Gimme That Ol' Time Religion

I am now ordained in the Church of Spiritual Humanism. No joke. My official church title is "Priestess." And, yes, I can perform ceremonies according to state and local regulations. Yep.

I do weird things sometimes. Actually, I do them to see if I can. I was reading a Terry Pratchett novel yesterday and it was populated with its usual cast of characters, including the various priests and priestesses of the myriad of Discworld gods. And, I thought, "How cool." I have always wanted some mystical title and started daydreaming. This, of course, led me to my favorite way to pass time - research. Everyone's heard that you can be ordained by mailorder and I wondered if that was still the case. So, onto the Internet went my trusty Vaio, searching for information.

I found that it is ridiculously easy to become ordained. Some are free, some require payment. Some offer a simple certificate and notation in their register. Some give you little perks, like sample ceremonies and certificates. Some are Christian in nature, some are non-sectarian. Some offer degrees along with the ordination, such as Doctor of Divinity. It is a booming little business.

Now, even for a lark, ol' Scigirl is neither a hypocrite nor a mocker. I do not believe in a "God," as such. Therefore, I would not attach myself to any institution that was intended to spread the word of a deity. That would run counter to my personal beliefs and, as bad, be disrespectful to those who practice a deity-based faith. I believe that everyone is free to pursue their own spiritual or religious beliefs and would never look down upon someone for believing in a god or goddess. To join a church that promoted God's word, when that is not a part of my own personal beliefs would be insulting, from my point of view.

So, I found the perfect church. The Church of Spiritual Humanism. What is Spiritual Humanism? Their description:

A religion based on the ability of human beings to solve the problems of society using logic and science.

Most people need a religion to help guide them through life's challenges and difficult moral decisions. Recognizing how the power of religious rituals, methods, and communication can impact human behavior, Spiritual Humanism fuses traditional religious behaviors onto the foundation of scientific humanist inquiry.

While it is impossible to remove age old traditions from human culture, we can redirect them by redefining their underlying significance and meanings. Spiritual Humanism is natural, not supernatural. By using a method of scientific inquiry we can define the inspirational, singular spark inherent in all living creatures.

Now, don't that sound like me? Practices based on nature and science. Practitioners are free to God it up as much or as little as they want and choose any type of "God" they wish. I went for the big bonanza package, which allowed me to choose my church title and provided me with various manuals and info on state regulations for performing ceremonies like marraiges, commitment ceremonies, baby namings, Wiccan handfasting, funerals, invocations, etc. Not that I would actually do anything of that, but it is fun to know that I can if I desire.

So, its Priestess Scigirl, now. I wanted to know if I could do it and found out that I could. I obtained a little bit of fantasy and mysticism to add to my resume of life. Nice way to start the week...