Comments on: Atheists Sue Indiana Over Marriage Law

By: Geoff Mazlin

Geoff Mazlin — Mon, 26 Nov 2012 00:46:16 +0000

Thanks for an interesting article. I am a Civil Marriage Celebrant in Australia – I am thankful that I live here and not there as I would not be able to earn a living.
Many of my couples are practising christians and enjoy the fact that they have the ability to choose the type of ceremony they want. Not all couples can and have the desire to be married in a church.

By: Reba Boyd Wooden

Reba Boyd Wooden — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:25:02 +0000

Will do. Here is a quote from The Humanist Society website:

It was therefore with the goal in mind that this small band of former Quakers incorporated, in December 1939, under the state laws of California the Humanist Society of Friends as a religious, educational, charitable nonprofit organization authorized to issue charters anywhere in the world and to train and ordain its own ministry, who upon ordination are then accorded the same rights and privileges granted by law to priests, ministers, and rabbis of traditional theistic religions.

See the word religious in the third line. That is why they can solemnize marriages and CFI Secular Celebrants cannot. I consider The Humanist Society as a very fine organization and I was certified by them from 2001-2008 and solemnized over 50 marriages in Indiana under that certification. I have nothing against The Humanist Society (though a commenter on another blog has accused CFI of ???? and one of them called CFI “fucking idiots” because we didn’t understand that The Humanist Society’s Humanist Celebrants can already solemnize marriages in Indiana which is correct. I understand that and I solemnized over 50 marriages under that certification. Not animosty intended by me or anyone at CFI. We just think that a purely secular organization should have that right also and not have to be chartered as a religious organization.
Many people don’t seem to under stand this. This was on The Raw Story and I can’t post an explanation there because I don’t have the right browser on my computer.

By: Phil Ferguson

Phil Ferguson — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 02:02:49 +0000

Reba,
Thanks for that important information. Please let me know when you get an update. I would be happy to write it up.
Phil

By: Reba Boyd Wooden

Reba Boyd Wooden — Thu, 25 Oct 2012 00:58:00 +0000

Our Secular Celebrants can do a ceremony for a couple but they cannot make it legal by signing the marriage certificate which is referred to as solemmizing the marriage. Indiana is not the only state were the law precludes CFI Secular Celebrants from doing this. Our celebrants cannot solemnize a marriage in any state in the union just under this certification. Some states have ways that a person can become a legal official and can do so. One is Florida where a notary can do it and California where anyone can be deputized as a judge for a day and do it and Pennsylvania where the couple themselves can solemnize their own marriage. Of course, in almost all states anyone can go online and become an ordained minister and then can do it except in a few states where the law says they must have a congregation or something like that. Don’t know how they would ever enforce that law.
Don’t confuse CFI Secular Celebrants with Humanists Celebrants certified by The Humanist Association which is connected with AHA. These Humanist celebrants can solemnize marriages in every state in the union because The Humanist Society is chartered as a religious organization. CFI will not allow any of our Secular Celebrants to solemnize under any religious guise because we are trying to make a point that you shouldn’t have to pretend to be religious to solemnize a marriage. We do allow our celebrants to solemnize under a civil designation if it is possible in their state. Reba Boyd Wooden, Executive Director of CFI-Indiana and Director of the CFI Secular Celebrant program. If we win this case, it will be a really landmark case for nonreligious organizations and people. It will set an important precedent. Wish us luck. It is in the hands of Federal Judge Sarah Evans Barker at this point. We have done wll we can do at the moment.