For those who believe in God -Why have priests?

[sandandfoam]

I am working out how to relate to God and I feel I am making some level of progress.
But I have been wondering, what have priests and clergymen to offer that I am missing?

 

[Aupmanyav]

As you know Hindus have idols which require rituals all through the day after consecration. Waking them, breakfast, bath, adornment, lunch, siesta, adornment again, dinner, going to bed, interspersed with audience with thousands of devotees each day, accepting their offerings and giving 'prasada' in return. You don't expect God or Goddess to do all these things on their own. It becomes so hectic that Lord Jagannatha of Puri actually falls ill. Then he has to take a break from the devotees and go to his aunt's place and be treated for common cold each year by his physician with herbal concoction. Being a God or Goddess is not easy. That is why we have priests to assist the Gods or Goddesses.

Lord Jagannatha going to his aunt's place with his wife and elder brother.

 

[Boyd]

I am working out how to relate to God and I feel I am making some level of progress.
But I have been wondering, what have priests and clergymen to offer that I am missing?

I believe that each individual needs to search religions themselves. They need to find their own relationship with G-d, and develop their own sense of theology.

However, there are many problems which are presented. Most individuals do not begin in a place in which they have knowledge about these subjects. Today, one can find a lot of this information on the internet, and more importantly books, but at the same time, there is a lot of trash out there that only serves to cause problems in one's search.

Ideally, a priest, clergyman, rabbi, etc. will be there to help guide you. There are also other resources, such as religious or philosophy professors that can be just as good as guides, but the main point is that they help you with the journey. The reason they are quality guides is because of the commitment they have made to the search.

That doesn't mean one can't do this on their own, but it does become much more difficult.


Now, if someone is simply interested in their own personal relationship with G-d, or gods, that may not be important. However, that is not what clergy and the like primarily deal with.

 

[Urban Dharmic Warrior]

I am working out how to relate to God and I feel I am making some level of progress.
But I have been wondering, what have priests and clergymen to offer that I am missing?

It's a great, honest, open question.

I guess, originally, Priests and Clergymen were intended to provide leadership and pastoral care to communities.

But alas, it could be argued that in some cases, being Clergy became more about power. (and sometimes corruption and abuse).

There are certainly ways of worshipping God that don't involve priests and clergy; for example the Quakers get by ok, with no clergy and with everyone on an even keel. (Many UU Churches are also run without clergy too).

 

[Kilgore Trout]

Priests and other types of religious authority are an integral part of the pageant known as "religion" for the vast majority of people. People need affectations and symbols in order to know how to categorize and compartmentalize things - i.e., people do these things, in this way, at these times, and these are the elements associated with them which identify them.

 

[Quintessence]

I am working out how to relate to God and I feel I am making some level of progress.
But I have been wondering, what have priests and clergy to offer that I am missing?

They're community anchors: they provide leadership services (i.e., organize events, officiate rituals) and teaching services (i.e., personal guidance, technique training). They also (should) have considerable subject expertise and training in order to be able to serve those roles properly. I would expect clergy to have broad-based training in theology, philosophy, and psychology (with an emphasis on counseling in particular). If they're clergy affiliated with a specific religion, I would expect them to have specialized subject expertise in that religion at a master's level or above if they're serving a community.

The term 'clergy' is sometimes played a bit loose in the Neopagan community. Looser than what I've outlined above. For example, the leader of a specific grove/coven/circle might be called the priest/priestess, even though they're serving maybe two dozen people. I think it's important to make a distinction between being a community leader and being clergy. Clergy provide a broader public service that extends to people beyond the grove/coven/circle you happen to run. They do things like weddings. They do things like counseling and provide services to people of their religion that are incarcerated. They often serve as public relations advocates for our religions. In essence, they have more responsibilities on their plate than simply running a small grove/coven/circle.

 

[Vinayaka]

As seen in this thread, the role of 'priest' varies tremendously from religion to religion. From Abrahamic to Dharmic is so far apart it needs two separate words. There is very little in common at all. The only reason 'priest' is used for Dharmic faiths is because of poor translation, and the English speakers of the historical time not knowing what else to call this profession.

Pandit, pujari, Iyer, Kurrukkal, etc., have no Abrahamic equivalent.

 

[FunctionalAtheist]

I am working out how to relate to God and I feel I am making some level of progress.
But I have been wondering, what have priests and clergymen to offer that I am missing?

I find this a compelling question. Of course you will recieve a lot of input. The purpose of a priest is to intervene on your behalf. This assumes that most people are not capbable, enlightened, or sanctified so that a deity would bother to here them.

In the old testament is was punishable by death to enter the presence of the lord, so one had to give their sacrifcie to the priest who would intervene on their behalf.

This is in stark contrast to the new testement which makes it clear that you need no one to intervene on your behalf and there is no need for priests or intermediaries.

In neither of these cases was 'knowing' god prime. The point in the old testament was merely to garner his favor and put away his wrath. The point in the second was to enter his kingdom in the guiss of Jesus' blood. But no where in the bible is there any indication that one could 'know' god.

 

[Caladan]

I am working out how to relate to God and I feel I am making some level of progress.
But I have been wondering, what have priests and clergymen to offer that I am missing?

In the historical (and contemporary sense) education and access to information enabling them to guide the lay believer. A mastery of a sacred language, a mastery of calligraphy, a mastery of Classical scriptural language, of extra scriptural relevant libraries... that's really just a small slice of the package.

 

[metis]

I would prefer unpaid rabbis and using schools or other public or private facilities instead of building synagogues. It's not that I oppose people making money, but more that I would prefer having religious leaders lead for strictly religious reasons and not just a way to earn a paycheck. To me, the money would be better spent on helping those in need, including further enhancing education.

 

[sojourner]

I am working out how to relate to God and I feel I am making some level of progress.
But I have been wondering, what have priests and clergymen to offer that I am missing?

Clergy have a recognized call from God to carry out a specific, representative ministry on behalf of the community and on behalf of God. Xy, at its base, is a communal, not an individualistic, religion.

 

[Quintessence]

As seen in this thread, the role of 'priest' varies tremendously from religion to religion. From Abrahamic to Dharmic is so far apart it needs two separate words. There is very little in common at all. The only reason 'priest' is used for Dharmic faiths is because of poor translation, and the English speakers of the historical time not knowing what else to call this profession.

Pandit, pujari, Iyer, Kurrukkal, etc., have no Abrahamic equivalent.

Are leadership and community functions still central functions of people with these titles?

I'm just wondering if we can come up with some sort of core element that translates across the religions.

 

[Vinayaka]

Are leadership and community functions still central functions of people with these titles?

I'm just wondering if we can come up with some sort of core element that translates across the religions.

No, leadership and community functions aren't really central to a Hindu 'priest's' work. They are quite separate from the community, although working within a community. Not sure if that makes any sense at all. It does to me.

The second part will be incredibly tough, given the variance. It may be possible. I can't think of any core element at the moment. Both east and west priest's can perform a ritual for marriage, but so can a boat's captain, and he's hardly a priest.

 

[Contemplative Cat]

Idk about preists but maybe monks.
In all ideologies, there are those who agree, and those whos experiences have lead them to diehard faith, then you start to spend a lot of time in prayer.

There are experts in every feild I suppose.

 

[ChristineES]

I am working out how to relate to God and I feel I am making some level of progress.
But I have been wondering, what have priests and clergymen to offer that I am missing?

If nothing else, they might offer a differing interpretation than yours and you could learn from it. I believe you can always learn something new from another person, whether they are a teacher, preacher, or just a regular person.

 

[Vinayaka]

Idk about preists but maybe monks.
In all ideologies, there are those who agree, and those whos experiences have lead them to diehard faith, then you start to spend a lot of time in prayer.

There are experts in every feild I suppose.

Not all faiths have monastic elements in them.

 

[sandandfoam]

Clergy have a recognized call from God to carry out a specific, representative ministry on behalf of the community and on behalf of God. Xy, at its base, is a communal, not an individualistic, religion.

Communality doesn't seem to require individuals separate or superior to the rest such as priests - or if it does, why does it?

 

[Windwalker]

I would prefer unpaid rabbis and using schools or other public or private facilities instead of building synagogues. It's not that I oppose people making money, but more that I would prefer having religious leaders lead for strictly religious reasons and not just a way to earn a paycheck. To me, the money would be better spent on helping those in need, including further enhancing education.

And how to you propose those that devote their lives to further benefit yours do so without support? Isn't this a sort of entitlement view that the Universe, or society, or the government, or God owes you the benefit of this? If you wish a religious instructor who has to work 70 hours a week between Walmart and the local drive-through to feed his family should also feed you too in his spare time without your support, by all means criticize. Enjoy the goodness of his heart.

 

[sojourner]

Communality doesn't seem to require individuals separate or superior to the rest such as priests - or if it does, why does it?

Hold on! Red flag! Clergy aren't considered "superior" to the laity. Speaking for Xy, all ministry is, at its base, baptismal ministry. The ministry of the laity is general; the ministry of the clergy is a "called-out" ministry for a specific purpose. But both are authorized by virtue of baptism.
The clergy are called out of the membership and set apart from the laity for this specific ministry of leadership. So, no one is "higher" than anyone else.

The specific ministry of the clergy is leadership. Every community needs leadership that is at least somewhat set apart to coordinate interaction, to provide focus, to set direction, to help maintain momentum, to maintain some objectivity in order to foster perspective and to oversee group dynamics. I don't know of any community that doesn't have some semblance of set-apart or recognized leadership. In the context of the church community, there is a further, more theological purpose.

Leadership/laity is the differential vehicle by which a communal energy and a communal dynamic is created. The theological term for it is perichoresis, or "rotation/completion of a cycle." It mirrors in the purely human setting of the church community the same dynamic we believe is present when God reaches out to us, we respond, and God works transformation in us that allows us to serve God more fully.

Since we believe that the church community reflects the community of the spiritual realm in the dynamics of its relationships, such differentiated leadership is necessary in order to reflect the relational dynamic of a God that is differentiated from God's people, and yet working in concert with God's people in this dynamic of perichoresis.

 

[StarryNightshade]

I am working out how to relate to God and I feel I am making some level of progress.
But I have been wondering, what have priests and clergymen to offer that I am missing?

I guess people, when you think about it, don't really need a mediator between themselves and God. Those who seek religion/God/spirituality are all on unique paths and will each have different experiences. However, I think it's nice to have someone knowledgeable to ask questions to and to seek advice from, but what we do with said advice is up to us.

I think an issue only arises when people never question or analyze what priests say and treat them as if they are infallible. This can go for any clergy or "holy person".