Part 2 of a series i started earlier today (i.e. my previous blog post). NOTE: AS used in this series, te term 'priest' is a generic catch-all for anyone who claims a role of spiritual leadership, ESPECIALLY if they also claim that this role conveys to them some special relationship with the supernatural entity(ies) at the heart of the belief system they practice.
Now, as to Darren's specific questions... I'll handle the short answer question first :-), though naturally i won't even consider giving it a short answer!
Darren asked: "Do you believe that religion as an institution will always become corrupt at some point, maybe because certain members will try to use the religion to gain power, money, etc.?"
That about sums it up, but to fully answer i must also discuss a few other points as well. I break this question down into multiple facets because i think they are separate points:
I believe that the saying "power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely" applies here. Who wields more absolute power than an individual who has convinced people that he/she is beyond questioning when he/she claims to speak for the supreme ruler of the universe?
If you can get people to believe that you are a specially chosen mediary between them and their God, and you also get them to accept the idea that the will of God requires 'faith' to accept or understand, you have a perfect prescription for abuse of power.
A congregation of people who were encouraged to think for themselves and to judge pronouncements of right/wrong from their clergy against their own standards of justice aren't likely to be turned into a lynch mob by an overzealous preacher. But put that same preacher in front of an audience that has been convinced that the will of God is beyond their comprehension and that they must take on faith those things they are told about God's will which seem counter to their own sense of goodness, and anyone thought to be a witch in that area will not sleep safely that week. Don't just dismiss that as 'old news', either. Though they can't get traction with the governments of western nations, certain Christian denominations have managed to convince the rulers of some Arican nations that it's perfectly correct to burn or otherwise murder anyone they pronounce to be a witch... not to mention instituting the death penalty for being gay. The true face of Christian love and wisdom when not checked by RATIONAL minds is still on full display in those disgraces to the word 'nation'...
So, i believe that in general a 'priesthood' of any type is one which depends mostly on the inherent integrity of the person who holds it to keep its holder from abusing her/his authority. It would be nice if only people of high integrity sought such positions, but that doesn't seem to be the primary filter for self-selection. Any priesthood will attract people who seek power for its own sake right along with those who seek that power only to do good.
Some religions dole out positions of authority because of wealth or family connections. Others base your rank on how much money you collect from the congregations. Such ranks are a badge of organizational skills or social status instead of any indication of spiritual status or leadership, yet these people are expected to provide the moral leadership associated with the roles theey have 'purchased'. Still other religions make the role of priesthood hereditary, also known to be an unreliable method of ensuring suitable candidates.
All told, it seems there are few reasons to think that any religion's "priesthood" would be comnposed primarily of those who are selflessly devoted only to doing the positive will of whichever God they claim to represent or serve.
Of course, we don't have to rely on this theoretical discussion. Instead, simply look at the leaders of any religious group you know and decide for yourself how many of them are selfless men/women of God. Be sure to note the overall cost of their home and vehicles, and especially relative to those of the members of their congregations, while making this assessment. If you find very many examples where the priest is the least well off in this particular measure i will be surprised.
And then there's that peculiar notion of the Roman Catholic church that celibacy somehow improves a person's spiritual state. A celibate priesthood, like the one required by the catholic church, would be a natural place for those who never came to grips with their own sexuality to avoid facing the associated issues in her/his development. That would be an issue for anyone whether they are hetero or homo oriented, and it also opens the door too easily for the sexual abuse of children who are left trustingly in the care of these disfunctional shepherds. Not the best prescription for an overall healthy psychological climate within a congregation's leaders.
But then, the whole idea of a celibate clergy is based on the premise that there is positive value in denying oneself a healthy pleasure that is a fundamental part of normal life. IMO anyone who holds that position isn't psychologically healthy themself, so i surely don't want them serving as a filter between myself and God in matters of morals or ethics.
So, all told i'd say that the very existence of a hierarchy within a religion is effectively an invitation to corruption. In summary, this is because:
I recognize that the RC church is in the minority in the matter of celibacy, but they do have a long history which provides many examples of abuse of authority by clergy at all levels. I can't say how much of their abuse of authority throughout history is a side effect of the celibacy issue making them all act a bit crazy :-), but i'm sure it's a factor.
However, i believe that in general anyone in power will find excuses to use that power for her/his own benefit. Since the power of a priest is generally thought of as beyond criticism by the members of her/his flock, i think that makes priestly authority particularly susceptible to being abused by those who hold it.
My next posting will address the second half of this topic, i.e. the intrinsic value of having 'priests' within a religion.
Thanks for reading.
