Br. Shaun wrote:Twsoundsoff wrote:
Br. Shaun wrote:
Hi, this whole ranking thing, is somewhat tiresome, and we appear to have raped and pillaged the Catolic faith for their titles, I could be wrong, but people are running around with \"Rankings\" of Bishop, or Monsignor. Why not create a generic brand for our titles. Initiate, for those who have yet to find a Master, Apprentice for those who have a Master, Knight for those who have completed their training, and then Master for those that have taken and completed the training of an Apprentice? Why do we have to take the titles from other religions when we are supposed to be a separate entity from other religions?
Just a thought.
Those rankings are the ones used to designate our development as Jedi. This discussion is regarding that of CLERGY.
Alright then, since we're discussing the Clergy, how about this, Initiate-Cleric, Apprentice-Cleric, Knight-Cleric, Master-Cleric. Do we really need more than that? I mean seriously, we're not all Catholics, and some people like myself, took this religion being that it was fresh, a change of pace from the others, yet here we still are, taking the titles they give to their Clergy, and applying them to ourselves. Those titles are not original, and not unique, and I feel that that is what Jediism is, unique, so we need something a little more original, even if the originality is in that the titles we use are the generics like Cleric.
The Catholic church originally did not have Deacons, Priests and Bishops this was a later development and all of the robes and hats and colors come right from Pagan trappings.
We are a unique religion but I'm not going to stop being a Witch or a Zen Master. I'm called so many different things by different people its too much to write but look at this:
http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=ddbvbrt2_37xw5vmf
and if there is anything here we have issues with than that's the bid deal. This Doctrine is what makes us Jedi.
I was raised Catholic but I do not participate in the church except for weddings or funerals and I don't believe lot's of the dogma. It looks like we're going to have several Rite's here.
The Jedi Rite
The Zen Rite
The Pagan Rite
The Christian Rite
The Esoteric Rite
Pure Jedi may use the clergy titles they are comfortable with (I like yours very much) and Christian Jedi clergy may use titles they and their ministry are comfortable with.
If someone would rather be called a Wizard that's fine too.
I have an idea of a universal language for us so we'll know the gist of what rank a person is no matter what title s/he uses. In the meantime relax and let's get on with our training and finishing our clergy handbook.
If you are a Taoist Sage you may use that title. After all the ceremony for a Christian baptism is different from a Wiccan Baby Naming and for the Pure Land Jedi we are still working on the clergy book. There's lots of work to be done and when a clergy person acts as a Chaplin they have to minister to a wide range of beliefs and if one should minister to a person at the point of death that's not the time to debate philosophy.
Some Jedi clergy will never do more than a wedding or two while some may go on to do other more time consuming ministries.
Failure is trying to please everybody and nobody here should address someone with a title they are not comfortable with. Mr. Jones and Ms. Kitty are polite and correct too.
Br. John
