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I became an ordained minister today. What a scam. I can legally marry people but they want you to pay to have your paperwork sent with your name on it. I did get a good laugh out of it. Anyone else an ordained minister out there?

SonderOpia 8 Mar 13
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18 comments

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0

Were you offered a grant from the grants department they were calling me a couple of times a day The one in Africa that claims to be in D.C. that have no idea where D.C. is. They will tell you you won a grant for like 10,000$ tell them you would would like to use that to pay for the papers. lol

1

I'm technically an ordained minister with the Church of the Latter Day Dude. Dudeism. I'm a Dudeist priest. I did it so I can call myself "Reverand Jim", my all time favourite comical character from Taxi.

Okee doke!

[niceguyjim.com]

1

I am. Allows me to perform weddings.

5

Since 1993 --- over 3000 wedding performed and over 100 funerals....But I did it the old fashioned way...a BA in Religion/Philosophy and Seminary College with a D. Div. Degree

Pretty cool.

I want to get married in a Spiderman costume!!! 🙂

hahahaha right? I'm known for doing all sorts of weddings/handfastings. I even did one half way down a rock cliff dangling by harness and ropes....

3

I did it over 15 years ago

3

I'm ordained for the purposes of marrying my friends. I did it back when it was illegal to marry as a gay or lesbian couple. It's come in handy over the years.

4

I am a Private Pilot and got ordained with the Universal church so I could marry people in the air and immediately they could join the Mile High Club. Just didn't have the funds to purchase the plane.

I love this. Gave me a laugh.

Now that sounds fun.

4

Universal life church, $30 dollars buys it, cheap fun. and great to haul out during a discussion with christians. just call me pastor

1

Nope.

1

I have been for many years, simply so that I could make a few extra dollars doing weddings.

1

No chance

4

Ordained, yeah i paid the fee.

Quite a few weddings under my belt.
Atheist, agnostic, pagan. I've helped a lot of my "non-traditional" religious and non-believers out.

Totally worth the fee, at least for me.

5

What about it seems a scam to you? The fact that you didn't have to take a test or something to get the piece of paper allowing you to perform marriages? Or the fact that you have to pay a nominal fee to the church or organization that offers the ordainment, so you can offer your services to friends or paying clients?

My thought is that non-religious couples just want a competent person to hear their vows and sign the marriage license, and submit it to the government offices correctly and so there is no religious test needed.

Many are happy to be married by a peer of their own - or someone they feel truly believes or exhibits qualities of their own belief system. Christians tend to like to be married by Christians...

Atheists and agnostics prefer to be married by someone with similar spriritual views, in my experience.

I became ordained through the Church of Spiritual Humanism in 2004 with the intention of performing weddings and funerals for the non-religious folks. I saw a need and I wanted to fill it.

So I set about teaching myself the art of creating meaningful humanistic ceremonies for weddings, funerals, vow renewals, adoptions and other celebrations of life. I also got certified as a funeral celebrant after taking an intense course on helping folks grieve and celebrate the life of their loved one, in a healthy non-religious way.

In 2006 I began officiating weddings and celebrating life events as a full time business. I have a reputable professional style, and cater primarily to atheists, agnostics, scientists, humanists, and other naturalistic poetically spiritual types. There are a lot of folks who seek non-religious yet professional services. I feel I'm filling a niche. It's a great way to make a living.

Here in Hawaii, I work barefoot in the sand at sunset, with couples eloping to say their vows intimately and personally to each other, with maybe soft guitar music, the scent of flower leis wafting on the breeze, and maybe a photographer capturing the scene for their memories.

I guarantee absolutley no religous references will be made and couples pay me to do just that. It's great!

If you find yourself to be a romantic or a poetic writer of love and its responsibilities and joys, it's a fun and rewarding thing to do!

I'm glad you made something of it however it's pretty worthless to me. The scam part was it had to be by some pretty much BS Church and you have to pay for it through them. I think it should be done through the courthouse or something that has real meaning. I'd pay for that.

Yeah - I agree it really should be something you apply for through the state, rather than a church, but so many states, including mine, still only allow marriage performers who are "ordained ministers" or courthouse judges. Living in a destination wedding area, our judges have plenty to do with actual court cases, so I fill a niche for those wanting something romantic but secular and give the judges a break.

I think lots of people might feel an online ordainment is a joke, but it's the only way some of us non-religious folks can provide services like performing marriages within our states.

The American Humanist Association offers an ordainment service, and seemingly is more legit than the many "BS" churches, but it takes all kinds. I know folks who were ordained by the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster, and some couples wouldn't mind that being printed on their marriage certificate, but the humanist church that ordained me gives me a slightly more mainstream title, which I don't mind... Minister of Spiritual Humanism.

I did take several online courses to hone my knowledge of humanism. I don't have to prove anything to anyone, as long as I'm able to reflect a humanistic view in the ceremonies I write and perform for couples, my reputation grows as a professional in my field. I probably took my ordination more seriously than most folks, but it's all good!

2

Late Night host Stephen Colbert got officially ordained and talked about it on tv to show what a scam it is. Even did the most hillarious skit with Rachel Dratch of snl fame. I am sure it is on you tube.

I'll have to look that up. Thanks for letting me know.

3

Not me, but my similarly secular brother got mailorder-ordained when he was just 12. He thought it was the funniest thing to show just how little is needed for this title "Reverend" that so many gullible people place their trust in, believing it represents wisdom and sound guidance. Ha!

On the site I went to you can be as young as 13 years old to get ordained. It's pathetic.

2

I am ordained in the church of dudism. Funny thing is I hate that movie, however the ordination was free.

I've never even cared enough to watch that movie.

1

ahaha, online many years ago as a jioke

@NFAguy53 wow, not bad.

4

I had my own agnostic church at one time...but I refused to use my ability to marry people, though I got asked all the time. Way too much responsibility for me...haha....every wedding I have ever attended has failed. All. Of. Them. And from different walks of life.

That might not be your fault.....
But then again it might 😉

@JimmyM 12 weddings...12 divorces...looks like I mat be the leading cause of divorce..hehe

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