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How to be a priest?
- Thread starter Wannabewizard
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At first I wanted to become a priest too. The job, depending on what you're like, your goals, ambitions, it can be nice.
A priest can get free housing, a decent salary, free car, all kinds of paid stuff.
For somebody who walks the path and is interested in working with these particular rituals like performing mass, liturgy, sure it can be nice. Endlessly high on energy.
The downsides though. I know some priests and they are so narrow minded it's annoying. So convinced they have the one true religion.
They are bashing other faiths. People look up at them as if they are gods. Their words matter in everything.
People ask them the dumbest questions, one could go crazy. Especially those stories I wrote here on the forum somewhere.
Somebody kept asking for blessings to buy new curtains, like seriously...you don't have to ask for a blessing here. These people cannot use their own brains, they need somebody to tell them everything.
Some of them are mega overwhelmed. They are always on the go, visiting hospitals, elderly people, several liturgies a day, sometimes 2 long ones.
Then weddings, baptisms, and funerals, lectures, Sunday school classes. Long lines of people asking weird questions. It's a lot to do. Even more during the lent and other special holidays. The priests I know are very happy, they love their work. You have to be a good psychologist as well. The right personality.
I realized that I can't do all that, I'd go crazy. I'm too much of a hermit personality and strongly believe in all religions not just one.
Why I considered this is that the main work I do is with monastic texts and practices. I wouldn't mind leading a congregation somewhere in the countryside once in a while but doing this all the time could definitely make me go mad.
Ah yes.. 5 minutes over again, I wanted to add. Lots of people go through crisis and need serious counselling. The job can be rewarding.
A priest can get free housing, a decent salary, free car, all kinds of paid stuff.
For somebody who walks the path and is interested in working with these particular rituals like performing mass, liturgy, sure it can be nice. Endlessly high on energy.
The downsides though. I know some priests and they are so narrow minded it's annoying. So convinced they have the one true religion.
They are bashing other faiths. People look up at them as if they are gods. Their words matter in everything.
People ask them the dumbest questions, one could go crazy. Especially those stories I wrote here on the forum somewhere.
Somebody kept asking for blessings to buy new curtains, like seriously...you don't have to ask for a blessing here. These people cannot use their own brains, they need somebody to tell them everything.
Some of them are mega overwhelmed. They are always on the go, visiting hospitals, elderly people, several liturgies a day, sometimes 2 long ones.
Then weddings, baptisms, and funerals, lectures, Sunday school classes. Long lines of people asking weird questions. It's a lot to do. Even more during the lent and other special holidays. The priests I know are very happy, they love their work. You have to be a good psychologist as well. The right personality.
I realized that I can't do all that, I'd go crazy. I'm too much of a hermit personality and strongly believe in all religions not just one.
Why I considered this is that the main work I do is with monastic texts and practices. I wouldn't mind leading a congregation somewhere in the countryside once in a while but doing this all the time could definitely make me go mad.
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Ah yes.. 5 minutes over again, I wanted to add. Lots of people go through crisis and need serious counselling. The job can be rewarding.
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you know what is funny... I know a lot of orthodox priests..they became priests not as a vocation/calling..but just for the easy, comfortable life..and good actors.. Many of them do not even believe in God!
Few of them are really serious, dedicated and have a calling for that. Some of them do really enjoy to control and manipulate the people asking their advices..in order to get money, donations from them , as a matter of fact they do behave like those manipulating gurus.. One must be very careful when choosing a spiritual father and better check him seriously.
Many of them do not even believe in God!Few of them are really serious, dedicated and have a calling for that. Some of them do really enjoy to control and manipulate the people asking their advices..in order to get money, donations from them , as a matter of fact they do behave like those manipulating gurus.. One must be very careful when choosing a spiritual father and better check him seriously.
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This is like yes and no. Not all of them have it easy. Small parishes, low income, some of them have to go around and do random jobs or teach basic theology at school. In the Orthodoxy especially the Russian one, the donations can be very high. Lots of people throw a lot of cash in there. I remember it was a Sunday and people threw 50 euro notes in the basket. A basket moved through the people and whoever wanted to donate something did. Most threw coins 1-2 euros but there were also a lot of notes in there. In one case I remember how some clergy member held 500 euro notes. Over the course of some years I observed the basket donations and I was really surprised. Stacks of cash. Now if you add all the direct bank transfer donations and so on, quite a lot.
Some of them are genuinely nice people, devoted and good but I also remember some freaky weirdos. One guy seemed very proud and cocky. There was something really wrong about that guy.
The worst kinds are those who turned it into a "business". Like the case of a Russian priest using grimoires to possess people over and over again to get more donations. Possession, exorcism, repeat. People came back with huge donations thanking for help and the priest saw an opportunity, after a while did it again. Those who had the problems blamed everything on relatives. What a business model...
It depends on the country, region, village or town and so on...yeah. ..
Anyway, few of them are really dedicated and serious! Many of them just turn it into a business...true! I was able to notice that many times along my life ..I am totally disgusted and disappointed..many of them are uneducated and ignorant. But that happens usually in any institutionalized religion..sooner or later.
Anyway, few of them are really dedicated and serious! Many of them just turn it into a business...true! I was able to notice that many times along my life ..I am totally disgusted and disappointed..many of them are uneducated and ignorant. But that happens usually in any institutionalized religion..sooner or later.