Sunday, February 28, 2010

Oikos vs. Clergy

Anyone who knows me, understands that I am against the idea of having Hellenic clergy. I feel very strongly that the ancient tradition of the OIKOS (home/family) as the center of religious life, with the head of the household as priest, is still valid even in today's modern world. Hellenic religion, in my view, was for the most part, egalitarian in nature which really does away with the need for permanently installed religious experts, such as priests or clergy.

That said, there are people and organizations within the American Hellenic community today, such as Hellenion, who feel that it is desirable if not necessary to have professional clergy. The main argument they present revolves around weddings and funerals. In order to have a legally recognized wedding for example, many States require that a legally recognized member of clergy be the officiant. Funerals are also another event where they would prefer to have a clergy member present in order to conduct a proper funeral rite, rather than have a Christian priest or minister conduct the rite in which it is so common to have happen here in the U.S. This often applies in end of life care facilities, such as hospitals and nursing homes.

I can see the validity in the argument for clergy in today's world. Yet, I still feel strongly that there is no need to compromise our values for the sake of convenience or following the established system. The system should conform to us, and if not...we can fight about it.

Now, while I am no personal fan of Timothy J. Alexander, he proposes that people who choose to be ordained for legal reasons, acquire their ordination through a "given upon request" process from institutions that abide by that process (and there are a few that do). This preserves the idea that ANYONE can acquire the status of 'clergymember' without any special religious or institutional process, which is in keeping with the egalitarian notion of Hellenic religion. I think this is an excellent approach for those who choose to go the clergy route.

Now, in doing research while engaged in this debate, I came across some other interesting pieces of information regarding State law as it pertains to officiating weddings. I cannot speak for other states, but it seems the state of California allows ANYONE (friend, relative, etc..) to be "deputized" for a day in order to conduct a legally recognized wedding. I feel that this option is one of the most profound options available to Hellenics in California. It allows traditional Hellenics to have family or friends conduct the wedding and also have it legally recognized. This law is also perfect for people with no particular religious ties to forgoe the need for clergy if they so choose...i.e. atheists or non-demoninationals for example. The brilliance of this law is that it allows for MAXIMUM freedom for MAXIMUM diversity of a population. Now, I realize that not all states have this law, but California state law has now set a precedence which can now be lobbied for in other states.

For those interested in more information regarding California state law and marriage officiants:

http://www.cdph.ca.gov/certlic/birthdeathmar/pages/faqformarriagelicenseceremonyinfo.aspx



Here is Los Angeles County's Deputy Commissioner for Day Program

Deputy Commissioner for a Day Program:

The Registrar/Recorder-County Clerk has a program that allows individuals to be deputized for a day to perform a wedding ceremony. All those requesting to be deputized should fill out the form provided on the web or send in a letter detailing:

  • the full name of the person to be deputized
  • the telephone number and address to contact that person
  • the name of the parties
  • the date of the wedding
  • the location of the wedding

The letter or application should be mailed in to the address below with a check or money order for $75, made payable to RR/CC, 2 months prior to the wedding. Applications received less than one month prior to the wedding if accepted, will be subject to a $13 expediting fee. Mail the letter or application to:

Deputy Commissioner For A Day
Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk
12400 Imperial Highway
Room 5001A
Norwalk, CA 90650

Once the letter and fee are received a confirmation letter of approval will be sent to the sender. The confirmation letter will request the individual who is to be deputized to contact our office and make an appointment to be sworn in. Individuals are deputized on Thursdays only, at 11:00a.m. and only by appointment. No appointments will be issued without the fee being paid.

For emergency situations where an individual cannot be deputized on Thursday, accomodations may be able to be made, depending on staff availability. There will be a nominal fee.

Individuals coming in to be deputized should expect to spend an hour here at the Registrar-Recorder/County Clerk. Deputies are welcome to bring guest, however because space is limited we ask that they bring no more than one guest.

The $75 is non-refundable; however it can be applied to another deputy appointment within the same calendar year.

Should you have any additional questions please call (562) 462-2081.



So, to me, the OIKOS is still the center of religious life as it was for the ancients. The question is, do we have the courage to demand that our system conform to us, the people, or do we conform to the system? It's obviously easier to conform. Some people have criticized the notion that we 'pagans' cannot change the system or that it changes too slowly. I would argue that if we only fight for ourselves, then it WILL be difficult. But as I see it, this issue extends beyond the pagan community and affects many other groups as well. Minority groups have certainly had a difficult time fighting the system, but when these groups come together, change is inevitable.