If not then why?
Would this be considered discrimination?
2007-12-30 12:11:05 · 11 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
Down here in Aussie it is legal to be handfasted...
There are Pagan celebrants who perform the ritual...
I can see no problem in USA, as you too have celebrants who perform marriage ceremonies, don't you ? ; so you write the ritual yourself and all the words...
It is still a legal marriage in the eyes of the government, as the marriage papers get signed the same as they would if you had a wiz-bang Catholic Church marriage...
Blessed Be... )O(
2007-12-30 12:49:06 · answer #1 · answered by Bunge 7 · 6⤊ 0⤋
As long as you fill out the governments forms they dont care who does the actual ceremony. Its not the religious ceremony that makes it a legal marriage. In fact, in many states just living together long enough is a marriage (check out common law marriage).
My son and daughter got married by a wiccan hand-fast ceremony. It was quite lovely. And I really think it had more real symbolism of marriage than a traditional one would have had.
2008-01-01 09:14:44 · answer #2 · answered by Gandalf Parker 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
Legal marriages are determined by the officiant, not the ceremony the officiant uses.
Each state has its own rules for who can officiate a wedding. In Wisconsin it just has to be officiated by someone who is ordained. However, just because your coven called you high priest doesn't mean you're ordained, although there are plenty of ordained Wiccans. Some other states require that the officiant be ordained and fit other requirements, although no state can make a requirement that is religion-specific.
2008-01-02 06:04:46 · answer #3 · answered by Nightwind 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
I imagine it's the same as up here in Canada -- a justice of the peace has to be present in order to legalize the marriage.
And I wouldn't consider it discrimination. Wicca is still a relatively small religion. If we could get universally recognized clergy off the ground, we might have a chance of having them all certified to perform legal marriages.
2007-12-30 12:15:34 · answer #4 · answered by prairiecrow 7 · 5⤊ 0⤋
The only way they are legally recognized is if the couple obtains a marriage license.
I don't think it's discrimination because in order for any religious organization to marry/handfast a couple they too need a valid marriage license.
2007-12-30 12:15:51 · answer #5 · answered by )0( Cricket Song 4 · 7⤊ 0⤋
The ceremony is NOT what makes a handfasting or marriage legal. It's the marriage license. The ceremony is only for the couple.
2007-12-30 12:26:16 · answer #6 · answered by Janet L 6 · 7⤊ 0⤋
If you have a marriage license, the required number of witnesses, and someone who can legally marry people present, any ceremony, or lack of ceremony, is legal.
2007-12-30 12:36:46 · answer #7 · answered by murigenii 6 · 6⤊ 0⤋
As a Catholic... in the event that they are nicely recommended and non secular Catholics -- then i'm sorry to declare that they are going to maximum in all probability no longer come.. no count how nicely you modern-day it. that's because of the fact there's a Catholic theory that we are to no longer attend non-Christian, truly non-Catholic, marriage ceremonies. to accomplish that, provides the incorrect effect and creates confusion. to bypass, seems to declare "that's all relative and certainty relies upon on who believes it" - whilst in Catholicism.. certainty is continuous and unchanging. yet.. possibly thankfully for you.. no longer all Catholics understand or carry on with this theory. some have an exceedingly laize' faire mentality and attend anyhow as to no longer offend. The Church does not precisely instruct this theory very regularly, maximum of folk do no longer understand this. So while you're fortunate, your loved ones isn't nicely recommended or sees issues greater subjectively. yet now which you recognize the Catholic stance.. i could inspire you to no longer be selfish and to, in fact, inspire THEM to be actual to their faith, as you're to yours. As no longer easy as this could be. To advise them to no longer carry on with the tenants of their faith on your convenience and benefit..could to ME, be 'doing them injury' that's against Wiccan tenants.
2016-10-02 22:20:11 · answer #8 · answered by glassburn 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they are.
It depends on whether the Wiccan is legally ordained or not.
I do not advocate that non-ordained Wiccan clergy seek ordination in groups like ULC when there ARE decent Wiccan groups that ordain.
2007-12-31 04:43:12 · answer #9 · answered by LabGrrl 7 · 3⤊ 0⤋
As long as you have a person who is legally allowed to perform marriages. I had a pagan hand fasting for my wedding. We made it legal a couple weeks after. I wish we wouldn't have because the handfasting lost its luster almost to the tea of a year and a day. We held on for 7 years, and now we are divorcing. I'm still trying to figure out whether or not we should bother with the parting of ways ceremony.
2007-12-30 19:24:32 · answer #10 · answered by Violetta 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋