epronovost
Well-Known Member
Absolutely. There are several religions that exist without clergy or a priesthood.
Which ones?
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Absolutely. There are several religions that exist without clergy or a priesthood.
Which ones?
I was asking, not telling, hence the question mark, but I can see how the phrasing could be construed as a statement.
There is also much child abuse by non-clergy. Do you have any statistics that suggest there is more child abuse per capita by clergy members than non-clergy members?
Yes.
A child abuser is a child abuser. Just as a thief is a thief. A thief will steal when an opportunity presents itself, just as a child abuser will abuse a child when the opportunity presents itself.
It’s the person that capable of abusing a child, not whether or not they belong to a clergy.
Child abuse, unfortunately, happens in all walks of life. You hear more about when it happens with a clergy member because there is more publicity.
As opposed to Prophets, clergy have not been given any special powers by religious scriptures so why do people follow them and what if the world were free from clergy and we each independently investigated truth with our own minds?
Child abuse, unfortunately, happens in all walks of life. You hear more about when it happens with a clergy member because there is more publicity.
Which ones?
Actually, what makes the child abuse so terrible within the clergy is the fact that it hid the problem from the public and protected the abuser. It also created an institutional culture and practice that made abuse easier to be commited and less likely to be reported. I would also like to add that clergy members, being seen as a moral authority, are going to suffer from more scrutiny on their personnal behavior.
Hi everyone!
As a follow up to my previous thread I created this one because I think they are very closely connected, we each have been given eyes to see for ourselves and a mind to think with for ourselves so why do we need clergy?
Haven’t we arrived at a place in history with the internet where we can investigate truth for ourselves?
As opposed to Prophets, clergy have not been given any special powers by religious scriptures so why do people follow them and what if the world were free from clergy and we each independently investigated truth with our own minds?
What do you think the world would look like without clergy?
The costume industry could possibly go bankrupt.Hi everyone!
As a follow up to my previous thread I created this one because I think they are very closely connected, we each have been given eyes to see for ourselves and a mind to think with for ourselves so why do we need clergy?
Haven’t we arrived at a place in history with the internet where we can investigate truth for ourselves?
As opposed to Prophets, clergy have not been given any special powers by religious scriptures so why do people follow them and what if the world were free from clergy and we each independently investigated truth with our own minds?
What do you think the world would look like without clergy?
I replied, then deleted my reply because I first want to see how you are defining clergy.
You misunderstand the office of clergy. Clergy have, indeed been given special powers by the religious texts in the way of having been granted authority. They hold the keys to the kingdom. Whatever they bind or loose is bound or loose. It is their specific job to formulate, judge, and teach doctrine.Hi everyone!
As a follow up to my previous thread I created this one because I think they are very closely connected, we each have been given eyes to see for ourselves and a mind to think with for ourselves so why do we need clergy?
Haven’t we arrived at a place in history with the internet where we can investigate truth for ourselves?
As opposed to Prophets, clergy have not been given any special powers by religious scriptures so why do people follow them and what if the world were free from clergy and we each independently investigated truth with our own minds?
What do you think the world would look like without clergy?
Faith is more often than not a justification for war and a ralying point for the mass not a cause of it.
Could you define "clergy" please?
If it also means "Apostles,, evangelists, pastors and teachers", then I would think we would be missing something since "prophets" were part of the list.
You should, of course, investigate the truth as did the Bereans. But having a teacher etc means you can learn faster. Don't have to rediscover the truth. In some sense, you are receiving those gifts if you are looking at the internet because many of them are the very ones that are in that list.
As I see it, clergy is needed for those that need religion that are incapable of understanding their respective religion or its corresponding scripture in layman's terms, or those that are too lazy to do any research and learn for themselves.
I think without clergy, the world would have even more religious zealots, fundamentalists, and extremists than it does today.
The Faith taught by the Prophets or that taught by the clergy?
Jesus taught to love and yet leaders sent Christians to wars to kill then how is Jesus responsible as He only taught love and forgiveness?
we would see that occasional crazy guy go by ranting....
the end is near!
the end is near!
but how do you knoooooooooooow?At least he’s providing a few laughs and not starting a war or plotting a terrorist attack.
Hi everyone!
As a follow up to my previous thread I created this one because I think they are very closely connected, we each have been given eyes to see for ourselves and a mind to think with for ourselves so why do we need clergy?
Haven’t we arrived at a place in history with the internet where we can investigate truth for ourselves?
As opposed to Prophets, clergy have not been given any special powers by religious scriptures so why do people follow them and what if the world were free from clergy and we each independently investigated truth with our own minds?
What do you think the world would look like without clergy?
At least he’s providing a few laughs and not starting a war or plotting a terrorist attack.