2013-09-22: Garden of Eden

[Rune]

Mormon women can be female chaplains, but that's a very-little-known exception to the rule of female "clergy," and they're still not actually ordained to the LDS Priesthood.

The way the terms of leadership and Priesthood are confused and conflated in the LDS tradition is nothing short of labyrinthine if you actually look into it, but the very most basic understanding is that the Priesthood is both an office and a divine power to act on behalf of God, with varying hierachal rank, that is given to all worthy male members as young as 12 years old, and that they are then expected to progress in throughout their lives. Mormons use the term "the Priesthood" to denote everything and anything from God-appointed prophetic leadership, to the male membership in general.

It is, in fact, haphazardly defined doctrinally, but rigidly observed in practice.

It is claimed to be the male compliment to Motherhood, (because Fatherhood isn't special enough...?) or necessary to keep men engaged with their families and communities, or that's just how God wants it to be for some reason, so women don't need it, yadda-yadda-yadda.

It also just happens to be the only group of people able to wield heavy influential authority and decision-making and governing power over the general body of the church. There are some female leaders, but they only ever lead groups of other women or children, and are always still under a male's stewardship and ultimate authority, and there are no checks whatsoever against female authority being bypassed or overridden.

There has been more effort made lately to include women in higher-level decision-making counsels in an advisory capacity, which is a baby step in the right direction.

But, no, there are no female priests by any functional definition in the LDS church.

You might be thinking of the Community of Christ. They do ordain women. They're like the estranged uncle that the LDS don't like to talk about much, but I think they're pretty darn cool and think we could learn a lot from the things they've gotten right.

[Dogen]

[Tekii]

[fritterdonut]

As far as I know, the Evangelical Lutheran Church in Canada ordains female clergy, and LGBT clergy. Actually, the ELCIC has a couple female bishops, even. And they ordain LGBT marriages.

If I recall correctly, they caught a fair bit of flack for it from the Anglican and United churches.
_________________
The Thirties dreamed white marble and slipstream chrome, immortal crystal and burnished bronze, but the rockets on the covers of the Gernsback pulps had fallen on London in the dead of night, screaming. - William Gibson, The Gernsback Continuum

[Rune]

[fritterdonut]

[Rune]

Either way, I frequently wonder if such people worship Jesus, or worship the gender roles of the '50's middle class.

That's cool that female ordination is more common up there.