Those of us who were opposed to women priests in the Anglican church years ago predicted that it would eventually lead to paganism. I can remember referring to women priests as ‘priestesses’ only to have the proponents say, “Oh you mustn’t call us ‘priestess’!” “Why not?” “Because it sounds so pagan.” “But it is pagan.Let’s call a spade a spade.” At that point lady priest goes off in a huff.
Well, it’s all coming out in the open now, and lest you think the reporter is picking up an extreme example from the lunatic fringe, he quotes from Episcopal Bishop Kate Shori’s opening address referring to the Mother Goddess. I can tell you that when I was an Anglican priest twenty years ago even then they were changing the liturgy every chance they got to remove references to God as Father, Jesus as Son and infiltrating references to ‘Mother God’, creating new feminist canticles and ‘psalms’, and even trying to put readings from the ‘gospel’ of Mary Magdalene into the lectionary.
Why should the open paganism of casting spells and having a ‘Eucharist’ of milk and raisin cake (as per the article) surprise anyone? Let’s be honest. It’s witchcraft, and to use a current turn of phrase, “You can put lipstick on a witch, but she’s still a witch.”
Question for you, Father:Was there something inherent in ordaining women that you thought would lead to paganism, or was it that the proponents of the one were already hinting at the other (per your examples – “God our Mother”, etc.)?[I am not questioning the catholic church’s teaching on ordination; just trying to understand what your reasoning was at the time.]
Your reaction seems a bit emotional. I think one of the popes said it was OK to refer/think of God as mother because God has no gender. Yes I agree that ‘Mother Goddess’ sounds pagan, and I am sure that the Episcopalians would find a way to abuse the whole thing. But my recollection is that it is in fact OK to reflect on God as mother.
Great post Father.Call ’em like you see ’em.It’s blatant paganism no matter how they want to dress it up.
Yes there an inherent connection between female priests and paganism. It all has to do with the created order, why we call God ‘father’ and what families are all about. It’s too complicated for a combxo entry. It’s a good question and I’ll try to post on it soon.
Look forward to it, thanks.
Marcus, is there anything wrong with an emotional reaction?I’ll be posting further on the ways in which we might think of God as ‘mother.’
Our mother Jesus!? Very strange, but the attraction is in women wanting power–Satan offers the momentary promise–and they believe, because they want to believe. But just by calling Jesus “mother” does not make it so, unfortunately their power is only illusionary, and in the end they will most likely be just more sad and pitable creatures–true power comes by aligning ourselves with Christ.
“As clergy have quite rightly turned away from a pre-occupation with judgement and sin” — Ha ha! Who wrote that column? You wacky clergy, so concerned about judgment and sin! Why not be concerned with what Richard John Neuhaus likes to call “Our Amazing Selves”? Yes, we have a saviour, but we didn’t actually need to be SAVED from anything!CS Lewis wrote somewhere that the ancients had to be convinced that their sins could be forgiven, but people today need to be convinced that they have ever sinned. Sadly, not much has changed since he wrote that.
God revealed Himself at certain times in definitive ways. To leave no doubt, though amazingly people still cling to their ignorance and idols, God sent His Son. If we are Christians, we believe what the Son has taught us about God. As Catholics we can take refuge in the protection of the Holy Spirit Who guides the Church in Truth according to the promise Christ made to Saint Peter. Sure, some mystics have spoken of God in “Mother” terms, but in our public worship of God it is only appropriate to pray to God as God the Son taught us… “Our Father, who art in heaven… .”