Online Ministers Can't Perform Marriages--Pennsylvania Judge
Pennsylvania judge nullifies weddings by online ministers
RNS' Daniel Burke covers the decision by a Pennsylvania judge which nullifies marriages performed by ministers who were ordained online, in this week's full text article, linked above.
Quote:
The ruling, while currently limited to York County, has sent shock waves throughout Pennsylvania. Clerks and registers have called press conferences to alert the public and predicted the end of "thousands" of marriages.
posted by Religion News Service at
8:08 AM
1 Comments:
Another issue in this case is the fact that there are 2 different and distinct churches called "The Universal Life Church." The Seattle-based group, a split off from the main church in Modesto, CA, apparently has a more "lax" ordination policy than the Mother church. The Modesto, CA, Headquarer's of the Universal Life Church makes it very clear on their web site that while ordination in the ULC is free and open to all, NO ONE is "instantly ordained." As their web site states, "A computer cannot ordain you!" Typically, there is a 24 hour waiting period while information supplied to the Church by the applicant is verified. Once that is done, each approved applicant is ordained in absentia at the main ULC Church in Modesto. It is also puzzling to me, in light of the fact that the judge in this ill conceived case REVERSED his decision, as to why it made headlines to begin with.
11/01/2007 08:42:00 AM
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