Green Heart Guidance
  • Home
  • About Elizabeth
  • Specialties
    • Healing Trauma, Abuse and Loss
    • Health Challenges and Chronic Illness
    • Pregnancy and Infant Loss
    • Healing Messages
    • Pet Services
    • Remote Home Viewings
    • Green Living
    • Organic Eating and Food Sensitivities
  • Guidance
    • Consultation Fees
    • Classes
    • CEU Seminars
    • Client Forms >
      • Liability Form
      • Policies and Procedures Agreement
      • New Client Information
      • New Pet Client Information
      • Bereavement Questionnaire
    • Payment Options
  • Blog
  • Contact Me

Just Like the Rest of Us

11/4/2014

0 Comments

 
Picturea stained cross, Transfiguration Greek Orthodox Church, Austin, Texas
There’s a saying about how all people put their pants on one leg at a time just like the rest of us.  It’s a reminder that those in positions of power or fame aren’t really superbeings.  They are human, too.  One of my pet peeves is when people put priests, nuns, religious brothers, ministers, gurus and other church officials onto pedestals.  Based on my previous experiences in life, I believe that is a mistake.  Many of the shepherds are no more holy than the rest of us sheep.  They just happen to be our religious leaders.

During graduate school, I lived with nuns and brothers and other lay people in a large Victorian house.  There also were other priests and nuns who resided in the neighboring houses which were also owned by the department.  As most of us know from roommate and partner experiences, living with someone is the quickest way to learn about their faults and flaws.   After living with members of religious communities who were on sabbatical and working on advanced degrees, I was 100% certain they were human.  Many of them were wonderful people, but they were far from perfect and certainly did not deserve to be viewed as “better” than average person.  The shared bathroom issues with one of my housemate nuns were enough to clarify that point rather quickly! 

Later in my life, I worked as the office person for a liberal church. The senior minister was definitely a flawed human being and a rather unpleasant colleague.  I suspect he was having an extramarital affair without his wife’s knowledge or consent.  He was also accused by some of the members of the board of allegedly committing acts that if they’d pursued would have been felonies.  The assistant minister also was a challenging co-worker.  She seemed to believe that laws and rules were things that were only meant to be followed when they were convenient for her.  Her narcissism was difficult to work with, especially since she was in a role which was based on helping others.  Needless to say, I found that environment hard to work in.

In the same way, non-denominational spiritual leaders and gurus are very much human.  I've seen many spiritual leaders who lead highly toxic lives, some allegedly even committing crimes, yet they feel free to dispense advice to others on how to live.  They are not perfect, and just like the rest of us, they are struggling to learn sometimes difficult lessons in their lives.  Assuming that they are holy and trustworthy simply because of their job or vocation can be a major mistake.

Before you put anyone on a pedestal, nonetheless a religious or spiritual leader, remember that they are human, too.  They are just as likely to err as the rest of us.  Recognizing that religious leaders are no different than any other humans will help correct some of the imbalanced social privileges afforded to these religious leaders.  It can also help individuals to think on their own rather than blindly following religious and spiritual leaders who may not always be speaking from a place of divine truth.

© 2014 Green Heart Guidance

0 Comments

Your comment will be posted after it is approved.


Leave a Reply.

    Join our newsletter list

    Elizabeth Galen, Ph.D.

    Holistic Life Coach and
    Intuitive Energy Healer

    Categories

    All
    Abuse
    Announcements
    Body
    Body Mind Spirit
    Chronic Illness
    Crystals
    Death
    Disabilities
    Family
    Gender
    General Guidance
    Green Living
    Helping Others
    Holidays
    Infant Loss
    Inspirational Mantras
    Lyme
    Marriage And Divorce
    Meditation
    Metaphysical Gifts
    Mind
    Multiple Chemical Sensitivities
    Narcissism
    Natural Healing
    Nutrition
    Parenting
    Past Lives
    Personal Growth
    Pets
    Popular Culture
    Pregnancy And Childbirth
    Product Recommendations
    Reviews
    Sexuality
    Spirit
    Spirituality And Religion
    Stress Release
    Subsequent Pregnancy After A Loss
    The Other Side
    The Single Life
    Trauma
    World Events

    Archives

    January 2023
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    May 2021
    April 2021
    January 2021
    November 2019
    November 2018
    October 2018
    July 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    January 2018
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013
    November 2013
    October 2013
    September 2013

    RSS Feed

Services

Green Living
Healing Messages and Intuitive Energy Work
Health Challenges and Chronic Illness
Organic Eating and Food Sensitivities
Pet Psychic Services
Pregnancy and Infant Loss
Remote Home Viewing

About Green Heart Guidance

About Elizabeth Galen, Ph.D.
Contact Elizabeth
Consultation Fees
Client Forms

Social Media

​Facebook
Flickr
Goodreads
Instagram

LinkedIn
Pinterest
Spotify
Twitter
Youtube
Subscribe to GHG's Newsletter