monkey00 Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 I have always questioned myself, the day i get married, where would it be? my parents are buddhists. i have some beliefs in buddhism and some in catholic. But i actually consider myself athiest...since im not really religious at all. I know in america marriages are mostly done in churches with priests. The question is - are athiests allowed to be married by a priest? or if not what other alternatives do i have? i mean...I have no reason to be against being married in a religious environment. Link to post Share on other sites
westernxer Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 My understanding is that you have to be christened before the priest will marry you. Most religions are pretty strict when it comes to marriage rites. Both people have to believe (at least profess their faith in the religion they belong to). I'm not religious myself, and I don't see myself getting married anytime soon, so a church is out of the question. However, you can always get married by a judge, or by Elvis in a drive-thru chapel in Vegas. Britney Spears did it... forgive me for mentioning her. Link to post Share on other sites
GirlDown Posted February 22, 2005 Share Posted February 22, 2005 i may be mistaken, but i don't think you can be considered ahtheist if you have at least some beliefs... that alone might make it easier to find someone to marry you and your significant other. maybe you are agnostic...that's what i am. i think something is out there, but i do not necessarily know what. Link to post Share on other sites
moimeme Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Check the phone book. Different places have different rules, but you'll find that there will be several sorts of people who can conduct civil ceremonies. Link to post Share on other sites
Author monkey00 Posted February 23, 2005 Author Share Posted February 23, 2005 Originally posted by GirlDown i may be mistaken, but i don't think you can be considered ahtheist if you have at least some beliefs... that alone might make it easier to find someone to marry you and your significant other. maybe you are agnostic...that's what i am. i think something is out there, but i do not necessarily know what. hmm yet it might, thanks. Thanks for introducing a new word into my dictionary, yes i think i am agnostic, as i do believe there's someone up there. most people i've met are mostly agnostic. Check the phone book. Different places have different rules, but you'll find that there will be several sorts of people who can conduct civil ceremonies. hmm thanks, but i bet it wouldnt be as fancy or traditional as church weddings....Which is the american way. When the time comes ill figure something out. Although i havent been to a real wedding before, it would be interesting to witness one. Link to post Share on other sites
quankanne Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Which is the american way the "American way" is pretty much anything goes! you can get as fancy and proper as you want, or be as low-key as you want when you're planning a wedding ceremony. here (and I'm guessing you're from somewhere that demands a religious ceremony) the only "must" is getting a license from the county clerk's office so that it can be filed among that county's vital statistics. There is no need to have a church wedding or a religious figure present, unless one of the parties favors one. an aside: if you're intended is a practicing Catholic who decides to marry in the Church, one of the things asked of the couple is a pledge to rear any children they have in the Catholic faith. Not sure if any other religions ask this of their prospective newlyweds .... Link to post Share on other sites
tiki Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 My church will marry anyone. If you're a member, you get a discount. I got married on the beach in Hawaii. I've known of people to get married anywhere from a grocery store to city hall. You may want to consider too, the words that are used in your union. A lot of ceremonies are christian based, but I've seen otherwise available, with no mention of God. Good luck to ya. Link to post Share on other sites
jade_nc Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 there are many regulations to uniting in marriage in a catholic church. you don't just have to be christened, you are also required to go through caticism and become a member of the church - the process takes at least a few months. your prospective partner (regardless of religion) would then be required to attend jt pre-marital counseling. afterward, the priest will decide whether or not you should be married and whether or not he will perform the ceremony. if he does not agree that you should be married, and you marry anyway - your marriage will not be recognized by the church and you will not be permitted to participate in certain ceremonial rituals. most other Christian religions don't require as much to perform a wedding. some require pre-marital counseling or baptismal records. but most do require that you profess your faith in Christianity. Link to post Share on other sites
Artifact Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 You can find chapels that are non denominational. These can have the feel of the church with no religious affiliation. Link to post Share on other sites
tiki Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Yeah, I've known of several people to get married in little chapels. Link to post Share on other sites
Artifact Posted February 23, 2005 Share Posted February 23, 2005 Originally posted by tiki Yeah, I've known of several people to get married in little chapels. me!me!me! Link to post Share on other sites
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