I'm a young woman training to be a priest - AMA

[humanwinginglife]

As the title says. Any questions I'd be happy to answer!

@humanwinginglife no one's opinions on this thread or in fact, in real life, are invalid.

Most definitely. From my experience, it seems to be different for everyone!

Thank you so much

Not misleading in the slightest.

Oooo! I'll jot that one down, it sounds interesting!

I've read quite a few recently as my dissertation was on the balance between medical and religious views of possession.

I'm sorry you had a tough time and I totally relate. I'm so glad your in a good place now.

Thank you very much. Much love

You are incorrect.

Do you consider epileptics to be “possessed”?

Hi OP,

You mentioned a marital breakdown, I am assuming you are currently single?
Will you be "allowed" in the future to re-marry or even have a relationship? Is that even something you would want?

From what I remember from "my" branch of christianity once you become a priest you can't marry, hence all in-training priests get married before they become priests.

@heidbuttsupper

Anglicanism is vicar or minister. Catholicism would be priest and not female

Nope. Google and Wikipedia are your friends here...

Well I don't know anything about it but a quick Google shows you are wrong

Interesting thread op

Absolutely not.

My experience is “priest” by itself is usually Catholic and Anglican Priest or Vicar are used regularly. I don’t think it matters to the thread though does it? Surely a young female single mother exorcist is more unusual?

Yes I can re-marry. There will be a couple people within the church who I'm sure will not agree with my choices but the majority, the overall church and most importantly my bishop are okay with re-marriage.

My marriage ended for reasons of abuse therefore, I don't feel there's any reason I shouldn't be given a second chance!

Absolutely not. but is that not what demonic possession was in the bible?

I'm definitely unusual ha! However, it's lovely seeing other people come to train who feel they can be themselves - whatever that means. But my age, gender and being a mum with the specialism I'm heading for is, well, almost unheard of!

No, not in my opinion. There were instances of Jesus healing the sick in mind and body and other instances where he healed the spirit and specifically it was said that person was possessed.

However, as was part of my dissertation, I do believe from extensive research that someone who is (which is very very rare) demonically possessed can be made (although not always) sick in mind and body by such a force. A mask sometimes to disguise what's going on, a way of weakening the person etc... so I believe sometimes, the two can co-exist which is why it's so so important to have medical personnel involved in anything which might be deemed demonic in nature.

Sorry, I am an atheist and probably should have stayed well away. But what and how can you determine what is possession by a demon. In the interest of honestly answer me knowing that am the mother of a child who would be treated as a demon in certain religions and subjected to torture. Obviously he is not but someone who had gone through years of training would seek him out to torture him.

in all honestly, hand on heart, you can say you know when something is “evil” or not of this world but what a priest 100 or 300 years ago though was “evil” you can say now say is not because of science? You honestly believe it’s just not something you don’t understand? And science hasn’t explained yet?

Oh, I agree if you wish to remarry then you should be free to do so! I always thought the rule my church had was ridiculous.

Op sorry I should have said the name of the author, it's Richard Gallagher MD.

If your dissertation was as you said then you would find his book most interesting.

I only in the last few years realised that my childhood and teenage experience was most likely 'oppression' well is at mine but that isn't true as it was my family and friends who experienced it too.

Im glad God called you, when I've had tough times and felt like giving up on my faith I can't, as you described it it's inside and you just can't deny or ignore it.

The linking of sickness/dirt/sin is not compatible with science.

Hello. Thank you for your question and I am so so sorry for the heartache and pain you and your DC have suffered. My DD is disabled and I know some 100's of years ago she too would have been deemed possessed etc... I have clinically diagnosed anxiety and in the throws of a panic attack I too probably would have.

If I'm answering honestly, science and medicine has come such a long way that thankfully, this doesn't usually happen anymore. And most Christian's do believe in science.

I don't deem anyone to be possessed. It's actually a very very scrupulous process of even allowing an exorcism which is now, again thankfully, only allowed after medical interventions, psychologists along with priests and after much investigating with tech etc has failed. There has to be such a lot of evidence for anything such as exorcism to even take place nowadays. Some people have actually died as what could be deemed as a result of the waiting (whether that's down to possession or medical no one can say). But please know, at least in CofE and CiW, such an event is discerned for some time by medical, mental health staff and religious ministers.

Any religion that would torture someone they thought to be possessed is not a religion I ever want to be a part of. But I guess like all things, there will always be branches which have become loopy but nowhere does anywhere say that's acceptable in the God I believe in.

Thank you so much! I'll be adding that to my reading list.

Thank you and I'm so glad your faith has never left, regardless

I never mentioned sin.... you'd be surprised how much science and Christianity link actually!

Whats the difference between you being a priest and a nun?

It's actually a very very scrupulous process of even allowing an exorcism which is now, again thankfully, only allowed after medical interventions, psychologists along with priests and after much investigating with tech etc has failed why? If there is no possession how does the exorcism hurt someone? The only link between Christianity and science is perception. You may as well say there’s a link between hope and lead.

Nuns are powerless servants, priests are leaders.