A Bucks County, Pa., judge last week upheld the legality of a marriage performed by a Universal Life Church minister -- the latest ruling on whether marriages performed by clergy without a regular congregation are valid under Pennsylvania law, the AP reports:
The test case is one of at least three filed across the state by the Pennsylvania chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union to clarify the type of clergy recognized under the Pennsylvania Marriage Act. ...A York County judge ruled (in 2007) that a minister must have a regular congregation or house of worship -- and that marriages performed by anyone else was invalid. That case also involved a Universal Life minister.
Fritsch (said the question is) whether someone meets the Pennsylvania Marriage Act criterion that a minister, priest or rabbi have "a regularly established church." He ignored the issue of whether that requires a church building or regular congregation.The ACLU argues that such a requirement would exclude Jesuit professors, rabbis at college Hillels, and other ordained church authorities, as well as clergy who are retired or assigned to hospitals and military posts.
Interesting decision made in York. I am an ordained minister a Protestant denomination and have never led a congregation in a church building. My calling was as a Chaplain; I had no church but institutions. I have served as a chaplain at hospitals, state psychiatric institution, aboard ships, and in nursing homes. I challenge the decision of this judge to determine that I am not a legimate clergy because I have no church building. My denomination has church buildings all over the world I just don't serve in them except as a supply minister. What happened to the state should make no decisions restricting the free practice of religion?
I am a professional counselor and I considered a ministerial degree, but was appauled at the lack of counseling classes required for this degree given the amount of counseling required in this profession. I have relatives that are ministers and am astounded at their ignorance about counseling, sex and addictions! I own a B&B and I proform weddings. I require couples to pass a nationally known couples test, which is more than most ministers require or are qualified to do. I graduated from a Christian college and studied religion and am more than qualified to marry couples, and PS: I will take Bucks Co over York any day!
The state should stay out of religion. It is none of the government's business.
I agree that the government should stay out of it. I don't think people should have to pass a test to get married. If they don't have to in order to have children, they shouldn't to get married. I do think that training is important and we definitely should have training for people who want to do counseling.