ THE INTRUCTION OR I WILL GET A F GRADE.

Topic
The term monasticism comes from monos meaning “alone” or “one,” indicating a detachment of the devotee from the world. In Roman Catholic Christianity, third century hermits who sought a life more devoted to Christ than the ordinary Christian, joined in communities. The rules of these monastic communities were classically formulated by St. Benedict of Nursia (C.E. 480-547). According to the Rule of St. Benedict, Monks are,

“Not to be fond of pleasures. To become a stranger to the ways of the world. Not to be fond of much talking. Often to devote oneself to prayer. Not to give way to the desires of the flesh; and to hate one’s own will.”

In the formative days of Roman Catholicism, those who went into the monasteries were typically the best and brightest of society. They were those who were educated in societies that were generally illiterate. But in the last 40 years, the Roman Catholic Church has experienced a dramatic decline in monks and nuns. Research what life is like for Catholic monks and nuns today; then speculate as to what the Church can do to attract people to the monasteries once again. Or should they change nothing? Or perhaps monasteries are no longer necessary? Present your research and explain your position. Follow the steps below.

Initial Post
– Title your initial thread in a way that reflects the content of your post. Be creative (yet respectful) with the title in such a way that you provide a preview of the content (and attract others to read). Titling it “Christianity Discussion” or something similar is unoriginal, does not entice others to read it, and could result in a deduction (the word “discussion” should not appear in the title anywhere). 
– After researching the topic, provide a conversation about the efforts the Church is doing (or should be doing) to attract people into the monasteries.
– Do you think these efforts are necessary? Why or why not?
– Include a discussion about the relevance of the monasteries in the world today. In other words, are they even necessary anymore? Why or why not?.
– You can even explore the monastic life in other religions as well (optional). Are the situations the same? Why or why not? 
– Provide at least 200 words of content followed by at least 2 MLA (Modern Language Association) format research source citations outside of your textbook: MLA Citations.

Responses
–  Expand upon the threaded post of another with further thoughtful comments, observations, and/or questions. There is no specific word count here, your replies simply need to meaningfully add something to the conversation with sufficient depth of discussion.
– Maintain your thread regarding those who make prompt and meaningful replies to your post.
– Be sure to subscribe to any posts you make so you are alerted when someone responds to them.
– All of this needs to be done in the context of furthering the conversation regarding religious terms, ideas, and concepts related to the topic.

Ensure that you provide original writing (do not copy the words of your sources), proper grammar, correct spelling, and appropriate punctuation in all of your posts.