So I discovered the site of this "church" that claims to that it allows you to become an ordained minister simply by filling out an online form. I have done a tiny bit of research on the subject & it seems that it may be on the up & up. I'm seriously thinking of filling out the form & starting "The Church of the Almighty Taco" or some shit like that.

Here is the site for those interested

http://www.themonastery.org/?destination=ordination-form

Anyone need absolution?

Yes please.

I've been a bad boy. A bad, bad boy...

I actually signed up through the official site of the Universal Life Church instead of the Monastery site. My question to you is if that is real or not. Do they actually send you a certificate or something?

Yes, it's real. For certain US States (State of Hawaii, Connecticut, Ohio, West Virginia, Minnesota), however, you need extra documentation which you can order through the site. Not required in the UK though! :-)

EDIT: They'll send you your certificate for $6.99.

From the book of John, chapter 22, verse 78 and a half:

"All faiths are best served by the freedom and choice to become ordained online."

Hallelujah and amen.

Your telling me? My arse still hurts from saturday night....




What did you put in that curry?

Bah, the ULCM is a coven of schismatics and heretics. (They split from the ULC in 2006.)

Kirby Hensley's Universal Life Church has been doing this for more than 50 years. They also have online ordination applications, though they point out (correctly, in most jurisdictions) that your application must be reviewed by a human.

The ULCM is in schism from the ULC mother church, and their ordinations are humbug.

and you only need to be 13, wow.

Thanks to the Establishment Clause, there is very little the Federal government or state governments can do to prevent people who get these "ordinations" from styling themselves "minister" and doing things like solemnizing marriages.

They're not total hogwash either. The ULC operates as a nonprofit, has (I'd say vague, they say inclusive) core beliefs, conducts worship, has a seminary of sorts, encourages its ministers to set up individual churches, etc.

Although the ULC will back you up and say yes, they did ordain you as a minister, it isn't always enough. In some states, some marriages where a ULC minister officiated have been voided. Dealing with a voided marriage can be a colossal hassle. See Mr. and Mrs. Smith (1941: Carole Lombard and Robert Montgomery, not Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie) for further details.

(For Europeans reading this, the US does not have any requirement that a marriage be solemnized by a registrar or other government official. A marriage may be solemnized by a minister alone, so long as he (or she) follows established procedure.)

Hell, I'll send you a certificate for $7 too, if you like. Real official and everything.

lol now im a ordained minister...XD

Praise be my fuckin' brother =P Dude... that is totally awesome. From this point forward I shall only be known as Reverend Robby... Quake in fear lowly mortals MWAHAHAHAHA