Creating a Religious Organization

[daenku32]

So, anyone here done it?

Reason I ask is because I found the concept of having a Religion quite interesting, even though I'm an Atheist and don't subscribe to any Religious group.

Also, looking at Indiana Code I have found lot's of exemptions for "Religious Organizations", beyond the obvious tax things. Mainly all the "religious objections" and the ability to marry people. I've always been interested in that ability, but it seems I will first need to be part of a religion if I don't want to take a government job.

I really don't even care for the tax breaks, so we can leave that out for now.

Indiana Code (http://www.in.gov/legislative/ic/code/)

[Charlie Monoxide]

If you also have rituals of de-flowering virgins, please sign me up!

Charlie (atheist hypocrite of fun religeous dogma) Monoxide

[shanek]

Would an atheist organization be considered religious? That might be an interesting angle...Set up an atheist group and then apply for tax-exempt status. If they deny it to you, sue them for religious discrimination.

[Luke T.]

If L. Ron Hubbard can do it, anyone can...

[daenku32]

Just to make sure we are on the same page here..

This "Religious Organization" will be as minimalistic as possible. After all, it will just so that I can do "religious objections" and to legally marry people.

[Cleon]

Oh, for Jebus' sake...

Try this--it's quicker (http://www.ulc.org/)

I've been a minister for three years.

[deanerk]

I'm getting married in September. My fiance and I recently made the decision to have a close friend who is a ULC minister marry us. We're not getting married in a church and didn't want to have to bother to have to go through useless classes with someone and the idea of being married by a judge just didn't appeal to us. He's checked into the legality of the marriage and found that he only needs a letter from the local courthouse. I told him he should make a part-time career of it and get some breaks.

[Cleon]

Originally posted by deanerk
I'm getting married in September. My fiance and I recently made the decision to have a close friend who is a ULC minister marry us. We're not getting married in a church and didn't want to have to bother to have to go through useless classes with someone and the idea of being married by a judge just didn't appeal to us. He's checked into the legality of the marriage and found that he only needs a letter from the local courthouse. I told him he should make a part-time career of it and get some breaks.

In this neck of the woods (and most states I believe), the marriage process consists of:

<ul>
Get marriage license.
Have someone offical (judge or minister) sign marriage license.
Marriage License sent in (usually by official person) to courthouse to be recorded.
[/list]

I'd like to make a part-time career out of it, but when I perform a marriage (I've done a couple) I generally do, er, rather off-the-wall marriages ("by the power vested in me by the State of Georgia and the Voices in my Head..."). When I think of actually doing it for money, a voice in my head says "you know, someone will want you to take it seriously..."