Is There Any Real Difference Between Elders & Priests?

by minimus 61 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  LongHairGal

  Minimus:

  There are some differences but basically they occupy a "similar" position.

  Unfortunately, one glaring difference is that anything you tell an elder is NOT confidential. Do not be fooled. Nothing you tell anybody in the JW religion is confidential. Generally a priest is a priest for life and anybody he "gossips" to is usually another priest. Contrast that with an elder. He may step down or be removed and/or he may tell things to his wife and then she tells all her friends.

  If an elder is removed or steps down, what happens to all the personal and confidential things and embarrassing stories he learned over the years??? Sadly, they become part of the congregation's gossip.
• 

  JW GoneBad

  Priests say Jesus is their Lord and Savior. JW elders say Jesus is .............Who, What!
• 

  erbie

  Its easy. Priests parade around in black telling people what to do while elders.......................well..............umm......................................yes, I see what you mean.
• 

  St George of England

  JW's wear a white shirt and dark ties.

  Black shirt with black tie all the rage for elders and MSs here these days.

  George
• 

  FlyingHighNow

  I was raised in the Anglican/Episcopal Church. Part of my childhood was spent in very Roman Catholic South East Louisiana. It's so Catholic that the counties are called parishes, not counties. I later became a JW. While there are similarities, being a priest and being an elder is vastly different. And each church, Eastern Orthodox, Roman Catholic and Anglican is different in who is the boss or head. In the Anglican church, in each congregation or parish, there is an elected vestry who helps govern the individual church. They hire the priest, but the priest is the boss. He does answer to the diocese and bishop as well. In the RC church, the bishop appoints a priest to a parish and they all answer to the vatican and pope. They all have much more education than elders. And in each church, they vary in how devout they are or liberal they are. They are not like elders much at all though. That's been my experience. And in the Episcopal church they do not try to control anyone. That is directly against the approach and philosophy of the church.
• 

  justmom

  In THIS world, probably not. The religious priests are actually less judgemental and more foregiving than elders. Elders are truly "wolves in sheeps covering." They eat the flock alive. And spit them out!!!!!!

  In the REAL spiritual , Jaheshua our TRUE "Priest" would never disfellowship, shun, treat as dead any family or people for that matter. He forgave, showed mercy, compassion, pity, and unconditional love despite what individuals were practicing in their daily lives. He truly showed unconditional love, set the example for all of us, showed us what our heavenly father is REALLY like (not man) and left ALL judgement calls up to His father. Never was hypocritical, and reminded us constantly that whatever we measure out, it will be the same in return. SO be careful!!!!!! And we all truly have a lot we want overlooked by foregiveness. I know MY debt is great!!!!!!!!!

  justathought

  KIM justmom
• 

  elderelite

  And did i mention no pay for this nonsense????????
• 

  JW GoneBad

  Yah, big difference. I wouldn't mind confessing my sins to a Priest. No way in hell am I going to confess anything to a JW Elder.

  With a Priest a person feels like he has been forgiven of his wrongdoing and feels good after confession. With a JW Elder its' (after your confession) the beginning on a long road to hell which may include a public statement to the congregation, restrictions, removal of privileges, disfellowshipping, shunning and the list goes on!

  Who in his right mind would confess anything to a JW Elder!
• 

  Fernando

  Little substantial difference if we're talking WATCHTOWER elders, or religious elders.

  The ruling religious clergy class rat is a rat no matter how you dress him up or what you call him.

  Pharisee, Smarisee...
• 

  Band on the Run

  It is more accurate to say that the American Episcopal Church does not control people. My experience as a convert was that I was often begging for a little amount of control and certainty. All the Prayer Book formulas, creeds have very loose interpretation.There is no JW certainty. YOu can interpet things pretty much how you like. A priest could conceivable get in trouble for denying the Trinity in a public forum but I don't think that would be enforced today. It is very much an individual parish affair. NY is very progressive yet my local church in Greenwich Village was a mecca for more conservative Es from the South transplanted in the NY area.

  A vestry can get rid of a priest. A bishop can get rid of a priest. Everything is very loose. I don't have a true feel for England.

  African priests seem to want to be in control. There may be a serious fracture b/c the American church is allowing gay clergy. Africans are appalled. Some African bishops were sent to NY on a meet the gays, you will like them once you know them plan. It backfired. What absolutely shocked me is that many of these same priests are polygamous. The Angican church exempted from Jesus' rule about marriage when they were British colonies. My viewpoint is that one gay person committed to another gay person is more Christian than multiple wives. Alas, I heard of no multiple husbands.

  There are more Anglicans in Africa than England. They have the bodies. Americans have the money.

  I find the whole Anglican thing fascinating. Sometimes I want to laugh out loud concerning the permissive culture. People attend church b/c they want to do so. No threats anymore. I've sat through incredible discussions -- very different from the WT. Besides if a priest did order, no one would obey on principle.

  I think the Orthodox Church is more stringent. The Orthodox Church, esp. Russian Orthodox, was the "in" thing for young Episcopalians in my day.Very presitigous. If we were Russian, I don't think we would be so attracted. It had the advantage of being exotic. The saints were mostly unknown to me. Their take is so different from the Western church in many ways.