All's Not Equal In Realm Of Religion

Are Catholic and Orthodox Christians part of this mysterious "mainstream?" Apparently not, for they after all, deny women access to the priesthood. And what about Jews? I was at the bar mitzvah of a friend's youngster last month. In the synagogue, the central seats were occupied by men, women relegated to the seats on either side. So, plainly, Jews aren't part of this "mainstream" either. There is a fact of religious life -- be it Muslim, Jewish or Christian -- that columnist Turley-Ewart does not seem to grasp. To be part of any religion, except the most liberal ones, means separating yourself to some extent from the mainstream. If that mainstream is judged by its portrayal in sitcom television, for instance, then the separation will be wide indeed. Your sexual conduct will not be mainstream. Your vocabulary will not be mainstream. How you raise your children will not be mainstream. Neither will how you spend your money and a great deal of your time. It runs deeper than this. Churches constantly discriminate. While all people are equal in the sight of God, we are not all equal in the sight of the congregation. Certain privileges, distinctions and authority are conferred upon some, and denied to others. In the Catholic, Orthodox and Anglican churches, only a bishop -- or group of bishops -- can ordain people to the priesthood. Only a priest can pronounce the church's absolution for sin. There are times when the priest stands and the people kneel. http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Calgary/Ted_Byfield/2005/07/31/pf-1154118.html [Proofreader's note: this article was edited for spelling and typos on August 3, 2005]

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