Minn. Legislation Seeks to Allow Atheists to Officiate Weddings

[struggle4progress]

By Katherine Weber
Christian Post Reporter
April 8, 2014|2:57 pm

... A House version of the bill, known as House File 2966 and titled "Marriage solemnization by atheist and humanist celebrants authorized," was introduced by State Rep. Phyllis Kahn (DFL-Nicolett Island) in March and is currently before the House Civil Law Committee. The bill requests that the wording of current state law be changed to allow atheists and humanists to officiate civil marriages in the state. A Senate version of the bill, SF 2958, was introduced by Minnesota State Sen. John Marty (DFL-Roseville) last week.

Minnesota's current law states that "ministers of any religious denomination … are authorized to solemnize a civil marriage" after they file their credentials with the local county clerk. The new bills would add language to the existing law to allow "any other celebrant," specifically naming atheists or humanists, to do the same.

The bill requires that atheist groups wishing to appoint celebrants "must be registered as a nonprofit with the Minnesota Office of the Secretary of State and must have tax-exempt status as an educational organization" ...

http://www.christianpost.com/news/minn-legislation-seeks-to-allow-atheists-to-officiate-weddings-117540/

[LiberalFighter]

1. In the right step.

Although I don't think there should be a requirement to be associated with a non-profit.

[struggle4progress]

2. My own view would be that such unions, so far as they are recognized by the state

and have legal consequence, should be conductede by state authorities --and that any other ceremonies people wish to have, whether religious or otherwise, have no particular legal standing: I think weddings by ministers (say), rather than judges, are the relic of a vanished frontier era

[LiberalFighter]

3. I would support that.

Go back to the way it use to be. Ceremonies performed by the clergy didn't mean diddly squat in the past. It is really a recent development.