why do people have a problem with the title high priestess?

Question

i am not what some believe to be pagan, nor am i christian i simple don't chose to belong to a religion my faith is in god, Jesus, and the bible, but i do study and respect other peoples religions i am ordained but i don't want to be called a preacher or a reverend or pastor and i am a woman so i cant be a priest i am the founder of U.F.M and i have the title as High Priestess so many people make something dirty and are quit disrespectful of my title and i just want to know why?

the reason for the high on my title is because i am the founder of united faith ministries Http://unitedfaithministries.com and some time in the future if there are other priestess people should be able to tell who is the head priestess. and by the way i have stuided wicca for almost 15 years and i find the people to be very nice and and faithful to their religion but personally its just not for me. but i want every one to know each religion has good points as well as bad. i seemed to learn a lot about my own faith by studying others. its like you cant see what is right untill you see what is wrong. and in the begaining there was only one faith

OK folks i'm gonna break it down
I'm not a christian!
minister- i don't minister to people
reverend- I'm not revered
preacher- i don't believe in preaching at or to any one.
teacher- i dont know enough to be a teacher
priest- that is a male title.
pastor- is also a male title.

here are my duties
i help rescure animals and care for sick ones.
i study with people and do my best to explain what i can with out puting in my own ideals.
i listen and try to help people with their problems while keeping what they tell me between us and god.
i try and discourage closed mindness.
i dont tell some one that they are wrong for believing the way they do. i encourage them to seek out the truth for them selves.

i try and offer people who do have faith but don't agree with the teachings of other churches a place to express their faith with out fear of judgement.
i preform marriages etc.. any thing any other ordained minister or what ever you would like to call them can do.

Answer 1

Because they relate to you as a person not the Priestess of U.F.M. that holds title higher than all other Priestesses of the U.F.M. The title makes you sound So High And Mighty, when they know that you are a kind and humble person. In comedy, opposites are funny. You aren't arrogant but the title is (historically) arrogant so, it sounds funny. To some it may just sound wrong and they feel comfortable enough with you to let you know how it sounds to them.

Answer 2

If you appropriate a term that has had long previous usage in another faith, don't be surprised if you get a little flak.

I don't particularly care what you call yourself, but you can't be indignant when people hear you use a term from another religion and assume that you ARE of that religion. Nor if some of them get a little miffed that you are using a title that means something in their religion without you being a member, or having (in their opinion) earned the right to bear that title.

In Wicca, a High Priestess is the leader of a coven -- the reason she's called "High Priestess" is because she is above the other priestesses in the group (in Wicca, all members are considered clergy). She has gone through a process of initiation into various ranks within the religion and has earned her title through long study.

In eclectic Wiccan practice, the term High Priestess is sometimes used to indicate the person officiating a particular rite, or else someone who has a certain standing in the community as a whole and who has performed functions for the community as a whole. Nevertheless, it remains a term associated with Wicca.

I don't understand why you can't just call yourself a Minister, which is a perfectly respectable Christian term, instead of taking a title from Neo-Pagan practice. I think if you truly respected our religion, you might reconsider your choice. After all, would you call yourself a caliph or a goði just because you thought it sounded good?

EDITED TO ADD: Let's see, you put your faith in Jesus and the Bible... that pretty much puts you in the Christian camp in my book, or at least so close as makes almost no difference. In any case, "Minister" is still a decent non-denominational title.

Answer 3

Because they associate it with Paganism.

Also - the title is not found in the bible. Some may be turned off by that fact alone.

But that does not mean they should treat you the way they do. Their behavior is just fueled by ignorance and fear.

Actually, a woman can take the title of 'priest'. We tend to make it a male title. But there is nothing shameful is being called a priest. I have met women who chose priest over priestess.

And it probably doesn't help you any that you have the title of High Priestess. People really associate that with Wiccans - and they also associate that with something strange and new. It's not something that is found a lot in Christian faith.

Personally, I don't know why a title matters.

Answer 4

Well, it appears that your title causes confusion. You say you aren't Pagan, yet a High Priestess is the leader within a Wiccan coven. The other area where the term High Priestess is used is in the deck of Tarot. The High Priestess is the card of knowledge - instinctual, supernatural, secret knowledge. When the High Priestess card is revealed in a spread, it basically indicates that some knowledge will be revealed to you, something that you wouldn't normally be aware of and usually of the esoteric kind. So, I don't get the connection with how you describe yourself. Maybe lose the "High" part and just call yourself a priestess.

Answer 5

Putting your faith in Jesus and the bible would make you a Christian my dear. At least that’s exactly what people are going to think when you say that.

As for people having a problem with you calling yourself a “High Priestess”, there are two reasons for this. For one, that title is very strongly associated with Pagan religions such as Wicca (as PrairieCrow explains very well). Often people do get annoyed when you appropriate things from their faiths. Don’t you think Jewish folk would be miffed at you if you declared yourself a Rabbi and weren’t even a part of their religion?

And secondly to most people proclaiming yourself to be a “High Priestess” sounds arrogant and pompous, mainly due to the ‘high’ part. If you like the title priestess, simply drop the ‘high’.

Answer 6

I mean no disrespect but all religion is is a way for humans to believe that they are better then all other creatures. Isn't being intellectually superior better than what anyone can imagine? we already are the only animals that can comprehend death, (that is where the world gets religion), I mean we are the greatest things on earth and we need to play make believe so we can think we live forever? come on we need to understand that this is the life we get and we need to make the most of it!!!

Answer 7

like i said before there shouldn't be a problem with it no specific religion or cult owns that title. i don't know if you know this but if your not a Christan or belong to a main stream religion that in fact makes you pagan in their eyes so then there is another reason why there would be no problem

Answer 8

Well, only Buddha has a Divine nature, so it is wrong to place oneself at His level, even if there are lesser spirits dwelling in nirvana for a life cycle as well as good and bad forces (spirits) in the world. Since we all share in the collective soul, the atman, which is cosmic and universal, one cannot use a title to place oneself above another, with the exceptions of important religious figures such as teachers and ordained Ministers entitled to respect and honour.

Answer 9

I really could care less what you anoint yourself. Print up business cards. Get it tattooed on your forehead, it'll be a conversation piece in the nursing home in 50 years.

Enjoy your vain delusion, but please don't tell us about it. That's really all we ask, stay out of politics, government, education and don't preach your delusion to me or my children.

If the Xians and Muslims would learn that...this would be a very different world.

Answer 10

High Priestess that's cool, I don't have a region either. I just believe in God and his son Jesus.