Judge Rejects Atheist Bid for Right to Perform Marriages

WIBC Indy's News Center ^ | 12/3/2012 | By Eric Berman

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Judge Sarah Evans Barker says granting clergy the right to perform marriages is the kind of accommodation of religion the First Amendment protects, not a denial of rights to the nonreligious.

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Comments at site interesting.

[svcw]

I am not getting this.
I many states you don’t have to be anything.
In Colorado anyone can marry anyone as long as they are 18, and abide by a few requirements, like stating why the couple is there, say their name, the couple agrees to what ever they want then you pronounce them married.
The person performing the ceremony, signs the certificate, along with the couple, turns it in and that’s it.

[Oztrich Boy]

I(n) many states you don’t have to be anything.

Not in Indiana

Under Indiana law, marriages may be solemnized by members of the clergy, judges, mayors, town clerks, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Muslim imams and several other faiths. Center for Inquiry had sued the state with the hope of expanding the law to the nonreligious. - Federal judge rules atheists must become ‘clergy’ to perform marriages

So there the un-religious can only perform marriages by becoming judges, mayors, town clerks.

The CFI wnated a list of 'Secular Celebrants' added, a not unreasonable request.

Dolores's Umbridge solution was that seculars could take advantage of a loophole in the law by spending $5

become a member of the ‘clergy’ by seeking immediate Internet ordination from the Universal Life Church

A farcical ruling that craps on the institutions of marriage, law, and religion.

She should be so overturned on this - First and Fourteemth

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” ... The issue is that a person of faith can have a leader of their world view solemnize that marriage that the nonreligious do not have.”

- Paul Fidalgo, Center for Inquiry

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Atheist clergy..oxymoron

[rmh47]

So atheists can't marry people because they aren't clergy?

I thought that was the reason we have Unitarians.