Non Fluffy Wicca

There was relatively little hassle in finally obtaining the right to become a religious marriage celebrant in the Commonwealth of Virginia. After I faxed all the required paperwork in, and waited a little over a week, the judge signed the order, and I was told to come to the courthouse to take the Oath of Office. After a very short wait, I was ushered to the back of the clerk's offices, where I was administered the Oath by a very nice deputy clerk, who then showed me how to properly fill out the marriage licenses to get them back to the County properly.

So a happily anti climactic end to the process. Hooray!

Posted by mikki at 10:57 PM | Permalink

United States: A Florida school has voted to change its rules on clubs to prevent a 12-year-old pupil starting a Pagan club.

The girl had asked about forming a club based on her pagan beliefs because the school had Christian clubs, her mother said. Bruner officials, however, told her she would have to gather 200 signatures to form such a club.

The existence of the Christian clubs means the school couldn't suddenly get concerned about the separation of church and state, so instead, they insisted on a minumum membership - want to bet that if one of the Christian clubs falls below that, the rule won't be enforced?

Okaloosa school board passes rule to block pagan club - Herald-Tribune, 25th May 2004.
[The Pagan Prattle Online]

Posted by mikki at 08:28 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

A German couple discovers why they don't have any children...

A couple in Germany demonstrated conclusively why sex education should not be left to religious institutions.

According to a brief article on Ananova, a couple, who are in their 30's and have been married for 8 years, showed up at a fertility clinic at the University of Lubeck. They were concerned about the fact that after 8 years of marriage, they remained childless.

After being poked and prodded, tested and tweaked, it turns out that there was no physiological reason they could not concieve children.

There was a physiological reason they hadn't concieved any children however. They weren't having sex. At all. Ever.

Apparently, these people were brought up in a strict religious community, and they didn't know the first thing about sex. Like the fact that you have to have sex to procreate.[Morons Dot Org]

Posted by mikki at 12:54 PM | Permalink

Well, the Goddess thinks I should have a few million dollars. Who's going to send it to me? I'm waiting :-)

United Sates: A Virginia woman has been sent to prison after God told her to pester the staff at a car dealership.

Cole testified earlier this year that she knew she had been ordered to stay away from the car dealership. But she insisted that God ordered her to go there. Cole said she was never rude to employees.

She said that God insisted they give her a free vehicle. Woman Who Claimed God Sent Her Gets Jail Time - ABC 7 News, 18th May 2004 (via Religion News Blog).
[The Pagan Prattle Online]

Posted by mikki at 12:44 PM | Permalink

Unlike many other jurisdictions, the Commonwealth of Virginia allows its counties to force applicants to be religious celebrants for marriages to jump through various and sundry annoying hoops. I have obtained the notarized letter on church letterhead attesting to the fact that I was indeed ordained. I have obtained the ordination certificate. I have filled out the application and had it also notarized. I have faxed it all to the Clerk of the Circuit Court of Fairfax County. And I have telephoned them to ensure it arrived.

The next step is to wait 5 to 7 days for the judge's decision, and if he says ok, bring all the documents to the courthouse and go to a swearing in ceremony. But will it be that simple? Possibly not, according to the last publicized time a Wiccan attempted to get recognition to do ceremonies. See the ACLU's press release on the subject in 1998. They took their case to Norfolk and prevailed. I am not sure if the issue was ever fully decided for Fairfax County.

And so we will see. It could be quite interesting.

Posted by mikki at 12:26 AM | Permalink

I truly don't understand why this is such a big deal. Very confusing.

LINCOLN, Mass., May 15 -- If there are no last-minute legal hitches and Massachusetts on Monday becomes the first state to allow same-sex marriages, Lois Tetreault and Lois Johnson would like the pastor of the church they have attended for more than a decade to perform their wedding later this year. [Washington Post: Front Page]

Posted by mikki at 11:19 AM | Permalink

While another group strikes another blow for the pro-discrimination groups. One step forward, two steps backwards.

The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, headed by three bishops who support gay marriage, is barring its priests from officiating at same-sex weddings, citing restrictive language in the canons and prayerbook of the church. (By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff) [Boston Globe: Local]

Posted by mikki at 10:04 AM | Permalink

Wonderful! The only thing I disagree with in this snipped is that the Unitarian Universalists are a "small denomination." They're actually pretty big, and likely growing due to their laudable non-discrimination policy.

At a time when many of the major religious denominations of the United States are riven by divisive debates over homosexuality, a small Boston-based denomination, the Unitarian Universalist Association, is preparing to supply ministers to officiate at large numbers of weddings of same-sex couples. (By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff) [Boston Globe: Local]

Posted by mikki at 11:18 AM | Permalink

United States: Baptists, Episcopalians, Buddhists, Unitarians, Muslims, Jews and representatives of other faiths gathered to urge repeal of a state law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman.

A Baptist leader called for social justice, an Episcopalian insisted that all couples get equal treatment, and a Lutheran — citing Washington's long history of civil rights leadership — exhorted other religious leaders across the state to stand up in support of same-sex marriages.

They gathered yesterday with 100 Buddhists, Unitarians, Methodists, Muslims, Presbyterians, Jews and representatives of other faiths to urge the repeal of a 1998 state law defining marriage as the union of a man and a woman, and to decry President Bush's attempt to ban gay and lesbian unions within the U.S. Constitution.

Posted by mikki at 12:16 PM | Permalink

This time, in a 7-0 decision, the replacement Alabama Supreme Court (since the real one couldn't be used because they all used to work with the looney tune who planted the 5,300 pound Ten Commandments monument smack in the middle of a public building. The Justices declined to reinstate the lunatic ex judge, saying that it's not OK to defy a federal court order because your invisible friend says so.

So what's next for the ex judge? His lawyer says he may go to the Supreme Court, wasting yet more taxpayer money. He may also go back to the real Alabama Supreme Court, even though the 7-0 decision came from retired Justices who were highly regarded in their field.

More information at this handy link

Posted by mikki at 03:58 PM | Permalink