tagged w/ Freedom?
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What is the church’s relationship to the government? What is the government’s relationship to the church?
ULC Minister's Can't Perform Marriages in Las Vegas/Clark County Nevada Why?
My wife and I were ordained by ULC back in 1999 while living in Texas, since then we have moved around to Virginia, Vegas again, Oregon, Minnesota, and finally back to Vegas again. Have been a Vegas resident off and on since 1995, my wife is from here.
Have never been much moved to organize a ministry or church, but recently a couple who wish to exchange lifestyle vows contacted me and asked me to perform their Ceremony.
I checked at the County Clerks website, and thought that I could meet the requirements, so told them I would be happy to help them. I got a copy of my Ordination and a letter of good standing from the Church.
However I also called the Mother Church and had quite a long discussion with the lady who answered the phone. She told me that Clark County puts up almost insurmountable roadblocks for Ministers from ULC to obtain the required authority to officiate at weddings in Clark County.
She suggested that I contact other ULC Ministers in Clark County for advice and pointed me towards the index at ULC.Net.
If anyone has any experience with registration with the Clark County, NV County Clerks office I would appreciate hearing about it, especially how to go about doing it smoothly. I am seeking registration only to marry the couple that contacted me.
What I was told by the lady at the mother church is that the County pretty much disregards the separation between Church and State and has taken it upon itself to define what a church is, and who may officiate.
As a semi-retired old coot, I am tempted to investigate, and perhaps fight these limitations, if they in fact exist. It seems to me that a web based virtual church reaching out to specific communities and communicating with its members certainly is a church in fact, despite what the county clerk may on may not think.
However this is about this particular couple and their needs, so looking for the easy $ way to perform their marriage.
Looking forward to some advice, State to make money? Or control People for profit?
http://www.middletownbiblechurch.org/churchhi/church7.htmWhat is the church’s relationship to the government? What is the... more
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ejasun
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added this
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2 years ago
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Too Important to Ignore: Its often said when anyone questions how we got into the mess in Iraq, "Its too late now, we are there, now". Its not too late today, we are here now, waiting for answers. How can this be stopped before it gets started?
On October 1, 2008, President Bush deployed a brigade -- which means three to four thousand warriors -- somewhere in America. We do not know where they are deployed though citizens have informally reported to me having seen military vehicles and troops in Georgia and Alabama. We do know that their official mandate according to the first report is 'crowd control' as well as action in the event of a mass civilian catastrophe. Initial reports described their technology 'module package' as involving Tasers and rubber bullets.
First, the founding generation set a bright line to keep military from policing our streets in 1807 because they knew from their own experience how easily military forces -- King George's -- could subdue civilian society. The First Brigade is Bush's force: they are not answerable to Congress or to the Governors of states: they are answerable to the Commander in Chief. In an Alternet posting, I interviewed Air Force Colonel (retired) David Antoon who noted that the troops must obey the president, even if he asks them to arrest Congress or fire on civilians or attack media outlets. If they do not obey orders, he notes, they face five years in
prison.
Police forces have become more violent toward civilians due to resources as well as pressure from Homeland Security money and personnel. Prior to this summer's conventions, $50 million was sent to both Denver and St. Paul, much of which was used to arm and train police to act against citizens.
In St. Paul, funds were sent in advance to pay off the lawsuits against police forces that were guaranteed to arise from the planned abuse of citizens. This sort of thing is happening across the country. The tactic has established a closed circle that has turned citizens' law enforcement agencies into contractors of a state that is directing acts of increasing severity against US citizens. Now a military brigade is being deployed.
The Bush administration has unilaterally decided to defy federal laws that have kept the military off our streets since 1807, almost since the birth of this nation: The John Warner Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2007 expanded the president's authority to deploy troops within the United States. The people raised a hue and cry -- and this power was then substantially limited by a new provision in the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act. But Bush signaled, with a signing statement, that he would not recognize these new limitations. We may be called unpatriotic for fearing these soldiers on our streets. We should see through this. Our military are indeed brave and overwhelmingly decent. And, as I note, they can be prosecuted for refusing to follow orders. But history -- and the Zimbardo experiments, and Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo -- has taught us clearly that decent kids under duress and following strict orders can do appalling things. Our men and women in uniform over there have followed many orders that are still giving them PTSD and nightmares at home.
Air Force Colonel Antoon notes further:
I am not a constitutional scholar. But history, which we as Americans ignore at our own peril, clearly suggests that martial law trumps civil law. As I said, and as you have written, I believe we are in great peril if we have American troops who have been trained to "destroy the enemy ... in close combat" patrolling American streets. Posse Comitatus is essential because American soldiers are not trained for such things as civil disobedience -- they are trained to kill. The US military "Warrior's Creed" clearly states: "I stand ready to deploy, engage and destroy the enemies of the United States of America in close combat.
Too Important to Ignore: Its often said when anyone questions how we got into the... more
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