What is the equivalent of a priest in your religion? (priests, ritual)

[Ardhanariswar]

a priest? brahmin of course. people belonging to the brahmin caste dont have to become priests, but some men do. anyone can become a saint i think....

[Jayhawker Soule]

Originally Posted by Druidus

What is the equivalent of a priest in your religion?

My religion? Wife.

[DeepShadow]

It depends on what you mean. I've heard "priest" used to refer to the person who gives sermons, or the person who performs rituals and ordinances, or the person who hears confessions and gives spiritual guidance. In my church, these are all very different things, and they are shared by the congregation in different ways.

Sermons are given by a different member each week, and a given member can expect to give about one a year. Also, every adult and many teenagers have "callings" that include some kind of teaching and instruction, usually of a particular age group.

Of course, we also have a "priesthood" composed of worthy males over the age of 12 who have various roles in church ritual and service. Certain special tasks, such as baptisms, blessing the sick, and stuff like that, are delegated to members of this priesthood.

Finally, each congregation has a single priesthood leader, called a "bishop" or a "branch president," depending upon the size of the congregation. These men offer spiritual guidance, distribute church funds where they need to go, and are generally responsible for the well-being of the congregation. Bishops serve for four to eight years before another bishop is called.

[timpeters]

I'm an atheist, so my religion doesn't really have any priests :P I guess there's community leaders, famous people, famous writers and thinkers and stuff like that.

[BruceDLimber]

Greetings, all! :-)

I'm a member of the Baha'i Faith, and we Baha'is have no clergy and no hierarchy whatever! (Everyone is "just a Baha'i.")

All Baha'i administrative bodies are elected to set terms by secret ballot through a non-political democratic process that has no nominations, no campaigning, and no discussion of individual personalities. And this same system is in use world wide at local through world levels....

Best,

Bruce

[Master Vigil]

Hmmm... Vigil of course. And anyone and everyone can achieve this "title."

(I put title in quotations because I hate that word, but its 1:10 am, and I couldn't think of a better word.)

[Majikthise]

Originally Posted by Deut. 32.8

My religion? Wife.

Simply capital.

[Majikthise]

Originally Posted by NetDoc

Just don't make a "habit" of it.

We'll have "nun" of that.

[andyjamal]

[quote=BruceDLimber]Greetings, all! :-)

I'm a member of the Baha'i Faith, and we Baha'is have no clergy and no hierarchy whatever! (Everyone is "just a Baha'i.")

All Baha'i administrative bodies are elected to set terms by secret ballot through a non-political democratic process that has no nominations, no campaigning, and no discussion of individual personalities. And this same system is in use world wide at local through world levels....

Best,

Bruce

You beat me to it.
I'd like to add, though, that it is incumbent on every Baha'i to investigate truth and teach the Faith.

[Runt]

In Unitarian Universalism we have ordained ministers as well as lay ministers. Both give sermons and lead the congregation. They differ in that ordained ministers are generally far more extensively trained (they have to go to graduate school and obtain a Masters of Divinity) and are able to perform other functions--such as weddings and funerals.