OK seeing the Universal Life Church’s offer of free and legal ordination piqued my interest.
My question is specific to Canada, but any US knowledge is probably useful.
What is the LEGAL definition of an ordained minister?
How can you become a legally fully ordained minister in Canada, and what do you have to do / what can you do when you ARE one?
Are there good reasons for someone with no real interest in religion (e.g. an atheist) to become a minister?
Thanks for any help.
You can park in the good spaces at the hospital.
In the U.S. you can legally perform weddings and you can ordain others. I have done both with my ULC credential.
Haj
So Haj, you can perform weddings and ordain others. Is that it? I mean, is that why you did the ULC thing to begin with?
And you’re a minister, so do you put Rev. in front of your name? This is hard to say without sounding sarcastic, but I’d really like to know why someone would get this ordination.
Everyone I’ve ever meant with a ULC ordination was a teenager or young adult wanting to sound like a big shot. After hearing enough from people angry at their use of “Rev.”, they gave it up. Anyone else have the same experience?
UnuMondo
No, actually.
I got ordained about a year and a half ago, in my late 30’s. A very good friend of mine was getting married. Neither he nor his fiancee were religious and were discussing the problem of finding someone to perform their ceremony. I volunteered to do it and found the ULC on the Internet.
My friend wrote his own ceremony and presiding over my close friend’s wedding was one of the greatest honors and finest experiences of my life. There were maybe 60 attendees and everyone of them, including the parents of the bride and groom, sincerely told me how special the ceremony was.
I would never use the title “Rev.” To earn that, in my opinion, one must spend years in divinity school and earn the equivalent of a masters degree in theology.
By the way, the ULC doesn’t charge for their ordinations. The ordinations are not a money making scam. If you want a title (and you can get Reverend if you really want to) they ask for a $5 donation.
The person that I spoke with at the ULC headquarters told me that most people get ordained for the reason that I did, to perform a single wedding ceremony for a friend or family member. I have no doubt that many, many people do it for a lark as well.
Haj
the ordination is the culmination of religious and other studies and allows the holder to perform the sacraments.
a lay preacher can marry and bury…the real items here are the legal paperwork…
you can be ordained and be an athiest.
there is no proof anyone believes in God.
only the ministry showing fruit is the answer
you can be a useless plumber if it comes to that and still be a plumber.
its a vocation…and a hard one to do correctly and conscientiously
Back in the days, some folks thought it would be easier to get Conscientious Objector status if you were an Ordained Minister.
“Killing women, children, houses and villages is against my religion”
you can object for reasons of concious, religious concious, without being in the ministry
its a personal thing between you and God
to defend your country and children against oppression is not in my opinion contrary to your belief or faith elsewise christians would be easy targets for anyone
peter carried a sword, Jesus had balls!
"After hearing enough from people angry at their use of “Rev.”
Hey, Rev, want to tackle this one?
(PS: Rev, an actual SD persona)