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Any Tom, Dick, or Harry can be ordained online with no questions asked when there are those who take years to reach such a level. What is your thoughts on this?

I've thought about doing it just for the title, also I think I'm qualified in knowledge of the Christian faith to teach at a pastoral level. Not only that but what I teach isn't exactly the traditional Christian message. However, it looks shaky to me, and I really would rather be a pastor through a Christian church.

Works for me. I've been an ordained minister through this organization since 1992.

I see nothing wrong with it at all. In fact I'm a great fan of the ULC. Ordained 2001.

They let you in!? Oh man, that's it! I'm turning in my official Captain Crunch ministers ring now! No more kissie D ring, for me. I'll miss that.

My cousin is the same way, well at least I believe. He knows so much about the bible he could easily be a pastor and was going to go to some type of college in um....Missouri I believe to have the proper qualifications? I'm not sure how that works for Christians that want to become ministers. The only problem I have with it is the legality of the rituals, like marriage. Would the state recognize it as a legal marriage contract if I were the minister leading the ceremony ?

You got a ring?!

I have a group of friends that did this, they all officiated each other's weddings. It was super cool.

It varies by State. Read the ULC's Legal Link

Yep, the ULC is recognized as a religious institution, so the ordination is real from a legal standpoint. The validity from a religious standpoint is a matter of opinion.

I don't mind it at all...and have been ordained through them since 2000.

The reason that many of us have gone through this route is because not all of our respective religions have seminary schools that we could go through.This is partially because of the fact that many of the other religions are not as organized as the more mainstream ones.Personally,I prefer it this way...instead of the way some other religions churn out priests and preachers like a factory.

Homer Simpson did as well LMAO then he begun to marry gays lol

my only problem with them really is that they have no standard. I got ordained yesterday and well....where's the significance? I think I'll just get ordained by a church.

My church doesn't have any ordained ministers... but as a congregation, we can perform marriages. I guess techincally I've married 9 couples. I signed their certificates. I was the acting secretary at the time. I don't think it matters whether you get ordained officially or not, I believe that we are all messengers/ministers of God if we choose to be.

But you are only 15...how can they ordain a 15 yr old boy?? no offence or anything BUT..im just wondering..cuz ive never ever met a teenager that was ordained a pastor or minister in my life

Geri, the Universal Life church will ordain anyone with a credit card, they don't care how old you are, only that you can pay.

In the USA, it DOES enable you to marry a couple, but you don't qualify for tax exempt status or anything like that.

My group of friends that did this all called their church the "Effervescent Church of Beer" and they all performed each other's wedding ceremonies over the years... oddly... never have a single one of them been divorced. Maybe they're on to something.

That's how COI got "ordained" ... he bought it. It takes like 5minutes to do.

Like I said, they have no standard. you just fill in your name print the certificate and hot dog your a pastor. They didn't ask for a date of birth. And I'm sure it wouldn't have mattered.

Bought? It was free. You go there, you type in your name, they give you a certificate and your ordained. No money, no credit cards no nothing. I am Reverend *name edited out* and I can marry people through the ULC hehe. I think it's stupid because like i said. No standard and therefore no spiritual significance. Of course according to God, all his people are ordained, but you know how the church and state are about bueracracy (butchered spelling I know).

Ah interesting, years ago they charged an $18 processing fee. That was practically pre-internet though... so they probably had to hire someone to handle all the snail mail.

Y'all are living in the past!
*reaches into pocket*
...
Ta-da!

It looks to me like a license to print money ."fools rush in where angels fear to tread"



fullywired

So it's free, anyone can do it...even my kid LOL...well no offnece to you or anyone at all...but I wouldnt place my trust into someone that was clicking away on line and ordained themselves....especially a kid...If I were a real christian, I would put my trust into someone who was propperely ordained and a lot older...again no affence, but to be able to ordain yoursef on line regardless of age or anything...sounds weird and wrong IMO...it dont seem propper at all

Not when you think of those christian men that studied so hard to become ministers ect...it kinna makes their hard work look like a whole bunch of nothing

BM, what about those of us who study and practice really hard at our own beliefs with no equivalent? Are we not deserving of the title as a symbol of our respective devotion to our paths?

Sure an open door policy of ordainment can be an issue. Sure there are those that just click the button. There are those that are seeking tax exemption. But there are those who practice, who walk their path.

Let's use me as an example:
Does it change your perception of the things that I say that have been touted as "wise"? Does it make my words and actions now somehow less?

What truly separates a person such as myself from a person who has gone to seminary?

What truly separates a person such as yourself from a person who has gone to seminary?

Rev in my previous post, I was giving my own personal opinions...nothing more

Im old fashioned...I have always known preachers to be men that where propperly ordained by the church...not by jumping on line to a free site and be click happy lol

I did say from my POV IF i were christian i wouldnt place my trust into a teenager that simply clicked a key to become ordained...and im just being honest

Anyone can study religion...anyone can pick up a book and read....but IMO to go and get quailfactions in religion is a different ball game than cliaiming you have studied and clicked on a - make yourself ordained click here ...easy as ABC

Whats next??? are there going to be websites that leaves you ONE click away from being a Doctor?? a Lawyer??

I never thought of clergymen as being of the same authority as Doctors and Lawyers.
After all, I am a Pope. So are you!

(Read the fine print.)

The ULC isn't actually all that strange or odd.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Universal_Life_Church

frankly, in a lot of ways, the ULC sounds a lot like a mixture of Unitarian Universalists and Quakers. Basically they believe that everyone has their own path, and we are all ministers of God's Word.

Quakers don't even have ordained ministers because we feel that we have the God given ability to minister the Word on our own.

In reality, that's what ULC is getting at. Mostly I just know people who are ordained by ULC so they can perform weddings. They don't do anything else with it...most of them I know don't even give religion a second thought.

I have no problem with the ULC's. If I ever find myself in a town where there's a ULC church, I'd go to a service just to check it out. As far as I know, there are none of their chuches near me.

A preacher is seen as a job....career ...what one does for a living

I know. These were just question that your thoughts provoked.



But we are not specifically talking about Christians BM. I understand your point of view there. But folks from all sorts of other beliefs get ordained there. What about them?




Please BM go back and answer my questions one at a time, they are serious questions.

Sure, that's true Geri, but the bigger question would be (and what the ULC is trying to demonstrate) are seminary trained ministers a requirement to be spiritual leaders? I personally think the answer is no. My church thinks the answer is no as well. Buddhists think the answer is no (sorta), ULC thinks the answer is no, and there are others I'm sure.

OMG rev im so sorry..I totally missed the questions...and I appologize

ok here goes

What truly separates a person such as yourself from a person who has gone to seminary?
A - IMO anyone that goes on to UNI or higher college to take up religious studies, is truly showing a keen intrest in becoming either a re teacher or minister ect ect...BUT if they fail the courses then they need further study.in order to gain the quailfactions required..................this differs from someone that just picks up a ie - bible...reads it and mkes up their own idea on what the bible says...goes to a website and clicks - to become ordained.......as for me...I would likede to be a lawyer or Shrink doctor...but to do this, I need to spend a lot of hard work and time to study and pass exams...I cant just pick up a book on law and think ok ill go to a website and se if im one click away of becomming a lawyer lol

Anyone can go to School...but to take up a career in anything to become something...you need to strenghen your knowledge and gain the qualifactions required<--thats what seperates anyone from those that attend a seminary

What truly separates a person such as myself from a person who has gone to seminary?
A - I cant answer for you rev.....you know what you have studied....only you knows what qualifactions you have gained............if you have none...well then you are seperated from those that have

I agree with you MMW.
In a way it's also a rebellion against organized religion. Going to seminary or being trained at this temple or that school only indoctrinates you into towing the party line of that sect. Ministry ain't about quoting books, and it's not about authority, it's about being an example, a guide for helping people live their faith in the real.

I shave my head as a symbol of devotion to the Way(it's also low maintenance and the ladies dig it). I don't have to but I do.

I wear the title Rev. not as an authority but as a symbol of devotion. I take it seriously (but not too much so...wanna buy a Plenary Indulgence?).

Does the title deserve respect? No. The person wearing it does, if his actions are condusive to that respect.

Actually, since my church is one of the few that does not have ordained ministers, I can say with good confidence that it's not a rebellion against organized religion to us. We genuinely believe that we all have the ability to receive the true Word and minister to one another. In short, there is no authority other than that of the Holy Spirit and since the Holy Spirit dwells within all of us, we have no use for an authority to interpret that Word.

a minor disagreement.

Ahhhaaa thats why you threw those questions at me rev LOL I thought there was something up lol

Only in certain religions.In the rest,it is part of their life...but nothing to make a career of.For some,it is their life (such as Buddhist monks...etc.).



As I mentioned before,there are a lot of religious sects that do not have schools where you can be trained to be a minister or priest.Remember,only a few religions actually use a book as their "guide".So really...for those of us with no book...why do we need to bother going to school when we use our life experiences and learning as our guides,or happen to go live in a temple or monastery to learn from those who are willing to teach us?

Personally,I think that many who go through the U.L.C. and other places in order to be ordained are doing so in order to stay within the boundaries of the law...since one has to be recognized by the law (as a part of a recognized church) in order to be able to perform certain acts which are considered to be religious in nature...such as marriages and funerals.Many of these people are also serious about their religions or belief systems.So really...what is the difference between them and those who go to seminary? Just the fact that one goes to school to be ordained while the other learns from other sources and has to go through a church such as U.L.C. in order to be ordained.Both types are usually serious about their beliefs...and that's all that really counts.

Besides...a "minister" is a "servant" of their religion or belief system.To be ordained is just a way to be recognized by the law.

...

As a side note...as an ordained minister,I am able to perform marriages and funerals...although I see very little difference between them...since someone is always "dead".

Im just old fashioned when it comes to having men that run a church.........in the same way, I dont like the idea of women being preists or vicars....I dont even agree with women in funerals help to carry the coffin...and I wouldnt let a woman marry me off to my partner

OMG i sound like a sexist pig

*exits*

Awwwww, that's too bad Geri. Do you know many female ministers? I have a friend who is a Epicopalian minister, she's WONDERFUL. I adore her sermons. She's smart, gentle, kind... everything a minister should be. Her congregation is very lucky to have her I think.

I've been to a number of weddings with female ministers, they are always very nice too.

Women often seem to bring a much needed quiet strength and a liberal dose of gentleness to the ministry in my experience... I think that's a good thing.

I know lots of women ministers MissMels...lol...

But from a child, I grew up in what is well known as a mans world...and was used to only MEN running a church

I remember when i was like 12 years old...I saw women standing in a catholic church to help with communion, came time to go up and accept the bread of our lord, I wouldnt line up were the women were handing out the bread LOL

I know its wrong of me...and I do sound like a sexist pig...but it was all ive known

says a fan of the sitcome - Vicar of Dibly lol the vicar is called geraldine...they call her geri for short