Clergy?

[wintersolstice]

Thinking back on my deacon years (in liberal Lutheran parlance, sort of like being an intern), I suspect that most ordained and currently employed clergy would love, but do not have anything like enough free time, to participate regularly on a discussion forum.

They are always on call, and for an absurd variety of emotionally draining tasks. I would expect we have few practicing doctors and nurses on RF for similar reasons. They don't get much time off, and they need it for prayer, meditation, and personal healing.

Good point!

 

[Riverwolf]

...I performed a Blot once. That... didn't go terribly well. lol

Does that count?

 

[Levite]

I was just wondering if there are any clergy members participating/posting here. I'm using the word clergy in the broadest sense: ordained, licensed, certified, recognized, called, identified, whatever the proper designation is for worship/congregation/assembly leaders of your faith tradition.

No deep meaning or veiled implications here--just curious!

Thanks!

Yeah, I'm a rabbi.

 

[JayJayDee]

Just out of curiosity, does that mean that any JW can conduct a marriage ceremony? I went to a JW wedding, and it was very different than other weddings I had attended ... especially the Homily.

In Australia a person has to be a registered marriage celebrant. (I don't know what the law requires in other countries) The elders who perform weddings are registered marriage celebrants, but not all elders are authorized to perform marriage ceremonies. They do this without cost and no fee is charged to have the wedding in the Kingdom Hall.

Marriage to JW's is very much based on "till death do us part" as we do not believe in divorce except on the grounds that one mate has been unfaithful to their marriage vow. Jesus set this as a requirement and said that if one remarries when they have no scriptural grounds to divorce, they are adulterers in God's eyes. (Matt 19:9; Luke 16:18)
Our recommendation is therefore to choose carefully, because there are "no refunds". This makes for stable families (in most cases) and a way to keep marriage mates together for life is in making marriage work on a daily basis. No one of course is perfect, but with the tools provided in God's word, we can follow the Bible's counsel and work at being a good marriage mate ourselves, rather than expecting the other mate to be the one to do all the work.
This is usually the theme of the discourse given before the vows are exchanged. Since these are vows made before God, what He has "yoked together, let no man put apart". It takes real effort to keep things together in today's moral climate....but we try very hard.

 

[jeager106]

Our recommendation is therefore to choose carefully, because there are "no refunds". This makes for stable families (in most cases) and a way to keep marriage mates together for life is in making marriage work on a daily basis. No one of course is perfect, but with the tools provided in God's word, we have can follow the Bible's counsel and work at being a good marriage mate ourselves, rather than expecting the other mate to be one to do all the work.
This is usually the theme of the discourse given before the vows are exchanged. Since these are vows made before God, what He has "yoked together, let no man put apart". It takes real effort to keep things together in today's moral climate....but we try very hard.

Sure wish I'd followed those recommendations. I'd be a lot happier and have more
savings had I been married only once instead of 3 times.
I hate living alone, but getting married again is totally out of the question.
I made some really bad choices for wives. I'm sure they say the same about me.

 

[Eliab ben Benjamin]

Yeah, I'm a rabbi.

I would be if i were Married ... (orthodoxy) so i just studied to be a Rabbi , and run some
education and community support functions from the Shull

 

[Pegg]

I was just wondering if there are any clergy members participating/posting here. I'm using the word clergy in the broadest sense: ordained, licensed, certified, recognized, called, identified, whatever the proper designation is for worship/congregation/assembly leaders of your faith tradition.

No deep meaning or veiled implications here--just curious!

Thanks!

clergy generally applies to priests in christian churches.....thats what I think of when i hear the word 'clergy' anyway.

All JW's are 'ministers' and preachers. Some of us are appointed to serve as representatives in various forms, but there is no clergy as such.

 

[Pegg]

Sure wish I'd followed those recommendations. I'd be a lot happier and have more
savings had I been married only once instead of 3 times.
I hate living alone, but getting married again is totally out of the question.
I made some really bad choices for wives. I'm sure they say the same about me.

Dont worry, i'm pretty sure you are not alone.

Marriage is great...but it can be difficult for so many reasons. I've found the bibles principle to 'keep on seeking the interest of the other' works wonders to really stabilize and solidify a marriage....i know it makes my husband happy anyway

 

[Agathion]

I am a Minister... so yes.

 

[Desert Snake]

Yeah unless Pilate and his court were Jews, I think the Romans killed Jesus!!

The Sanhedrin were ''Jewish'', if I'm not mistaken.

 

[leibowde84]

The Sanhedrin were ''Jewish'', if I'm not mistaken.

The Sanhedrin didn't kill Jesus. No one claims that, do they?

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

The Sanhedrin didn't kill Jesus. No one claims that, do they?

I always thought it was the Pharisees that wanted Jesus to die.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

What Pilate was threatened by is the thought of a Jewish leader causing a physical rebellion against Roman rule, he decided Jesus fit that category and had him put to death, or at least tried to put him to death.

Even after planning to let him go since he couldn't prove Jesus had broken Roman law? Pilate was moved to act as he did because the Jews were threatening to riot; an act which could lead to a revolt. Palestina was one of the Roman Empire's more restive provinces - and putting down an insurrection which would undoubtedly have spread very quickly would have cost Rome both time, money & manpower and would probably have cost Pilate his career or even his life.

 

[The Emperor of Mankind]

The definition of what a cleric is in uninitiated Pagan groups is somewhat blurry. To me: a group's priest/ess is usually somebody who is respected by the group and takes charge of the group's ritual preparations. A priest/ess of a specific deity would be somebody who feels that they have a sufficiently strong relationship with a god - both in or out of ritual to be comfortable acting as a conduit for that deity.

 

[Tumah]

The Sanhedrin didn't kill Jesus. No one claims that, do they?

Well, Jews do...