Views on women priests.

by quellycatface 24 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  quellycatface

  Having an interesting time at the moment with my faith journey. My hubs was confirmed a Catholic and his views are no women priests because there weren't any in the Bible. Hence, the absence in RC churches.

  My mother is a JW. I have argued with her that the JW religion is mysogonist (hope the spelling is right). Why can't a female make a good elder or MS? She could be a good study conductor and even deliver talks. Also, some women feel more comfortable talking to other female re; spiritual, family and personal matters. I know I do, anyway.

  I don't expect to convert either person and nor would I wish to. I enjoy a Catholic Mass but prefer the C of E progessions. My hubs has come to my church and will support me. He's happy to attend social events and I am the same with his church. It's actually quite liberating.

  What do you think?
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  blondie

  There are some rare examples:

  Miriam (Moses' sister) wrote a song that is recorded in the bible. As were some words of Deborah...

  (Exodus 15:20, 21) 20 And Mir ′ i·am the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, proceeded to take a tambourine in her hand; and all the women began going out with her with tambourines and in dances. 21 And Mir ′ i·am kept responding to the men: “Sing to Jehovah, for he has become highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has pitched into the sea.”

  Who judged in Israel (she was married to a Jewish man at the time)

  (Judges 4:4, 5) 4 Now Deb ′ o·rah, a prophetess, the wife of Lap ′ pi·doth, was judging Israel at that particular time. 5 And she was dwelling under Deb ′ o·rah’s palm tree between Ra ′ mah and Beth ′ el in the mountainous region of E ′ phra·im; and the sons of Israel would go up to her for judgment.

  Female prophetesses

  Isaiah's wife

  (Isaiah 8:3, 4) 3 Then I went near to the prophetess, and she came to be pregnant and in time gave birth to a son. Jehovah now said to me: “Call his name Ma ′ her-shal ′ al-hash-baz, 4 for before the boy will know how to call out, ‘My father!’ and ‘My mother!’ one will carry away the resources of Damascus and the spoil of Sa·mar ′ i·a before the king of As·syr ′ i·a.”

  Huldah

  (2 Kings 22:14-20) 14 Accordingly Hil·ki ′ ah the priest and A·hi ′ kam and Ach ′ bor and Sha ′ phan and A·sai ′ ah went to Hul ′ dah the prophetess the wife of Shal ′ lum the son of Tik ′ vah the son of Har ′ has, the caretaker of the garments, as she was dwelling in Jerusalem in the second quarter; and they proceeded to speak to her. 15 In turn she said to them: “This is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said, ‘Say to the man that has sent YOU men to me: 16 “This is what Jehovah has said, ‘Here I am bringing calamity upon this place and upon its inhabitants, even all the words of the book that the king of Judah has read; 17 due to the fact that they have left me and have gone making sacrificial smoke to other gods in order to offend me with all the work of their hands, and my rage has been set afire against this place and will not be extinguished.’”’ 18 And as to the king of Judah who is sending YOU to inquire of Jehovah, this is what YOU should say to him, ‘This is what Jehovah the God of Israel has said: “As regards the words that you have heard, 19 for the reason that your heart was soft so that you humbled yourself because of Jehovah at your hearing what I have spoken against this place and its inhabitants [for it] to become an object of astonishment and a malediction, and then you ripped your garments apart and began weeping before me, I, even I, have heard,” is the utterance of Jehovah. 20 “That is why here I am gathering you to your forefathers, and you will certainly be gathered to your own graveyard in peace, and your eyes will not look upon all the calamity that I am bringing upon this place.”’” And they proceeded to bring the king the reply.

  Philip 's four daughters were prophets (NT)

  (Acts 21:8, 9) . . .The next day we set out and arrived in Caes·a·re ′ a, and we entered into the house of Philip the evangelizer, who was one of the seven men, and we stayed with him. 9 This man had four daughters, virgins, that prophesied.

  Anna, Jewish prophet

  (Luke 2:36-38) 36 Now there was Anna a prophetess, Phan ′ u·el’s daughter, of Ash ′ er’s tribe (this woman was well along in years, and had lived with a husband for seven years from her virginity, 37 and she was a widow now eighty-four years old), who was never missing from the temple, rendering sacred service night and day with fastings and supplications. 38 And in that very hour she came near and began returning thanks to God and speaking about [the child] to all those waiting for Jerusalem’s deliverance.

  Remember too that in the first century anointed were men and women, and the WTS anointed are men and women and according to the WTS, anointed women will die and be resurrected to reign as kings and serve as priests right along the men...no gender in heaven.
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  Apognophos

  There's also the enigmatic Junia, who the Society does not acknowledge was a woman.
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  Band on the Run

  I decided to be confirmed Episcopalian (C of E). The ordination of women was controversial at the time. We had no experience. The women in my NT attended irregular ordination at Riverside Chapel (where Martin Luther King, Jr. wanted to go in retirement). A bishop agreed to perform the rite. The women were told they would go last when regular ordinations occurred. A God who rejects women is not one I chose to worship. I studied and waited for the regular ordinations to finish.

  When the irregular ordinations were properly ordained, I was confirmed. Based on my geographical area, women priests were popular. They were sought after for curate positions, the most junior. I recently noted where women are decades later. Small church rectors-sometimes. Bishops-rarely. Important church rectors-very few. We have better women's bible studies. The presiding bishop in the US was a woman scientist. I always see her surrounded by men.

  My decision stemmed from Elaine Pagels' class. She was discussing son of man and son of god. They mean very different things. She wrote on the blackboard "daughters of God" and crossed it out, followed by erasure. NO daughters, no worshiper. The Episcopal Church did not perish.

  Now we have to argue over ordination of openly gay people. Africa has the votes. The US has the $.
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  Londo111

  My only beef is since everyone in the New Covenant is part of the priesthood of believers, why should there be a separate priestly class to begin with?
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  Cold Steel

  Women are just as capable of receiving inspiration and guidance as men; the Lord is no respector of persons. But in relation to the priesthood, the Lord has withheld this from women. The Levites were all men. John the Baptist, who received the priesthood from his father, was a man; and the apostles were all men and all were ordained by Jesus. The two endtime prophets who will minister to the Jews during the battle of Armageddon aren't identified as men, and some women on the Internet have thrown their bonnets into the ring, claiming to be one of the prophets. (See Rev. 11)

  In many of the early Christian apocraphal books discovered circa 1947 (and since), the scene is painted of the apostles being absolutely livid over the information Jesus shared with Mary. Indeed, in at least one of these works, Mary is identified as his "spouse." The point, though, is that there are things Jesus taught to the apostles, and apparently Mary as well, that pertained to the "mysteries of the Kingdom of Heaven." Just what these teachings are is moot, but what is not is that Jesus consistently kept Mary in his inner circle, often sharing things with her that he didn't tell the apostles. On occasion, the apostles went so far as to either try to get certain information from the Lord or tell them what the Lord had revealed to her. They apparently felt that because they were ordained, that they had an entitlement.

  Women were never empowered to offer sacrifices, baptize, ordain, heal the sick or particiapate in the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Spirit. But at various times they were called to be prophetesses. But there's never been a documented case of a woman engaging in the ordinances listed above. But as far as being able to prophesy, receive revelation and so forth, there doesn't seem to be any limitations. Priesthood carries with it not only the power to preside, but the power to conduct ordinance work. And women are shown as having equal rights to salvation in the Kingdom of God, but not in priesthood authority.

  My only beef is since everyone in the New Covenant is part of the priesthood of believers, why should there be a separate priestly class to begin with?

  We have to look at the New Testament and not the teachings of the WBTS. There's actually no such thing as a "priesthood of believers." That's a complete misconception of scripture. The Jehovah's Witnesses teach that each baptized member is an ordained ministerial servant is a FALSE DOCTRINE and has no foundation in either scripture or tradition. The only priestly classes we see in the scriptures are the Levitical, or Aaronic, Priesthood and the Melchizedek, or Holy Priesthood, which many believe to be held only by Jesus and Melchizedek. The only office associated with this priesthood is that of High Priest; however, the Bible lacks a lot of information. Do elders have priesthood? If so, what kind? How about bishops, seventy, and priests? In fact, doesn't the term "priest" imply priesthood? As far as I know, the WTBTS does not claim to be a church. And there are no ordinations. As far as I'm concerned, that's a tacit admission of illegitimacy.

  .
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  fulltimestudent

  First, if we go back to the Jws before the elder arrangement, I recall that, because there were no suitable males, women sometimes performed the duties of Congregation servants, albeit with the dinky little headcoverings.

  Second, we know hardly anything about the conditions prevailing in the first 20 years of early Christianity. There are some indications that women had supervising roles.

  Example: Frescoes In Catacombs of Priscilla With Images Some Say Show Early Women Priests.

  Reference: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/19/vatican--frescoes_n_4305560.html

  Third, there is the well-known text pf Galatians 3:28 (NIV):

  There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

  How can that work out when women cannot function on an equal footing to males?

  Fourth, Any notion that women's organising or reasoning skills are inferior to those of males, must be tossed out the window, in view of the idiots sometimes appointed as elders in Jw congregations.
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  Xanthippe

  I think you have a great marriage Quelly. You are both very open-minded people who haven't fought over religion so why start now.
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  LisaRose

  I have attended churches where the pastor was a woman. It was no less spiritual, no less instructive than any service led by a man. The idea that only a man can lead is antiquated. Both men and women have much to contribute. A church that only accepts the leadership of men is wasting 50% of the talent, why would you do that?
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  smiddy

  quellycatface

  Well I think you have a pretty uique relationship with your hubby , good for you . Its an exception , rather than the rule ,honestly .

  I wish you both well .

  smiddy