The weekly report on the SPI Coalition
by Johnny Monsarrat
Are you looking to perform a secular wedding as the master of ceremonies, the officiant? Many secular organizations in the SPI Coalition allow you to become certified to perform marriages.
For example, coalition member First Church of Atheism you can become ordained immediately for no cost. Are you the one getting married? Visit the website to browse almost 5,000 active ministers, where you can search by keyword including city.
Or try the Universal Church Triumphant of the Apathetic Agnostic (UCTAA), which has been conducting marriages for more than 20 years. They believe that if there is a Supreme Being, then that being appears to act as if apathetic to events in our universe, and they return the favor by being apathetic towards a possible God.
At a more professional level,┬áSociety of Celebrations┬ávets all their officiants and getting a certificate is far less easy but worth the effort. Celebrants must go through a training program to be ordained and an extensive applications process.┬áThey say, “Our pride is in quality.”
The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers, who I mentioned last week, can also connect you with a Humanist officiant.
Also, Belgian Flemish Humanist Association met with the Flemish Interfaith Dialogue to issue a joint statement with local Islamic religious leaders about the terrorist attacks in Paris. They have also formed a program to take over the growing number of vacant churches and repurpose them to secular uses.
Atheist Ireland is met with officials from the Irish Department of Education and the Chair of the Oireachtas Education Committee on the Schools Equality PACT to oppose state funding of religious schools that teach religion and discriminate based on religion. They also published a video for their recent big debate titled, Is Christianity holding us back? with Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland and David Robertson, a Reverend, debating.